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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 1929)
1 AM 7177- 71 . ifV rO r wifii&M vvumwiLvs ummu iigve uwcm In Disasters Red Cross Is Always Pre pared to Give Quick Aid; Health I and Life Saving Work and Help for Veterans Also Engaged v 3,500 Chapters. 7T-,OVKUN()R B1HB UKAVKS, of Alabama, concerned -Y I Ini' Ihn Miltplv ii Sfirnrtil thnncunH nitivdno nF hiu stale (tiirin!" the severe up ine leiepnpne on called the Commandant of the Naval Air Station at lJen sacola, and asked what he could do to relieve the situation. . "My pilots will take oil in ten minutes, sir, and give you a detailed report," was the characteristic reply of the Com mandant, i , Two observation planes equipped with radio zoomed up ward, to Scout the thousands of flooded acres in search of refugees, and returning, told the anxious executive and the, American Red Cross disaster workers who were with him, just where emergency help was needed. . food, blankets and medicine & .' ware quickly aspemblpri. and londpd into (lie planpa Soon live nlrphHip? hovered over Hit water-engulfi'd towns ol Kloinatnn and Hreu'tnn :n Soutliprn Alabama. aAd brought to the rcfiiKPes huddlcn on noarhr hllllnps tlie. Hrst relit1! aud new, tliat. had rearhed IliFm atnre the river had rnllpri down iipnn them v for - 8ii,; days Army planes Iruin Haiwell . Field. National (iuatd planes and- the Navy planes kept the flooded territory. In which 711. 000 persona were menaced. In touch wllh tlm lied Cross retlcr ror.-es whlcll hnd eslahllyllPd hcadquartere at MontKomPry. Alahama. Locating Marooned Minnies meant lives. When the radio ol a plane hashed that refit gees had been observed In (ree and on housetops alotiK the swollen back-waler streains. and that a; parently only pailille-iripple:i sklrTs were available anl they were stationed miles away, quick action whs required to save those endan gered Uvea. .An .onthiiard motor, heavily wrapped, was rushnd ti airplane, and drottped by parachn'e, with Instruct Inns to persons on the ground where the ' llood lrapped men and women were locaied As many as twenty live Navy plrines were operating In a day. ant Maxwell Field had a laree number or .Army .planes ItV the disaster re lief service. Navy tilers, alone, made ll.' (lights, embracing la.nim miles, on their errands of mercy. They delivered to .marooned vic tims, .'.000 loaves of bread, fin cases ot canned goods, 2tt bushels ol potatoes, IIIO blankets, 2fi bundle ot children's clothing. hesldeB medl cat supplies and oilier relief mn terlals. When supplies of jyphoid vaccine gave out. they Hew off to New Or leans and returned In a tew hours with ample quantities. The majority of this material was flropped from the alr to the groups of .folk isolated upon spots of high ground, as there wae'tio Held for Army pinnes to land upon, and the surging water offered a poor harbor for tbe Naval am phlblans. . , Refugee Got Under Bundle ' Ilctuarkaule skill In placing these bundlej Just where they were needed, with a minimum of loss due to packages falling into deep water, was displayed. Only two mishaps were recorded out ot all of the haz ardnua flights made by the tilers who gave up rest ahd food to speed help to others. One ol the Army planes was forced down In the water while loaded, and cap sized. Pilot and observer got clear and were rescued from a tree lcp. The scrond episode was less se rious: one of the refugees who in advertently got under a Culling bun die escaped with minor Injuries: This continuous use of the air plane and the radio In the South eastern flood period was one of the most thrilling episodes In Ked Cross relief work. During tlie Mississippi Valley flood In 19Z7, air planes were used for observation, but not for conveying needed sup plies. Hadlo was utilized to tlaih news of location of marooned colo nies, and a fleet ot small steamers, motor boats and other water craft sped to the rescue. But In tbe Southeastern flood, this modern magic helped the lied Cross to reach the Isolated places with food and medicine, hours. If not days, before relief could other wlso have gotten to them. Only 18 lives were lost In the floods, which . covered an area ot more than 1.3OO.U0O acres, due to the quick rescue work. In the West Indies hurricane of September, 192S. radio played a major part In acquainting the out side world with rfhe tragedy that awepl over Palm Beach county and surrounding territory. Tbe winds of tremendous velocity cut off communication, but rrom tb' click of the radio of an amateur op erator came the cry for help which sent . relief agencies rushing pell mell to the assistance of tha storm tlcllma. The Red Cross, fort warned hours of the direction ot the hurricane, already had Its workers on trains en route tor Florida, from Washington head quarters. The