DEAD CREMATED Before Being Identified

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 12, 29 January 1937, Page 5

DEAD CREMATED Before Being Identified

-Pfess Assn.

STRICT CENSORSHIP Fears of Disease After U.S. Floods TRAGIC ST0RIES TOLD

(By Telesfrapk-

— Copyright.)

(Received 29, 9.45 a.m.) CHICAGO, Jan. 27. A Sudden realisation that the dead in LOUiSVille alone may total hundreds, bfdko over the harassed city, The Associatbd Press states that 120 bodie-s -vvefe reCovCred duriiig the day in th© slibmafged western area despite the stfict censorship by city and military authorities. It is learned that nine undettakeri have been made deputy coroners to deal with the situation, Stories regarding the disposal of the bodies are conflicting. Health Commissioner Leavell saids "An unknown humber or badly decompoaed bodies h&vh been buried in shallow trenches oii the highlands. It WaS iinpossible to idehtify them 0r even determine Whether they were WhitOs or negroes. There is no Way of khoWing how many are dead until the waters recede. " It is agreed by all authorities that many bodifes may hever be found. New York residents reported to the Assooiated Press that, in telephone conversations with relatives in Louisville, it was said that many hiindreds of dead bodiea were being cremated as fast as po&sible to prevent the spread of diSCase, Most are unidentified and ctematiOn is M&king idfentifieatiOTl for ever impoSsible. It is reported that the city inciiierator is beng used for cremation, but the authorities have denied this, The bodies of two who eomiriitted suicide to escape suffering, were removed from one hottse. Censorships and the impossibility of communication give i'ise to the wildest speculation as to what the number of dead in nearly a thousand miles of the worst flooded area will eventually total. Observers have- been baffled by the relatively small estimate of the dead in the vast areas of devastation aud now believe that all authorities have been co-operating in withholding facts to prevent panic.