The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-11-08

wake. when floods and hurri-
Az Acanes, tires and earthquakes, ex-
Y&HM @Qplosons and epIdemics take their
Nm toll of human suffering and prop
erty damage, then 1t Is that
- ~ those messengers OF mercy, Amer
lean Red Cross officials and workers, mobilize
swiftly and speed to the place where they are
most needed
II was only few weeks ago that word flashed
down from the north that fire had swept Nome,
Alaska, leaving that town, once famed as gold
camp but now modern American city, heap
OF ashes Within a few hours after the receipt
OF this news a Red Cross relief director was
stepping Into an airplane at San Francisco and
few minutes later he was winging his way
toward the stricken city
When the Inflated MORO Castle" burst into
flames on the coast of New Jersey, Red Cross
disaster units In coastal chapters OF that state
Immediately rallied to the work OF rescue, the
care OF survivors and the reunit1ng of separated
Families relatives and friends. More than A
score OF nurses were summoned from their beds
IN the chill dawn to take up long yigIls on board
rescue vessels, In hospitals, at piers and at
morgues There they minlstered to sufferers
from injuries, exposure, shock and grief.
Andyet these spectacular examples were only two
OF the rs disaster Jobs In the continental United
States In which the Red Cross was active during
the past year. Add TO these, assistance given
In 70 insular and foreign catastrophes and the
aggregate is l03-just about the average for an
organization mat has been shonldering this sort
OF task through more than half a century,
No part of the United States escaped some
sort OF disaster, there being total of 1853 coun-
ties In which the Red Cross assisted 10000 vic
TINS Tornadoes and fires were the leading
agencies of destruction with % cases OF each
necesstating Red Cross relief work.
Besides these, IL foods-one of which took
the life OF Red Cross relief worker on DUTY
swept down out of the hills and forests to lift
houses from their foundations to destroy crops
and live stock, and to send refugees scurrying to
higher points Tropical storms hung up new
record for frequency within single year. and
for the first time In a hundred years hurrI-
cane starting In the West Indies whipped with
undminlshed force far north as the Virginia
coast
There were also epidemics, cyclones, explo
sions, hall storms typhoon. nm earthquake.
cioudDurst and other emergencies which acted
to bring the Red Cross with shelter, food med-
cal supplies nurses disqualification and rehab-
tation programs.
In the highest state OF disaster preparedness
In history, the Red Cross introduced something
new when 1t conducted % disaster institutes Mt
strategic points In particularly vulnerable zones
fSlrthh uisasltT WORKERS 6cn00le0 local chanfpr
officers. community leaders, police fire and
health officials In the surveying OF hazards and
organizing OF relief. In the case OF number OF
approaching storms, disaster experts from ma
tional Red Cross headquarters rushed to the
scene hours and even days In advance Of the
calamity, saving many lives by the precautions
they invoked.
Members OF the Red Cross nursing reserve
public health nurses home hygiene instructors
continued as one of the nations first lines of
health defense. More than 10000 nurses are on
the active list OF the reserve, ready to respond
to calls from army, navy or Red Cross disaster
service.
Several were dispatched to North CaroIina
community stricken by pernicious tropIcal
malaria. Others were sent to cope with 4 ty-
phoid epidemic. Still others performed heroic
work In connection with a forest fire In a Cali
fornia canyon. To first aid station In connec.
tion with convention OF Spanish American war
veterans was assigned another group And these
are only few instances from record of varied
and numerous services given by this nursing
army which Is always available for duty.
Some 750 public health nurses we're regularly
employed by 424 Red Cross chapters for the
most part In rural territory. They made more
than million visits In line OF duty-eivinr