The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1921-10-19
$50 DISASTER DEATH
TOLL FOR ONE YEAR
Red Cross Gives $1,871,000 Re-
lief When 65, 1000 Families
Are Made Homeless.

I00 Qeat0 III the Oulleu Oto1eS W
persons and the, injury Of $500 called
for emergency relief measures ana
the expenditure Of $1,S71,Ooo oy the
American Red Cross during the hscai
wear ending June 80, 1921, says an
announcement based upon the forth
coming annual report Of the Red Cross.
These disasters caused property DAM
age estimated at s30000,0o0, affected
sixty-seven communities and rendered
65,000 families homeless.
The years disasters were OF vary
Ing types, including several which pre-
yiousiy had never been thought OF
as falling within that classihca'
ton. The Red Cross furnished
relief In seventeen fires Of magnitude,
Hve foods, seven tornadoes or cy-
clones, one devastating storm, three
explosions, including the one in Wall
street; one building accident, two
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 s105,0O0 for relief work.
Governor Shoup Of Colorado, appre-
ciating the long and successful expert
ence Of the Red Cross in organizing
disaster relief work, placed the en-.
tire responsibility for the administra-
ton Of relief in its hands.
In response to appeals from Pres.-
dent Harding, Governor Shoup and
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-
habilitation to more than $325,C
The terrible havoc wrought by the
flood waters Is q matter Of record.
More than 900 homes were affected
and 1851 persons were left homeless.
Estimates Of $4,000 as an absolute
minimum for rehabilitation were made
by Red Cross officials in charge ct tb>
relief work.
Fast Work In Wall Street
The Wall street explosion was nota-
bile in that relsef workers Of the Red
Cross were on the scene twenty min
utes aften the disaster occurred. The
race riot at Tulsa also was unique iH
disaster relief annals in that outside
of small emergency relief fund con-
tributed by the Red Cross, the only
relief measures outside the city con-
sisted of the service Of social work
ers, nurses and trained executive
whose object was to assist local forces
in directing their own efforts.
In decided contrast with the pre-
vious year, only one tornado assumed
the proportions Of major disaster.
This occurred on April Is, in the bor-
der sections of Texas and Arkansas
with the city Of Texarkana as the
center. The significant feature Of this
disaster relief work was the fact that
it covered 80 much rural territory as
to make necessary large number OF
relief workers.
The famine In China, necessitating
relief expenditures totalling more than
100000 by the American Red Cross
was by far the most serious Of the
foreign disasters IN which the Red
Cross gave aid.
Builds Up 10 Machinery
In connection with the administra-
tion Of disaster relief measures, an in
creasing effectiveness on the part of
the Red Cross to deal with emergen.
cies was manifested during the past
year. In 32S Chapters Of the Ameri-
can Red Cross there have been formed
special committees to survey the re.
sources Of their respective communi-
ties and to be prepared in. case Of
disaster. In others Of the 3,402 active
Chapters, a network Of communication
has been formed through which instan.
taneous relief may be dispatched to
any part of the United States.
That it's work In this field may be
continued with ever greater effective
ness, the American Red Cross IL ap-
pealing fox widespread renewal OF
membership during its Annual Roll
Call, to be conducted this year from
November II to "a.
IYEE AVYHAIH ~0Dnc