radio brought newt also ol the rteslimctlon of Porlo Hlco In the tame nurrlcme, and tor dart tbe Hoods of last March, picked his clesK at the state capitol. only communication was via the Naval radio station at Washington. Government Cooperates' - ' These are only two measures utilized by the American tied Cross hi its emergency disaster rellf-f wurk. - All agencies of the U. S. Uovi-riiiiient cooperate in the work.' - A most inipurtant feature is the cooperation of the United States Weather Hureau, which keeps f!;e Ked- Cross Informed 365 days and nights ol the year whether severe storms or hurricanes are brewlug. I'lie 3,500 Chapters oftho Amen-' can lied Cross also are being urged to et up disaster relief commit tees... so that if emergency should arise in their communities, .ther will be able to save every minute that might otherwise mean lost mo lion lit getting ambulances, doctors, nurses to tlm scene, thus causing loss of life. Willie the dramatic details of air plane fleets to the rescue, motor boats epeedlng to take marooned men and women out of trees, and the radio flashing the news of de-. st riirtlon are thrilling to read about they perhaps cause the publlo to lose sight of tbe steady --all-lite- year-round program of the Ameri can lied Cross, through its Chap ters. In working to preserve health anil to save lives. ' The lied Cross, fdf Instance, is the. largest single employer of pub lic health nurses In rural work In tho United States. Ked Cross Chap- HER.E COMES THE, SLED ALONG ALABAMA RIVER. ters have for years led In Introduc ing public health nursing Into com munities, wbere by demonstrating its value it tound such favor that the state and county health au thorities took over Its support. Safety Problems Differ This campaign against disease and death la nation-wide, and it conducted through a majority of the 16.200 Red Cross Chapters and Branches' in the United States. Community health and safety prob lems differ to that the program It fitted td the problem) ot each lec tion. . " The tied Cross Chapter may bat tle tor life against pellagra In one region, malaria in another. It may be helping to control a amall-pox, typhoid or diphtheria outbreak; or It may be mobilizing hundreds ot nurses to fight a terrible epidemic, such as Influenza, following 'the World War. Unrolled with the headquarters ot the Nursing Service of the Red Cross, at Washington are .43,000 nurses, qualified under the society's regulations, who may be summoned to service In time of emergency.- Tbe Red Cross publlo health nurses bave everywhere helped In the campaign to stamp out tho dread diphtheria by aiding In tin munlzlng children and cooperating with State Hoards of Health. They also have cooperated In the "sum mer round-up'- ol the younger rhll dren. to make Ihem til hrfore the) enter ttlinol rm the Itrst lime. Nutrition rlaM api'iua public school children and parent! aln are fostered by Hie Ariipriian ti-rl Cross, anil tlurtnu Hit int veil 148,0011 chllrtrilr wire lauchl" ie eons about prc-pet fjuil habits. ISl M.""!! lOiCl A RED CROSS BABY PROPER CARE AND FEEDING , J' VI 4PNiS5 V iS5 C tSl'Si' AS TAU6HT BY RED CROSS NURSE, HAVE f f MTflTFQRT) MAT,, TR1 HUNT,, 5 MAROONED ' 4S JT - H- . Cv WWSE? 0EMONSTR.ATIN6 R.EO CROSS LIFE . ALABAMA 1 . J ASf 1" -" "SWVX BOAT RED CROSS SENT SEED, TO REACH FLOODED FARMERS. The Red Cross Life Saving and First Aid service is one of the sev eral agencies engaged In the fight to reduce the accidental death rale. Hundreds of expert swimmers, who are conches In boj-s' and girls' camps or iu public recreation work, are graduates ot the Red Cross life saving methods, and certificated teachers of these methods to others. Almost every life saving crew at beach Or shore in the United States la made up ot accredited Red Cross lite savers. - Teaches Police and Firemen In the field ot First Aid, the Red Cross has led In reaching tndustrlet and publlo utIHtles. It also has Uugbt the majority' ot the police and firs departments of America how to resuscitate the victim of suffocation and how to bind wounds or injuries, to preserve life until tbe doctor it reached, - All of these activities aro pnshed by the Chapters ot the Red Crost. The Ked Crost assumes leadersblp where there is do other agency to take the. lead in public health nurs ing, or tome of the other activities, or, where other agencies are in the Meld, the Red Cross offers its ser vices and Its trained personnel tor the benefit of the community. When the Red Cross was founded C5 years ago In Geneva, Switzer land, Its purpose was to give suc cor to the wounded and dying In war time. No need to repeat here how magnificently the American Red Cross carried on that task In the Wotld War. Today the society still carrier on for all disabled veterans who are In hospital, for all other! wno wih