Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-11-25
WHAT WOULD YOU
DO IF DISASTER
HIT YOUR TOWN?
$1,000 Victims Of Sudden Disaster
Helped Last Year By
Red Gross


The question is not as foolish a.
Il may sound 10 people who are living
todsy in safety and happiness and
who no more anticipate disaster to-
morrow than they do the end OF the
world.
For no one knows when or where
disaster will strike.
There was no warning of the san
Francisco earthquake and fire. One
moment the people OF that mighty city
ware pustling about their business.
utterly devoid of fear or premonition;
the next their entire world was tum'
bling about their ears.
One morning two miles of the city
of Atlanta, Ca, were swept by IRE
in less than four hours.
Wall street never expected a bomb
explosion until it came and killed
more than thirty people and manned
scores of others in less time than IL
takes to read this paragraph.
Even gathering storms and rising
floods. such as the south has known
on its coasts and at river cities ike
West Point, Ca, give scant warning
bsSore homes are inundated and people
forced to flee for their lives.
To any one at any time, tornado
fire and storm may bring peril and sur
fering. So the question is asked
again:
What would your town do tomor'
row If disaster struck"
1t is to provide an answer TO that
question that the American Red Cross
has been in existence for years and
wears. 1t is the recognized official
agency for disaster relief, and 1t has
lived up to it's responsibilities in
wonderful way.
That is one reason why the Heo
Cross deserves the support OF every
one OIL it's Fourth Roll Ca'l--to main
tain It so that, when disaster strikes
the stricken will always have a help'
ing hand to turn to, the American heo
Cross.
The disaster relief part of the Hed
Cross organization has been so thor
ouRhly perfected that 1t can answer
calls for help in the briefest possible
time.
People of the south well remember
how promptly the Red Cross respond
ed to the need during the West Point
flood last year, the Corpus Christ
storm and several other southern ais
asters, while fresh in the memory OF
the entire country is the fact that
Red Cross doctors and nurses were
t"first on the scene" at the Wall street
explosion.
In addition to furnishing such
prompt relief as this, practically eV
arv Red Cross chapter has a per
manent disaster relief committee
witch has made a survey of resources
in their respective communities and
in prepared to act promptly with tne
means at hand when disaster occurs
Illustrative of the genuine need fol
iust such preparedness as this IN the
United States is the fact that, las,
wear alone. the Red Cross aided 81,
600 persons in 1874 communities, all
victims of 70 separate and distinct ais
aeters.
In the accomplishment Of this re
lief work lao Red Cross chapters were
called upon to assist, the sum OF $500,
900 in cash and supplies was expend
ed. Thirty temporary hospitals were
called into existence, twenty-odd mo
tor corps were organized, seven spe
cial relief trains were sent out and
10 special representatives and nurses
were furnished in addition to the AID
siveu by the local Red Cross workers
In the community visited by disaster
In these 70 disasters, including Is
tornadoes and cyclones. hurricanes
2 cloud bursts, l hail storm, 2 earth
ouakes, | landslide, Is fires, l expo
sion. 9 floods, 10 shipwrecks, train
wreck. 4 riots, motor accident and
2, droughts-S50 persons were killed
1900 were injured, $4,000 tapproxi
imatelvl were rendered homeless
while property valued at S5,00OO 600 was
destroyed.
The largest and most destructive
disaster of the year was at Corpus
Christi Texas, in September, 1913
Approximately 400 were killed and 4.
600 made homeless. The Red Cross
division director with a staff OF 81
Assistants administered a fund of $500,
600. giving aid to 5000 families and
four towns and rural districts and sui
ficient supplies to each family to en-
able 1t to stand on its feet.
Because of tornadoes, the Gulf and
Lake Divisions were called upon to
send emergency relief with trained
workers to nearly 80 communities. The
swo droughts in Montana and North
Dakota gave abundant opportunity Tor
trained workers from the Northern d.
vision to help the Red Cross chapters
demonstrate their usefulness, while
number OF shipwrecks proved the read
sness of the Atlantic Division and the
New York Metropolitan Area Commit
, 90 TO assist in that line Of work.
The record of last year emphasizes
/, he need of abundant preparedness
along the line OF disaster relief, and
las resulted in the organization OF
disaster Preparedness Committees by
.nR end thu eating