The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-11-02
$50 DISASTER DEATH
TOLL FOR ONE YEAR
Red Cross Gives $1,871,00O Re-
lief When SIS, 900 Families
Are Made Homeless.

Forty-three disasters, resulting In
the death in the United States Of $50
persons and the Injury Of $500 called
for emergency relief measures anI
the expenditure of $1,S71, 900 by the
American Red Cross during the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1921, says an
announcement based upon the forth
coming annual report Of the Red Cross.
These disasters caused property dam
age estimated at S3O,OOO,0O0, affected
sixty-seven communities and rendered
65,D;t families homeless.
The years disasters were Of vary
ing types. including several which pre-
viously had never been thought Of
as falling within that classified
tion. The Red Cross furnished
relief in seventeen fires Of magnitude,
five floods, seven tornadoes or cy
clones, one devastating storm, three
explosions, including the one In Wall
street; one building accident, twJ
typhoid epidemics, the most serious be-
ing that at Salem, Ohio. which at
fected 8 per cent Of the population;
one smallpox epidemic, In the republic
Of Haiti one train wreck, the race riot
at Tulsa, Okla; the famine In China,
emergency relief In famine among the
Indians Of Alaska, the grasshopper
plague in North Dakota and an earth
quake in Italy.
Pueblo Most Serious
BY far the most severe Of the dis
asters in the United States during the
period covered by the Red Cross re-
port was the Pueblo flood early In
June, 1921. The rehabilitation prob
lem confronting the Red Cross In
Pueblo was one of the most difficult
in recent years. When the first news
Of the horror was flashed throughout
the country, the American Red Cross
National Headquarters responded with
a grant Of $105,OOO for relief work.
Governor Shoup Of Colorado, appre.
ciatlng the long and successful expert
ence Of the Red Cross in organizing
disaster relief work, placed the en-
tire responsibility for the administra
tlon Of relief in it's hands.
In response to appeals from Pres:-
dent Harding. Governor Shoup AMI
other governors Of western states and
through local chapters Of the Red
Cross and other community organiza-
tions, public-spirited citizens brought
the total contributed for Pueblo's re-
Mobilization to more than S325,000.
The terrible havoc wrought by the
flood waters is a matter Of record.
More than 1900 homes were affected
and 1851 persons were left homeless.
Estimates Of S500000 as an absolute
minimum for rehabilitation were made
,y Red Cross officials in charge Of the
.elef work.
Fast Work in Wall Street
The Wall street explosion was nota.
'le In that relief workers Of the Red |
ross were on the scene twenty min |
ties after the disaster occurred. The |
ace riot at Tulsa also was unique IN |
disaster relief annals In that outside |
II small emergency relief fund con-
ributed by the Red Cross, the only
'elief measures outside the city con-
sisted Of the service Of social work
~. nurses ana a trained executive
whose object was to assist local forces
n directing their own efforts.
In decided contrast with the pre-
'ious year. only one tornado assumed
he proportions of a major disaster.
This occurred on April Is, in the bor-
Ter sections Of Texas and Arkansas
With the city Of Te1arkana as the
enter. The significant feature Of this
Iisaster relief work was the fact that
covered 50 much rural territory as
o make necessary a large number Of
elief workers.
The famine in China, necessltatins
elief expenditures totalling more than
1 100000 by the American Red Cross
vas by far the most serious Of tho
oreign disasters in which the Red
ross gave aid.
Builds Up Its Machinery |,
In connection with the administra-
ion Of disaster relief measures, an in.
reasing effectiveness on the part OF
he Red Cross to deal with emergen-
les was manifested during the past S
ear. In 1928 Chapters of the AmerI- s
an Red Cross there have been formed
pecial committees to survey the re.
ources Of their respective communi.
es and to be prepared In case of L
isaster. In others Of the 3,402 active t
hapters, network of communication ;
as been formed through which instau.
lneous relief may be dispatched to
ny part Of the United States.
That its work in this field may be :,
,ntinued with ever greater effective
ess, the American Red Cross 10 ap
ealing for widespread renewal o. 1
embetship during its Annual Rol, r
all, to be conducted this year from ,
ovember II to "a.