Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-09-23
DISASTER RELIEF
NEEDS INCREASE
1900 Families SUFFERING,
: American Red Cross
Estimates.

The American Red Cross, revising
Its figures upward, estimated today
that $4,000 New England and New
York families were in acute distress.
Headquarters here directed field
workers to new efforts to combat floods
which followed Wednesdays Northeast
hurricane.
Evacuation Of residents in Hartford.
Conn, has been doubled in speed, on
Gals said, and 1000 persons now have
been moved from the city.
They said Hartford, which experi-
enced heavy flood damage in 1896,
could expect the crest of this years
Hood some time this afternoon.
Food Exhausted at Norwich.
Local officials reported exhaustion of
the food supply at Norwich, Conn.,,
where the Red Cross chapter had been
furnishing food and shelter to 500
families. The Hartford chapter re-
ported that two truck loads of food
were leaving Immediately for Norwich.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard, Army.
Navy, Civilian Conservation Corps nd
Works Progress Administration were
carrying out President Roosevelt's
orders to give all possible assistance to
the stricken areas.
Coast Guardsmen bore the brunt of
rescue work in ravaged coastal COM
munitieS Corps area commanders
directed Army relief work. The Navy
helped maintain communications and
helped in rescues.
The Works Progress Administration
announced it had 10000 employees on
emergency work. Harry L. Hopkins,
w. P. A. chief, arranged to fly from
Los Angeles to New England to take
personal charge Of the relief work.
The w. P. A. crews, now on an
"around-the-clock" basis, concentrated
on clearing public highways leading to
hospitals and isolated communities.
The Coast Guard said 1t had IS
seagoing ships, seaplanes, 3 mobile
radio stations and about 100 small
boats in the storm area.
Norman H. Davis, national Red
Cross chairman. worked in his shirt
sleeves at headquarters until late last
night. He authorized local chapters
all over the country to accept con-
tributions for the storm victims.
President in Touch.
President Roosevelt. although con-
fined to the White House by a head
cold, kept in close touch with the stu
alton.
Even before Chairman Davis au-
thorized local chapters of his organi-
zation to accept contributions, offers
of aid had come from the city of
Louisville, KY, itself flood victim in
1887, and the Red Cross Chapter OF
Miami, Fla, where hurricanes have
struck in the past
Maj. B. NJ Harloe, acting chief Of
w. P. A. engineers, left yesterday by
plane for Boston to make an aerial
survey preparatory to widespread re-
Mobilization program.
Rehabilitation Plans.
In a report to the President, Aubrey
Williams, acting w. P. A. administra-
tor, outlined preparations for the re-
Mobilization Of roads, bridges and pub
lie health facilities and said thousands
of w. p A. employees already were en-
gagged in removing families to places
of safety, throwing up flood control
works and clearing highways OF debris.
Officials said that all Of the States
which felt the sweep Of the hurricane
had emergency w. P. A. funds on
hand and that unless and until these
were exhausted no special allotments
would be made
Another major activity of the Fed
eral Government was a check Of food
stuffs and other supplies in the storm
area to see that they had not been
contaminated by food water or other
means. This was undertaken by the
Federal Food and Drug Administra-
ton. DR.. Paul Dunbar, assistant chief
Of that service, said first reports midi
Gated there was no widespread con-
tamination.