The Sauk Centre herald., 1929-01-31
MILLION PEOPLE
AIDED BY RED CROSS
IN.HURRICANE relief
Porto Rico and Florida Victims
Helped by Prompt Action;
$4,000, 900 Given by
Public.

One of the greatest disasters.
In point Of loss of life and devasta-
ton Of homes, in which the Amert-
can Red Cross has ever carried re-
lief was the West Indies hurricane
Of September last, which swept
across Porto Rico, parts OF the
Virgin Islands, the coast Of Florida
and north to end in torrential rains,
flooding streams in a half dozen
states. The known dead in all OF the
areas affected was 2,259, although
it was admitted that the complete
total of dead in Florida would never
be known. The number of injured
was estimated at 3.170. Approx
mately 10000 buildings were de-
stroyed and damaged.
At the height Of the emergency
the Red Cross was caring for 506..
40 people-tb.t is, feeding and
clothing them and arranging for
whatever shelter was obtainable.
AS long as three weeks after the
hurricane struck Porto Rico and
Florida, the Red Cross was aiding
20,236 people who were sick, OF
these 236 in Florida and ~" re.
mainder in Porto Rico, Were II
fluenza and malaria were being
treated to prevent epidemics OF
more drastic diseases. Large mum.
bers of Red Cross nurses were &C.
tive at both points.
In Florida more than 1900 per.
sons applied to Red Cross for as
sistance, and great number OF
people in Florida and also in Porto
Rico still were being cared for In
the matter of food, clothing and
shelter as long as two months after
the hurricane, while they awaited
maturing crops which would enable
them to again become self sustain
ing.
For this relief task, the American
public gave the American Red
Cross fund of $5,0OO,00O-the sum
set forth in a proclamation issued
by President Coolidge few days
after news of the hurricane was
received
The relief given by the Red Cross
in this great emergency, spread
over such a wide territory of sea
and land, was everywhere com
mended and especial emphasis was
placed upon the promptitude with
which Reorganization responded.
The hurricane struck Porto Rico
September 13, and the first brief
cabled word of it came September
IA, to both Red Cross and the news
agencies. Before nightfall, the ma.
tional director of disaster relief for
the Red Cross and staff of four
trained men had left Washington
for Charleston, South Carolina, to
board a navy destroyer which upon
instruction of the President Of the
United States had been placed at
command of the Red Cross by the
Secretary of the Navy. And al
though the next day was Sunday,
6 Red Cross man arrived in New
York to purchase thousand tons
of food for the Porto Ricans, al.
ready reported to be starving, and
the Navy again placed a ship for
the cargo at Red Cross command.
Late on Saturday evening there
came another cable-a Red Cross
nurse at st. Croix, in the Virgin
Islands, addressed a plea to the
mother organization in Washington
and gave first warning of the plight
of the people of the American pos
session, where no family in popu-
lation of 1900 had escaped injury.
In the meantime the Red Cross
had notified its Florida Chapters
that it stood ready for any service,
in event the hurricane, headed
toward them, did any damage. Not
content with this, the Red Cross
on Sunday night entrained disas-
ter relief director and six workers
for Florida.
Money, food, clothing were dis
patched Immediately to both points,
and before the end of the week the
Red Cross was feeding half mil
lion people.
This prompt response was made
possible by the disaster relief or
ganization the Red Cross has
brought together and trained
through a series of such national
calamities..