Show r HOWl HOW RED REO CROSS WHEELS GO ROUND I WHEN DISASTER STRIKES THE UNO LANO T There ere Is Js No Fumbling About During Crisis Because Trained Workers Know What to Do and How to Do Jt- Jt They It-They It They Accomplish Wonders Wonders Wonders Won Won- ders in Record Time Time Recent Recent Torna Tornadoes o s in Central States Examples of Sudden Great Trouble Trouble Help Help Would Reach Our Community Very Quickly in Period of Stress Just how does the Red Cross b begin gln work worl when an nn emergency arises Most persons know In a general way that the Red lIed Cross is on the tile ground ver very quickly after a disaster and d rescues s the living buries the dead and cares caes for the destitute but perhaps f few w know how the first step is taken or who takes it or what he does n next This story Is meant to show Just what was done and how when the tornado of May ay 26 laid waste the cities clUes of Mattoon Mat- Mat Mattoon Mattoon toon and Charleston Ill with a loss of nearly lives 1000 persons made homeless and property worth millions destro destroyed cd I It was late tate on a Saturday afternoon when news of the disaster began to trickle from the telegraph wires to the newspapers Offices and shops shops' were closed and Chicago had gone home to Its dinner and Its Saturday evening relaxations ns The first word to the Red RedCross RedCross RedCross Cross of the storm came through a n Chicago paper to Charles Lee Bryson of the central division start staff of the Red Cross One of the editors called Mr Bryson at his home and told him what had happened feeling sure the Red Cross would want to get on the Job It did Director John J J. J OConnor O'Connor of the central divisIon was in WashIngton WashIngton Washington Wash Wash- ington attending the Red Cross war council at which It was determined to ask the country for But Mr Bryson located Walter Valter Davidson Da another of headquarters staff who had remained late at the office to finish some work and they took hold of the situation instantly After wiring Director OConnor O'Connor and the national officers Mr Davidson started for Mattoon on the next train Mr Bryson remaining In Chicago to keep the office open on Sunday and arid give all possible help from there The newspapers kept them both Informed bf of the widening extent of the disaster Mayor Swan is calling for troops and estimates the dead in Mattoon at was as the last word direct from the stricken district before the wires were out of commission Next morning telegrams began begaJ to pour Into division headquarters Mr Davidson on the scene reported that perhaps 50 persons persons- were dead de d In Mattoon Mattoon Mat Mat- to toon on Injured GOO families homeless homeless home home- less and private property property chiefly residences resIdences resIdences' residences res res- res- res of working people people to to the value of destroyed He called f r Red Cross nurses and workers workers workers work work- ers at once Charleston he said ad was In but little better case than Mattoon John W. W Champion executive se secretary see sec of Chicago chapter and imd se several eral members of the division staff start realizing that thai the Red Cross would be on the Job hurried to the office and all day daylong daylong daylong long and until after one o'clock at nt night the office was reaching out with telegraph and telephone snatching Red fled Cross nurses and workers and workers from their Sunday diversions and starting them for Mattoon n and Charleston Miss Minnie F. F Ahrens head of the i Chicago Red Cross nursing service and Miss Myra V. V Van Nostrand superintendent superintendent superintendent su su- su- su of the central district of the United Charities plunged Into the work of collecting their nurses and workers workers workers-no no easy matter on a Sunday when almost nobody was at nt home Mr OConnor O'Connor reached Chicago from Washington at three o'clock and In a short time was handling everything Right and rind left he Issued orders for three hours and when he left for Mattoon Mattoon Mattoon Mat- Mat toon on the next train help from all nIl allover allover over the central division was on the way to that town He took with him Miss Ahrens and twelve of her best nurses and fifteen trained social workers workers workers work work- ers from the Chicago United Charities Charitie I who had given ven Invaluable help In the Eastland steamer disaster On the same train went six crates of hospital supplies Until after one o'clock that night the office e was held open completing arrangements by long distance with Cincinnati Indianapolis Springfield Elgin Bloomington St. St Louis and other points whence the nurses and workers were summoned An unofficial lal report said that food and blankets were needed and A. A A A. II director of the Red ed Cross supply service made arrangements to open a n great corporations corporation's wholesale warehouse lse and ship everything they need Sunday though It was Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary Champion Champton of the Chicago chapter chap ter tel arranged to get GOO pairs of blankets blankets blan blan- from the chapters chapter's warehouse and send them on the first train But the wires from Mattoon working busily all allday allday day Improved long enough late at nt night for Mr Davidson to get through a message that the food and blanket situation situation- was not Just then acute but that he wanted disinfectants and anti anti- The head of a wholesale drug concern concern concern con con- cern was routed out of bed the firms firm's warehouse opened and at at two o'clock In the t e morning a n Red Cross man with witha a consignment of Iodine peroxide of h hydrogen drogen chloride of lI lime e and other needed supplies started for the stricken strick strick- en cities Mr 1 Davidson had been Joined d b bV by W. W D. D Thurber field secretary for Illinois Illi Illinois Illinois Illi Illi- nois whom h he placed In charge at Charleston When Mr OConnor O'Connor arrived with the nurses and workers he found both his lieutenants lIe tenants on the ground and with the Chicago office ready to give Instant s support he began the relief work A 4 committee of business men was organized a number of smaller committees told off to take charge of each detail of the situation and in a n afew afew few minutes the machinery was In operation The Injured were given the best surgical surgical surgical sur sur- and nursing care the hungry were fed the homeless given shelter the dead d ad Identified and made m-ade ready for burial plans drawn up for rebuilding the shattered homes and a fund started started started start start- ed to rehabilitate both wrecked cities Other communities struck by branches of the same storm were c r I i Mattoon and other cities in central Illinois were wrecked a few weeks ago by a tornado which killed and injured hundreds and wrought enormous enormous enormous enor enor- property damage The picture shows a poor mother and ana her four children in the wood kindling-wood ruins of their home The husband and father was killed Red Cross directors doctors and nurses were in charge at the scene of the catastrophe within ten hours after the storm en relief by other workers For Instance instance instance In in- stance there was a rum rumor r that In northern Indiana 17 had been killed at one place and great property damage damage damage dam dam- age done Let Bentley and Loomis look after northern Indiana and wire Cleveland to help was Mr O'Connor's order Let F Foster ster report to me at Mattoon with all the help he can bring A. A F. F Bentley Is state director of Indiana F. F D. D Loomis is head of the Childrens Children's Aid society of Indianapolis and gave valued help at the N Newcastle cyclone Eugene C. C Foster of India Indianapolis nap nap- oIls olis is a skilled charity worker Each did promptly what Mr 11 OConnor O'Connor wanted wanted want want- ed done Many reported killed by by- cyclone near HIckman Ky but help has been sent and we have the situation wellIn well wellIn In hand wired C. C M. M Roos Boos chairman of the Cairo HI m chapter He had seen much experience with the RedCross RedCross Red Cross in the Ohio valley floods some years ago and knew w exactly what to todo todo todo do and how to do It That I Is h how w the tile wheels of th the RedCross Red RedCross RedCross Cross started going round the moment the disaster occurred And that Is how they will wll start going round round for our own community whenever it Is struck by fire or flood earthquake or lence |