Evening star., 1927-11-21
RED CROSS SEEKS
MONEY yT0REBU|LD
IN TORNADO zones
District Chapter Will Ask Ma
tional Body for Finan-
CiaI Assistance.
COMMITTEE TO PASS
ON MERITS OF CLAIMS
More Pitiful Cases Reported to
Headquarters-Re ised Figures
Put Damage at $4,000.

Unable to cope alone with the re.
construction program in the stricken
areas of the city. Mai. Gen. George
Barnett. chairman of the District
Chapter of the Red Cross. was plan
ming today to call upon the national
body for financial assistance in aid
ing permanent relief among destitute
tornado sufferers.
Just how much the American Red
Cross will be asked to contribute from
it's own emergency fund cannot be de-
termined until final check is made
on the reports now being sent in by
workers. who are making a thorough
canvass of damage done in the storm
area. When all the reports are in
hand Gen Barnett will appoint
committee on awards to sift them and
decide which families are in need of
assistance to reconstruct their homes.
The reconstruction work should get
under way this week. Gen. Barnett
explained. and to do so, it will be
necessary to appeal to the National
Red Cross, owing to the depleted state
of local funds.
Damage Totals $4,000.
Revised estimates of the storm dam.
age are placed within $4,000, by DO.
lice reports. he said. but this does not
represent by any means the amount
required for reconstruction work
Only destitute cases are to be financed
through the Red Cross. he said, so
the amount to be raised for this pur.
pose cannot be learned until all such
cases are passed upon.
Stressing the lack of adequate funds
to carry on the reconstruction work,
Cen Barnett said the District Chap.
ter to date had received voluntary
contributions of only SOL.
Robert f. Bondy. manager of the
Eastern area of the American Red
Cross, was in conference today at the
District Chapter. and it Is understood
the national body is ready to render
whatever assistance it can in the way
Of financing the reconstruction pro.
gram. now conceded to be the most
important phase of the relief work
Many pitiful cases are being report.
ed of families without any outside
means whatsoever to help them in
making their homes habitabie. While
those able to make their own repairs
on their dwellings, are hard at work
the Red Cross relief headquarters in
the Hines Junior High School.
Seventh and C streets southeast. is
gency needs of a number of desti-
tude families.
Cared for Over Week End.
at is safe to say nobody actually
suffered over the week end" declared
Miss Edith Spray, in charge of the
relief work.
Between the aid of the Red Cross
and the Associated Charities, which
IS taking care Of the emergency needs
of it's own families in the tornado
Ireas. all cases coming to their at
.ention over the week end were given
prompt relief. Groceries were provided
,ome. bags of coal provided in other
.ases Virtually all families compelled
to leave their homes have found com.
Portable quarters with neighbors and
the acute stages of suffering have
passed.
An additional Red Cross worker and
also clerical worker were added to
the staff at Miss Sprays headquar-
being speeded today.
Miss Spray is of the opinion that
some of the sufferers are too optimis-
tic over their plight and are too ready
to believe they can get along without
assistance. Some who declined aid in
the beginning have now discovered
their mistake. She has urged all suf-
ferers not yet assisted to get into
touch with the headquarters so that
a complete canvass of the situation
can be made
Two old colored women. sisters,
whose home was wrecked. have ap
pealed to Miss Spray for assistance
She cited their case as one of many
They have taken up a temporary
abode in the basement of their church
nearby and the Red Cross helped
them move their undamaged furni-
ture.
Repairs to Take Month.
These two women will have to he
1,lartered in the church for fully
month until their home can be made
habitable again They prefer to re
main in the church to being quartered
else where.
Another pitiful case which came to
the attention of headquarters during
the week end was that of truck
farmer near Anacostia and his wife
and eight children. the Oldes being
boy 16 The mans crops were ruined
and he is without other means or sup
port. His house being badly damaged.
a brother has taken in the family tenn
porarily until they can get on their
feet once more.
Many of the sufferers are showing
a surprising amount of initiative. MISS
Spray said. and the Red Cross is uh
dertaking to work out plans of recon
struction in a cooperative spirit. NO
one will he told what they shall do
she explained. as the Red Cross only
desires to be of aSSiSta nee.
1t will require several days to make
the final check on damaged homes,
and Gen. Barnett already Is engaged
in this task so as to facilitate the
work Of the committee on awards. 1t
Is believed that the actual number or
families who will require financial as
sistance will be comparatively small.
Considerable headway already has
been made in the repairing OF homes
by individual families. T'iose whose
work will be paid for will be given en-.
tire freedom in selecting the con
tractor and making their own plans.
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