The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-10-23
RED CROSS YEAR
A RELIEF RECORD
Huge Relief Work After Midwest
Tornado the Greatest in
American Annals.
DISASTERS DROP IN 1925
Ranged From Fire to Earthquake
and Covered Wide Area at
Home and Abroad

Virtual completion Of the largest
peace-time project Of pOstdisaster re-
Mobilization ever known has been &C
complished by the American Red
Cross in less than a year, as a part
Of its relief work in the more than
80 disasters in which it served IN tha
past year.
This great program was undertaken
following the tornado which struck
i've ~mid-western States last spring.
killing 796 people, injuring 2,2S9 more,
and causing inestimable property loss
It left a huge area of devastation in
its wake, presenting a real problem
The Red Cross, however, went to
work on the heels of the storm, car.
ing for the injured, s~heltering and
feeding whole communities, and help
ing every individual sufferer from the
destruction back to normal.
The magnitude Of the problem q In
0cated by comparison Of its huge cas-
ualty list with that Of the entire pre-
ceding year, whose combined losses
were 735 dead and not quite 1000 In
jured, as a result of the record hum
Der Of 1872 catastrophies.
The story Of the Red Cross service
In the past year, ~reeOunted by the re-
port, ranges from fires heading the list
of destructive forces with q disasters,
to mine explosions, tornadOas. t.
phOOns, floods and earthquakes.
The Santa Barbara earthquake was
among the outstanding events record
ed in the report The Red Cross had
completed its relief organization on
the cene within a few hours Of the
disaster, and in addition had launched
a program designed to permanently
restore every person affected by it,
20 his former status once more.
The Red Cross service in the period
following the wreck Of the Navy air
ship Shenandoah" was typical Of itA
prOmptness and effectiveness. SerV
fee in this instance was Afforded BY
Red Cross chapters in the vicinity ID
the wreck, and by representatives Of
the national organization. It demon.
strates graphically the value Of each
Of the more than 5000 chapters Of
the society which are at work in vtr
tually every part Of the country, in
the facility they afford the national
organization in emergencies.
There were 81 domestic disaster Cd
eratiOns reported in which the Red
Cross rendered service either through
chapter or national stan persOnne
during the year. In "a Of these thu
national organization appropriated
total Of S3,O4T, 25s.4S, the greater pOE
hon Of which was received as direc
contributions for the relief Of speci
fed disasters. The relief operations
following the northern Ohio tOrnad:
OF June, 1924, were brought to a clos,
in May, 1926, after an arrangement
had been made with the Lorain chap
ter to provide expert services to tn
families Of any tornado sufferers wiz
required such assistance in the mex
two years. In this single disaster tn
relief work, as finally accounted
reached q total Of $1,O1S, 751.22
The mid-Western tornado Of thu
year, covering a strip Of territory 40
miles long involved an expenditur
up to June 80 Of $774,OOO, while tn
total amount turned in to the fun
through the agency Of the Red eros
was S2,645,000. In addition to thi
sum specifically collected for the pul
pose, the Red Cross had expende
from its regular reserves &124,OOO.
In al these disasters, Red CrOs
workers have been impressed by th
spirit Of determination and hopeful
ness shown by the people. Once the
recovered from their grief and beWi
derment, they began at once to r
build, materially and otherwise, an
always on a better scale where poss
bic. Another significant feature (
these occurrences, as noted IN the 2
Port Of the Red Cross, was the promp
ness with which the local chapter
organized emergency relief be6ol
help could be received from outsid
sources. A direct effect Of their q
ample he's been to stimulate dfsast,
relief preparedness among chapter
al over the country.
The services Of the American Re
Cross are performed invariably IN Il
name Of the American peOpla On Il
effectiveness Of this representatiC
during the past year. It win laun,
the ninth annual roll call this yet
on November II, to continue uni
Thanksgiving, November 26, durf
Which support through mombersn
y VIII be invited for 1926.
What Becomes of Red croos Sweate
What becomes Of the gWeate
watch the American Red Cross b