Milcoll_WWI_6_Box3_Folder2_Influenza_Committee

W. F. SNIDER [left] ANNE NEAVE [right] CHAIRMAN [left] SECRETARY [right] [image red cross centered} J. M. McCORKLE [left] W. B. STRACHAN [right] VICE-CHAIRMAN [left] TREASURER [right]

SALISBURY CHAPTER AMERICAN RED CROSS Salisbury, N. C. Office 610 Wallace Bldg. [left] Telephone 1185 [right]

REPORT OF INFLUENZA COMMITTEE. *****

On October 5th, Mr. W. F. Snider, President of the Salisbury Chapter American Red Cross turned over to me as acting Director of Wonan's Work durong the illness of Mrs. E. W. Burt, all correspondence in regard to the formation of an Influenza Emergency Committee, and on October 7th he appointed the following Committee: Mrs. Lyman A. Cotton, Chariman Influenza Emergency Committee, Dr. A. J. Warren, Mr. John E. Ramsay, Mrs. Mary O. Linton, Miss Mry F. Henderson, Mrs. E. W. Burt, Mrs. E. C. Gregory, Mr. W. F. snider, ex-occico member, Miss Anne Neave, Secretary. Measures for the suppression of the disease and the allevaition of the epidemic, then in its inciplient stages, were immediately inaugurated. That the measures then adopted were correct in detail was plainly demonstrated by the fact that no change at any time was necessary. A tremendous effort was made at once to secure the services of trained nurses. This was found to be impossible; at no time during the entire epidemic could a single trained nurse be secured. It was fought from start to finish by volunteers.

The first step was a call for volunteer nurses, to which many at once responded. the first canvass of the sitution reveled the fact tht it was necessary to supply food to the stricken families; thereafore, Mrs. J. E. Alexander, Commandant of the Salisbury Canteen A. R. C. was placed in charge of all good supplies. Mrs. Alexander reveived the hearty co-operation of the ladies of the Canteen service, and food was supplied by then through October 15th, suppli[^e]mented by delacacies prepared by Mrs. Linton and Miss Olive. On October 14th Mrs. Alexander asked the President, Mr. W. F. Snider, to be relieved of all further responsibility. On October 16th the sole preparation of food, and tth absolute necessity for which was hourly increasing, was placed in

the competent hands of Mrs. W. O. Linton and Miss Lida Olive, Home Demonstrator for Rowan County. She had previously received permission from Mrs. McKimmon, State Home Demonstration Agent, to spend her entire time upon work for the epidemic. Miss Olive gave her room in the comunity Building to be used as a Red Cross Diet Kitchen. This kitchen, under the skilled management of these two ladies, who gave their devoted and untiring labor to the work, became the pride of the City and every delicacy for the very ill and the convalescent was prepared by them each day. The kitchen remained open from ten to fifteen hours daily. I give a typical list of the dishes served: Chicken soup, beef froth, mutton broth, vegetable soup, potato and other creamed soups, chicken loaf, veal loaf, chicken stew, croquetts, beef stew, beef broth, boiled rice with butter, boiled custard, baked custart, gelatine of various kinds, rice pidduing, egg-nog, baked apples, lemonade, milk and butter milk. When the work was taken over on Co[^Oc}tover 18 by Mrs. Linton and miss Olive we were feeding from sixty to eighty people a day, but in two or three days we were feeding from one hundred and thrity to one hundred and eighty daily. This continued until November 1st, after which the drop was rapid. The diet Kitchen was closed on November 5th; the volunteer nursing ceased on November 7th. From Tuesday, Octover 29th, to Saturday, November 2nd, Miss Louise Neave ably filled the place of Mrs. Linton in the Diet Kitchen, who was called home by illness, thus rounding out a career of usefulness, including nursing and all other branches of the service.

Mrs. John H. Gorman, who took in charge the making of the egg-nog, answering hurry calls at any hour, supplied with premptitude and cheerfulness the allotment needed for each dday until it was no longer necessary. -2-

Upon the first call for help the Salisbury Red Cross Motor Corps, through the Captain, Mrs. E. C. Gregory, immediately volunteered its services and worked both early and late in the distribution of food, the carrying of nurses to and from their homes, and countless allied errands of mercy. allis in the early morning and late at night were answered without a question. It should be a perculiar gratification to the Motor Cops, so recently organized, that its initial efforts should have been of such paramount importance. Mrs. Gregory, who had worked with never flagging devotion through all the early days of the epidemic, was most unforunately called out of town on Wednesday October 18th, by the illness of her son. As Captain of the Motor Corps she appointed Miss Mary F. Henderson and Miss Grace Overman to command the corps in her absence, which position they filled with efficiency and the utmost devotion to duty. From the organization of relief work, Miss Henderon had also held the position of Executive Secretary to the Chairman of the Enfluenza Committee. An immense burden of work fell upon her. This she accomplished with dauntless energy, and the Chairman feels that the success of the Relief movement is largely due to her ability and exactitude. With the Motor Corps must be associated the ladies who vounteered to assist in disributin the food to the stricken families. This Committee supplied each day workers to go out with the motors, who were willing to go into the homes of contagion. Often there was no one well enough to receive the food, and in such cases the workers served the patients before leaving the house. Through the first two weeks of the epidemic Salisbury extended its Relief work to Spencer and East Spencer. Some of the most pitiable cases were found in these localities. Mrs. L. M Hand gave me invaluable assistance before the Relief work was taken over by East Slpencer. Nurses were also provided for two desperate caes in China Grove and Landis. It should -3-

be stated that in most instances families of from two to ten members were absolutely helpless, everyone in the family ill, and not a soul even to give a drink of water.

I have now come to the most vital department of our Relief work, the delpartment of colunteer nursing. Of these women and men I cannot say too much. Their unselfishness and devotion was heroic. I place it on a par with the merciful and humane work of the nurses of the Front. They perfomed this work with no thought of self, and with almost no realization that they were doing anything out of the ordinary run of the day. During the four long weeks of tje violence of the epidemic, with very few exceptions, I visited, ajd in many cases visited repeatedly, all of the cases needing help that were reported to me. I therefore feel that I can spek authoritatively and I shall ever feel grateful that should have been my privelege to come in intimate contact with such splendid unselfishness. Not only were their motives fine and high, but best of all their work was effective. Dr. Warren, the County Health Officer, says frankly that he atributes the low death rate to the effectiveness of the volunteer nurses, to the priper invalid diet prepated, and the general efficiency of the Re d Cross work. These women not only idd thee nursing, but in many instances cookes, brough in wood and coal and water, and washed and ironed clothes. Many such acts of unselfishness anre known only to me, to the patients and to God who gave them nobility of soul. Grateful mention ust be made of Mrs. T. M. Flowers of the Salvation Army for thenoble work in behalf of a suffering and destitute infant. Especial mention should be made of the quickness with which Mrs. Burt and the Surgical Dressings room provided masks by the thousands for Saisbury, Spencer, Rowan and Stanly Counties, and the passing troops; models were send Cabarrus County. This was in addition to its usual monthly quota of work. The work room under the direction -4-