Mi!amg In filing claims tnr ine various types nt relief due lb em under the law, and alto tot MlvDFORn, OKMlfiOX, FEED and MULES - their families, should tbey he In dis tress. Tho Red Cross, us part of its Charter obllg.itl.on, also does social service work for men In the regular Army, Navy and Marine Corps, In camps and posts nt home, and follows them to foreign ports. When tho Armistice was signed November 11, 1918, 125.000 men and women In the American forces bad made the supreme sacrifice ol these, 54,000 were killed In action or died ot wounds and 70,000 died from sickness or disease. Since that day 38,000 more have died aa a result of their eervlce a total to ditto of 1(12,000 dead as a result of America's participation In tho World War. And today there are 25,000 World War veterans In hospitals in the United Stales Those sick yctorant are of three types medical and surgical c.necs. many returning for treatment ol old wounds, but few remaining per mancntly in honpltnl; ilia tubercu losis cases, ot whom 16,01)0 have (tied In hospital since the Armistice, and tha mental cases, who rcpre sent at present more than halt oi the hospital population. Of thcte latter, lliere are Increasing num hers requiring hospital rare, and Director f lines, of the Vetornns Bureau states the peak of the num ber of mental cases of veterans ol the World War Is not expected to he retched until 1947. "The Greatest Mother" The American Red Cross truly named during the wtr, "The (Jreat est Mother" has never tlgned an armtVlce in Its work for the tervlct and pi service men. 1 In forty-eight of the Veterans Bureau hospitals, and In all regular SUNDAY. .NOVKMllKU H, Army nnil Navy ImpslliilH, there Is stationed one or more represent!! lives of Hip lied Cross, carrying on a recrcaliniml program ably aided by tho represent ttl I vi'm nf many ot (icr societies and numerous indi viduals. Many of tho hospitals aro In Iso lated sections, with rnllronil fare s.i high as to he prohibitive or fre quent visits by rulallves and friends to tho patients. At these, the fieri Cross women remain tho only touch between tbe men and the outslile world. The liovcrnniPtit provide every physical comfort fur litem, and all types of social service and medical service. It has absorbed a great many of the former Ited Cross labors, but recognizes There still aro many things tiro public ran do for tiir-rto men. In rernemhranrc The Ited Cross representatives are there, then, to direct and coordi nate, at the request ot the tlovern rnpttt, the many treats which on'.. ilde friends and organizations wUh to nrrange for the patients. Motion picture shows, dancing classes, carrl parties aud picnics all aro arranged by the Itnd Cross: food delicacies, cigarettes, clothing rnd hooks contributed by lied Cross Chapters or other organizations are distributed. ' The Government has repeatedly itlven great praise to the Red Crnsi for this work In all nf the 4.1 hospl lals, stating It has real therapeutic value In (lis mental cases, and Is ot great comfort to the pntlcnls suffer ing from other dlsoatcs. Claims Are Pushed ' As World War Tolerant continue to break down with mental disabili ties, Chapters meet increased de mands for assistance in establish lug the claims ot tuch men to (Jov ernmont compensation, In the selec tion nf proper guardians and In mak ing family adjustments,' especially where a future ot remaining per manently In hospital must be face.1. Recurrent disabilities ot oilier types, particularly tuberculosis, re quiring hospitalization of .velcram i i 1029. bring repealed need for assistance In reopening cninpensalliiu claims, In arranging rr hnspltnl .admission nun in making rnmlly plans during the mini's abenco. All or Ihese are miitleru In which the Ited' Cross Chapters In tho communities give service to the votorans and their families. ' Tlio.valuc of Rod Cross service to Ihn men of the 'Army, Navy nnd Marine Corps and Us appreciation by Commanding; olllcers has been frrrcofully (ostllled to In thousands of letters received at hondiiunrtpin. After till, soldiers, sailors nnd mn rlnea ate human beings in pence time nn loss limit In war. Tltflr personal and family problems Ho nut cease upon their enlistment, lint the nn I lira of their service pre vents their coming and going nt will In elTiirls to solve tbeso problems Vlrluirliynll or them have Tamllles. perhiipd t their stations, or nearby, or maybe tovcral thousand miles distant, - Christmas Gifts Sent Volunteer! In Red Cross Chapters each year underinke (o despatch Christmns packages to service men who are stationed al foreign posts or' pom. , More than 45,(00 of the Christ mas bags In guy cretonnes, loaded with kulck-knockt' and email com forts dear to the service msn'i heart will go forwnrd this Cbrlit mas to marines In China and llunm. ! sailors at many forolgn ports, anJ soldiers on their torelgti puftt These bags are filled by the women, according to their own fancy but within limits ot expense defined by the Red Cross and go forward through Army and Navy channels or distribution on Cltrlslmat Day. -The Charter granted It by Con grest names tha Ited Cross as the sole agency tor carrying on disas ter relief work? and prevention measures against lire, flood, lor nndoet find other cnlnslrophct. All ot (ho health and life taring agencies of (lie Red Cross, operat ing all tbe year round in tbclr va Hons capacities, alii In -realization of this, pledge to "aid and prevent disasters." All can be called Into notion on a moment's notice.