BY JANET E. KEMP Special Red Cross Representative The itinerary, as outlined by Mr. Kaufman, was to include Columbia, Florence and Marion; each of these cities being the center of districts which were reported to have suffered severely during the recent disaster. COLUMBIA. Arriving in Columbia late Monday night, I was met by Mr. Baker, a representative of _The State_, which is Columbia’s leading daily paper. The city is situated in the Congaree Valley, at the junction of Saluda and Broad rivers. [Illustration: BROAD RIVER BRIDGE—TWO MILES ABOVE COLUMBIA.] Columbia itself escaped with comparatively little injury; the city extending at an elevation considerably above the flood level. The power house of the street railway company and the city water works situated near the river sustained considerable damage. The cotton factories also located on low ground were obliged to suspend work for a few days; the loss in wages said to be about $4,000.00. Early next morning I had an interview with Captain William E. Gonzales, editor of _The State_. Captain Gonzales estimated that there were about two hundred destitute families in the flooded section between Columbia and Kingsville. From information received later, I should think this is probably an under-estimate. The fertile “swamp” lands on each side of the river belong to a chain of “plantations” extending from Columbia to Kingsville. On some of these the owner lives, surrounded by his tenantry; others belong to non-resident owners. Corn and cotton are the staple crops. The destitution of which Captain Gonzales spoke exists mainly on those plantations owned by non-residents who have no personal interest in their tenantry; and among the negroes who are working their own land. The flood sufferers living on land occupied by resident owners will not, as a rule, need any outside aid, as their landlords, though themselves very heavy losers, will provide for their pressing needs. The gravity of the situation, even for those who are actually destitute, is mitigated at present by the fact that for the next two months work will be comparatively plentiful, in harvesting crops in sections untouched by the calamity, and in repairing the damages occasioned by the flood.