The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-11-05
LEADS
RELIEF RECORDS
Heads Major Disasters Of 1926.
Red Cross Active in 81
Emergencies In Year.
ALSO SERVES FOREIGN LANDS
Preparedness to Cope with Great
Disturbances Gives Good
Results in Action.

Facing one Of the largest ~rehabilita-
ton efforts Of its whole history, as a
result Of the Florida hurricane, the
American Red Cross already had be-
hind It a record Of service in 50 dis
asters at home, up to the close Of
the fiscal year, June 80, 1925.
When the hurricane struck Florida
with such devastation and loss Of life,
the Red Cross National Headquarters
was Just congratulating itself that a
year had passed without q major dis
aster within the borders Of the coun-
try. The destruction in Florida has
been tentatively estimated by Direc-
tor of Disaster Relief Henry L. Baker,
Of the American Red Cross, in terms
+ OF relief work ahead Of the Organiza-
ton. This takes into account all suf-
fererT who must be cared for.
Careful surveys by experienced au-
thorities place the injured At 1000,
exclusive Of the stricken Gulf Coast
cities Of MOorehaVen and CleWiston.
OF the 1900 injured sent 20 Miami
hospitals, 500 were suffering with ma
jOr fractures. In two other east coast
! communities the injured numbered
nearly 1000. The homeless were con-
servatively estimated at $4,000. Such
figures sketch only vaguely the human
and material problem which the
American Red Cross is still doing IT'S
utmost to solve.
For comparison the ether Outstand-
ing recent disaster, the Midwest tor
nado Of March Is, 1873, can be de-
scribed in more detail. In that catas-
trophe the final check showed 500
dead, 5000 injured and 6,847 families
Of approximately 10000 men,. women
and children rendered homeless. The
final. relief operations Of the Red
Cross were brought to a close March
is, 1926, exactly a year from the day
the tornado struck five states.
So terrible did the death and de-
strutcion impress itself on the expert.
enced Red Cross forces rushed into
Florida that Chairman John Barton
Payne did not hesitate to call for q
relief fund from the whole country Of
$4,000, 900. The Red Cross coRceE
trated every In trained per
sonnet on the stricken region.
The New Jersey munitions explO
sion, in July, while terrible as a spec
tacle, could not compare with either
Of these other two disasters in ina.
destructiveness. It rave the Red eros,
an opportunity for service in which
Red Cross nurses treated SO injured
and during the height Of the eme'
gOncy fed between TOO and see PEG
pie driven from their homes. Nor,
than 400 cases YER registered witt
the Red Cross after the explosion
for assistance in regaining their hOlt
on life through rehabilitation work
This latter is a regular part Of tn
Red Cross relief operations in all Gis
asters, and means q task continue
long sitter the country has ceased b
> think Of the occurrence itself.
The year has seen q new measur
Of disaster relief preparedness mat
> gurated by the Red Cross, unde
which q trained reserVe Of medics
and other relief experts is CONSTANT
on call for any service. This prepal
q edness justified itself in both the NeV
r Jersey explosion, and in the Florid
{, hurricane. In the latter the Red CrOs
e had at call more than 800 experience
disaster workers with 3 network G
prepared Chapters all over the coul
d try. This preparedness, constant
e demonstrated, is cited as material a
sursnce that the country Is bette
protected tOday>than ever before froI
the suffering such misfortunes engeI
n der.
Bad as were domestic disasters /
l. both the last fiscal year and recer
months, some Of those abroad In Ii
y same time have been comparable, q
Is pecially q food in Mexico. Altogethc
e the American Red Cross served in Ii
name Of the American people in moi
than Is foreign catastrophes.
The Tenth Annual Roll Cali {,
membership 10 maintain such actiI
= ties via be held from November IL
Is, and Is 81 opportunity for all
enroll themselves in the America
Red Cross.