- They aro directed by... experts In medi cine, nursing,, safety engineering, and tlie personnel is trained over years In the relief work. During the past year the Red Cross was called Into action In 120 disasters In the United States and its Insular possessions.. This was the greatest number of disasters in any single year which brought, the society into nclfon. The disasters occurred In 38 states, and at the lime that the Red Cross had lust closed its major relief operation tn Porto llico and Florida following the West Indies hurtcane. It had work ers engaged In 19 states, on 22 dis asters. ' " ' , These 120 disasters H7 or which occurred in the United States, and three In Its Insular possessions ranged from town nnd forest fires, explosions and dam breaks, to such major t calamities aa the floods In the southeastern stale! In the early Spring of 1020 and i the West Indies hurricane of Sep tombor, 1928. ;- "" ' .-'.. ' Ench of theso disasters was ot hoart-brcuklng Importance to' the community In which It occurred, although news or this distress may,, not have spread beyond the etate't , routines. In each Instance, the ,. American Red Cross , was on the. ground, rendering the same emer- . gency assistance and. It necessary, rehabilitation 'assistance, "that It gave In proportion In Porto Rico or In lite Mississippi' Valley. ; When a small tornado swooped ' tipoti a town In. Arkansas nnd, la Id waste Its,-' public .buildings Yaqdil stores and disrupted, business; ttl t townsfolk were-just, as bard hit economically ' as!' were great ,m ., Hons In Florida during the hurrl-.-cans, 'The same Individual .aesls-i iniico, (he same methods for help were set tip by lite 'Red Croet In -' Hie Arkansas town as were In the linger disaster relief operations Id' the ICast Coast stale!'"'-' ' " - Total expenditures 'during the your In disaster relief, work by the . national organization twere ,8,02O,-.,, 000. Tlie Chapters, also raised and expended J1C3.000 directly in emer 'gency relief. ;v- i ',',, . Chapters Great Help ' Of tha 1 1 7 domestic rellef'opef. nllons, 23 vre qMrecled by a mem-' her of the national, staff and financed In whole or In part out nt national funds: 40 were directed by local chapters with financial as sistance from Hie national organ- ' Izutlon and 54 jwcro. directed anJ flnnnced by the local chapters ei cluslvely. -. " , t -, . Violent atmospheric disturbances such as tornadoes,' hurricanes, cy clones, ..and destructive storms were the cause of 47 per cent of ' the disasters under consideration: 32 per cent wore occasioned by , Moods; 10 pur cent by Hres and the ' rotunlnlng 11 per cent by a variety of mi I urn I and Induced causes ot relatively Infrequent occurrence. The marked Increase In the number of relief operations by the Ited Cross Is not necessarily an In dication of an Increase lu the num ber or disasters, but an Indication of Increased- recognition by the public or the Red Cross aa the nseucy best titled to copo with the relief problems of administration and finance. An example of cooperation be tween the national society, the lo cal Ited Crost Chapters and the community. In a disaster, may he cited: Following the destructive cyclones of September 1:1, which laid waste large rural areas In four counties In Nebraska and South Dakota, killing nine persons, injur ing 81 nnd destroying 409 buildings aud damaging Dig others, the Oo- , ernort ot both states Issued procla mations urging their citizens io contribute to a general relief fund. The retponse was gratifying, nnd liti per cent ot the 132,250 expended . was contributed by the citizens cf theso two suites. From thlt fund,.' 570 persona were assisted In re storing their homes and farm 1 buildings, and the replacement ot 1 household furnishings, farm Inv '' plemenla and oilier necessary ar tides which they were unable to ' provide for themselves. , , , ; Support for the Red Cross' actl?l Ilea ot health and life earing and . disaster relief comet from the an , . ., nual membership roll call, which li held from Armistice Day lo Thanks- -giving Day, November 11 to ZKt- 'iv' --'-, - ', ' -. t.;P H.;:V '' - .'I PftfllS 'YXTB t 7j
