During the Mississippi River flood in the spring of 1912, Mayor Gaynor,
of New York, appointed a committee to collect money for relief purposes.
Mr. Robert W. de Forest, head of the New York County Chapter of the Red
Cross, was made chairman, and Mr. Robert Adamson, the Mayor’s secretary,
became secretary of the committee. Among the prominent members were
officers of the New York Southern Society. This committee undertook its
duties with such vigor and effectiveness that it became much the largest
contributor to the flood relief fund placed in the hands of the Red Cross
for expenditure. The committee held its final meeting in Mayor Gaynor’s
office on January 21, 1913, when the secretary presented an interesting
account of the work accomplished.
Money was received from all parts of the country, although the greater
part was contributed by residents of New York City. The New York Southern
Society received $14,281.05. From this sum $10,000 was paid to Mr. Jacob
H. Schiff, treasurer for the Mayor’s committee. The Southern Society
also paid all expenses of the campaign for both itself and the Mayor’s
committee, amounting to $1,612.49, and forwarded $600 directly to flood
sufferers. This left a balance in the hands of the Southern Society of
$2,068.56, which later was turned over to the Red Cross. Including the
$10,000 paid in by the Southern Society, the Mayor’s committee received a
total of $67,322.39, all of which was transmitted to the Red Cross.
Summarizing the work of both the Southern Society and the Mayor’s
committee it appears that the total collections amounted to $71,601.44,
of which $600 went direct to the flood district, $1,612.49 was paid for
expenses and $69,390.95 was turned over to the Red Cross.
By invitation of the committee the national director of the Red Cross
attended the final meeting and gave an account of the relief operations
as carried on in behalf of the quarter of a million persons whose homes
were affected in the 15,000 square miles of country inundated.