The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-07-01
ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI


Interesting reports have been re-
ceived at the State Department of
Health from the Maryland health Of
ficers who have been assisting IN the
disease prevention work in the flood
area in Louisiana. Letters dashed
off between camp duties tell of the
life in the refugee camps some of.
which, when the flood was at its
height sheltered from 1000 to 30
900 homeless men and women.
They describe the care taken to
make the camps safe and sanitary:
smallpox and typhoid; the distr!br-
ton OF milk three times day to the
baLies and young children; the ar
rangements for feeding the older
refugees; the care of the sick in the
camp hospitals and the gradual set
Ting down to camp routine while
waiting for the waters to subsidn.
AS the waters recede one of the
big problems which has to be solved
by the Red Cross is that of trans
porting the refugees back to their
homes. AS safeguard aga'l.;t dis
ease sanitary surveys are made of
each district with special reference
to the safety of the drinking water
supply Many of the places near
which the Maryland men are station
I'd were covered with water to
depth of twenty feet and though sew
enty-five per cent of the lane in that
section is still covered with water
many of the people have returned to
their homes in spite. of the protests
of the Red Cross and the health Of
ficials and are living, in many cases.
" it'll foot or more of water under
their houses. The majority OF these
people depend upon rain caught in
,,isterns built near the houses for
their drinking water.
In nearly every instance the peo-
rle have gone back to their homes
with absolutely nothing; with their
crops destroyed; their stock taken OF
drowned; houses flooded or swept
away or overturned and no possible
way to make a living until their next
crap can be raised.
In some of the sections nine out
of eN cry ten of the refugees. colored
ds we'll as white, speak only French.
no English. All of the letters speak
OF the courage of the refugees in the
face of overwhelming disaster. AS
their drinkink water.
an instance of this they tell of doc
tor who has been practising In one
Of the neighborhoods tor thirty
seven years, who is helping In the
cheerfIlly though his pian,ati"n of
| : &cres, planted in sugar cane,
and cotton is all under water and
completely ruined.
The Maryland group, all CT whom
are stationed in Louisiana, consists
Of:
DR.. John Collinson, Deputy State
Health Officer of Anne Arundel
county, stationed at Camp BeaIre
gard, at Alexandria. DR.. Collinson
has this to say of the daily routine
at his camp:-''My daily routine Is
to vaccinate against smallpox and
typhoid until 10 a. M, about 16O to
200; make sick calls in camp assist
in the feeding of 200 to 275 children
under seven years of age in one mess
hall twice day: inspect camp in
the afternoon; conduct child hygiene
clinics"
DIR. w. G. Stone, Deputy State
Health Officer of Carroll County,
stationed at Crowley, then at Opel
ousas tells OF the sanitation and Or
Ederltness at. these camps and OF the
sacrifices made by some of the refu-
gees. One man at one OF these
camps had brought refugees ont
from the flooded districts in his
truck. driving continuously tor So
hours with only two hours day for
rest. and doing it all entirely with
out pay.
DR.. v. H. Desomoskey, Deputy
State Health Officer OF Wicomico
Worcester and Somerset County
stationed at Thibodaux with super
vision of adjacent camps gave some
idea of the Overwhelming loss sus-
tanned in that section. This is n
wonderful town., he wrote, with
fine schools, churches, Fairgrounds
dance casino, swimming pool, broad;
casting station-And the water is
going to come in. that is our latest
report. 1t is terrible to see the
sugar, GOTTEN, corn and rice under
water. Tais country was tile rich
est IN America, with RlaRaiions of
from 1000 to 5000 acres, with 800
TO 500 employees-like the great
estates In Russia. Now they are
ruled. The roads are full Of people
ana CATTLE
DR.. Beachley, Deputy State Health