Evening star., 1927-11-19
TORNADO SURVEY
ESTIMATES LOSS
WITHIN $1O0,0(I)
$50 Buildings and 1900 Per-
sons Affected by Storm,
Check-up Reveals.
RED CROSS TO FINISH
ST0CK-TAKING TODAY
Few Cases Of Destitution Are
Found in Wind-Swept Area
of City and Counties.

Va Wy dAAu OOuAtASSs
With temporary requirements Of
food. clothing and housing taken care
of over the chilly week end, tornado
relief agencies plunged actively today
into the larger problems of future
rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Careful follow-up surveys of the
stricken area in northeast and south.
east Washington. conducted by police
and the Red Cross, have tended to
scale down somewhat the preliminary
estimates of damage, although all
agree there is much rebuilding to be
done.
While the Red Cross survey, operat.
ing from emergency headquarters in
the Hine Junior High School, at Sew.
enth and c streets southeast, was not
expected to be complete until late
today, national headquarters of the or
ganization said that approximately
500 persons were added by the twist
er to the long list of disaster victims
under it's care. This includes the sec.
tions struck in nearby Maryland and
Virginia.
Few Are destitute.
Revised police estimates of the dam.
age indicated that probably rot more
than $50 dwellings and business houses
were seriously affected by the storm,
involving an aggregate reconstruction
cost of less than 100000.
Investigation disclosed that a large
part of this reconstruction and repair
burden will be shou!dered by the occu.
pants of the "uined houses. The cases
of absolute destitution are said to be
few.
Col. John W. Oehmann, District
building inspector, does not believe
the total structural damage to homes
in the city will exceed 100000. The
police report 307 houses damaged In
the Southeast section and 72 houses
in the Northeast. He estimates the
Southeast loss at about $50, 900 and
that of the Northeast as $4,000. ex-
elusive of losses to furniture. house
hold effects and other personal prop
erty,
800 Families Visited.
Miss Edith Spray, in charge OF the
field Office of the Red Cross in South.
east Washington, said that expert
enced workers visited 800 families
yesterday and that about zoo were
to be interviewed regarding their
needs today Not all of the families
approached needed or wanted outside
aid. she announced.
There are about half a dozen fanli-
lies in urgent need Of food, coal or
day. Miss Spray said. and these cases
will be given immediate attention. The
Red Cross arranged today to pay the
railroad fare fer mother in Virginia
to come here at once TO help care for
her married daughter, who is about
to go to a hospital.
The one fatality in the disaster was
not caused by lightning, as had been
supposed. bu: by heart failure from
fright. an autopsy over the body Of
Jane Carter, colored, revealed today.
Most of the injured had fully re-
covered today. except for sore heads
and bodies from the cuts and bruises
suffered when Thursdays baby tor
nado" started kicking its way to fame.
Alexandria, Cottage City. Colmar
Manor and Hyattsville were getting
their houses in order again, while
plans for rebuilding wrecked hangers
and buildings at the Naval Air Station
and the navy yard proceeded rapidly.
Tornado Jumped Areas.
Thus far in our survey we have not
found as much personal suffering
said Maj. Gen. George Barnett, chair
man of the District chapter of the
Red Cross. this morning. THE tor
nado did not wipe out any large area.
but jumped from place to place. In
almost every instance persons whose
homes were wrecked have found
friends or relatives nearby willing to
take them in. We have not found it
necessary to use any of the school
buildings to house refugees. although
several have been offered by the
school authorities.
I'VE will know more about condi-
tionS when we receive the report of
the workers who are now making a
house-to-house canvass of the stricken
districts. but we feel certain that there
are no cases of actual suffering.
Through our headquarters in the Hine
Junior High School we are keeping in
close touch with the area and will
promptly meet all emergency needs"
Civic Organizations Aid.
Civic organizations in the Northeast
and Southeast and the Community
Center department of the public
schools were cooperating today with
the fleu CFOSS III meeting tne emeTS%
ency. The Community Center depart
ment lent its quarters in the Hine
School to the Red Cross authorities
and also provided considerable equip
ment and supplies.
The motor corps of the District
chapter of the Red Cross, under the
of Mrs. NJ. A. Jewett. of
1889 street. furnished transportation
for workers and supplies.
Miss Allie McNeill and Harold At
iinson disaster workers from national
headquarters of the Red Cross. com.
pleted survey of Maryland towns
in the path of the big wind and re
ported Is houses damaged.
Colmar Manor was hit the hardest.
they said. while slight damage was
done In Lenox. Bladensburg and Hy-
attsville. Only four homes were seri
ously damaged and their occupants
are being cared for by relatives or
friends.
100 Cared for in Alexandria.
In Alexandria hundred persons are
being cared for by the local chapter OF
he Red Cross In the town almshouse.
Miss Sadie James Is directing relief
activities there.
The Washington tornado brought
he number of disasters in which the
Red Cross is rendering re-
ief at present to five. Nearly 10000
persons victimiZed by these disasters