MASS EVACUATION UNDER WAY

Chronicle (Levin), 2 June 1948, Page 5

MASS EVACUATION UNDER WAY

(N.Z.P.A.-

—Reuter,

Crest Of Floods In United States Still To Come

Copyright)

ReYeived Wednesday, 10.45 a.m. NEW YORK, June 1. A masS evacuation along 120 m-iles of the lower Columbia River was under way today as the crest of the flood approached Portland (Oregon), which is aiready partly flooded. Army engineers, who are fighting to hold the dykes, have ordered the entire lower Columbia River to be closed to navigation lest the wake of ships might send the flood waters crashing through. The muddy waters are still preventing the determination of how many died in Vanport, but army engineers estimate the material loss at 27,000,000 dollars. The Columbia River is in a state of flood for 750 miles and the crest is expected to reach Portland tonight or tomorrow morning. Portland's only railway station is aiready under water.

in the half-hour of terror which wiped out the entire eity oi' Vanport, thousands escaped by wading, swimming, stumbling, or tugying themselves along human ehain to sal'ety, but hundreds wero trapped as the flimsy buildings foldcd like tents. Many wero eaught in cars — uow feet under water- — and seores vanished after tliev leajit i'roni homes ripped from the foundations. The tragie stories of eyewitnesses tell of mothers splashing frantieally through the surging waters and hunting for tlieir children, nieu gral)bing logs and planks froin the deljris and trying to tind tlieir faniilies, and otliers wading neek deep witli terrifled children on their slumlders. "The worst part of it all was the screanis of niothers hunting for their children," sobbed a telejihone switeh-girl who managed to seramlile to the top of a sinai! hill. "1 will never forget the looks of anguish on the f'aces of separated faniilies."

A newspaper eorrespondent who was there tliroughout the disaster said: "Suddenly water swept down the street. It broke over like waves. 1 saw the hill of water crash into a 16-apartment ( building. There was a splintering and the building swung round as if 011 a lop-sided railway turntable." A flying instructor -who was in the air above the seene when the dyke crumpled said: "A wall of water roared through the city below me. I saw the vall of one' apartment pop out like a balloon exploding. I saw the water crack buildings like a bulldozer knocks down a sapling. Entire buildings seemed to burst when the water liit them. I saw an old man racing ahead of a wave pulling a little wagon with two kids on it. The water got them. I saw a group of people shrinking back against a wall in fear — the water got them too. 1 felt sick inside and flew away. 5 5