Fearful Floods Grow in Magnitude

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 21, 26 January 1937, Page 7

Fearful Floods Grow in Magnitude

Thousands of Homes Face Stark Tragedy

Mounting Death Roll and Properly Loss

United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Monday, 9 p.m. CHICAGO, Jan. 25. Rain along the Ohio river drove property losses from the flood higher into the millions and increased the deaths to thirty and the homeless to more than 400,000. Lack of communications has prevented an accurate estimate of the property loss. The entire trans-Mississippi area, a' wide productive strip in the heart of the nation was either struck or threatened by the flood, from Pittsburgh in the north to Arkansas in the south. Families fled as the waters engulfed ever-widening areas with the worst believed yet to come. Even greater than fear of the flood itself, is the fear of widespread outbreaks of disease. The Red Cross has viewed the situation as offering the worst threat to public health in the history of American disasters. The Federal Government has mobilised forces on a wartime basis to fight the high waters and relieve suffering. Agencies will operate on a 24-hour basis under the personal direction of President Roosevelt who will receive flood reports twice a 'day. Four thousand five hundred troops are engaged erecting emergency shelters on high ground as near the homes of the refugees as possible. Field kitchens, sanitary centres and field hospitals have also been established and supplies drawn from five great quartermaster depots. Thirty thousand workers of the Progress Administration and 12,000 other workers are aiding in the relief. River boats of every description were rushed into the affected areas. At Frankfort, Kentucky, national guardsmen reported that negro and white prisoners are remaining at the reformatory fighting each other. Twelve are dead. One soldier said that “the men had absolutely gone mad.” Most of the women prisoners and 100 males, including three murderers, one under death sentence, have already been removed to the gaols in surrounding towns. Governor Chandler telephoned President Roosevelt asking that soldiers be sent to Louisville where he said half the population of 330,000 were homeless. Mayor Miller, of Louisville, when he telephoned Mr. Roosevelt ’s secretary, said a conservative estimate of the homeless in the city was 200,000. He predicted that thirty of the city’s forty square miles were under water within twelve hours. The drinking water was almost exhausted at Columbus, Ohio. The Mayor urged citizens to evacuate and many are leaving via the one remaining railway link with the rest of the world. TOWNS PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS. OTHERS COMPLETELY ISOLATED. Received Monday, 10.45 p.m. NEW YORK, Jan. 25. The deaths increased to fifty at Louisville. A baby was horn in the huge armoury where there are 5000 refugees, before the mother could be moved to hospital. Paducah, Kentucky, is isolated from the world. All communication ended following a final radio message that eight feet of water was running through the business section. The city of 33,000 population is withorrt lights or telephone service and is threatened with fire. An emergency appendicitis operation was performed on a desk in a building filled with refugees, in one Kentucky town. In some parts of the south troops are restraining farmers from cutting the levees but at Cairo, Illinois, a group of planters armed with shotguns patrolled the levee to prevent engineers from making a breach in order to flood 131,000 acres of land to remove the danger of Cairo being flooded. At Louisville the power plant failed at midnight plunging the metropolitan area into darkness except for candles and kerosene lamps. It is believed all 400 employees escaped without injuries. A single Morse wire, operated in candlelight, maintained communication with the outside world. A telephone service is possible on reserve batteries, but is restricted to emergency messages. It is not expected the batteries will last long. FIRES IN WAKE OF FLOOD. CINCINNATI, Jan. 24. The worst disaster in the city’s history occurred to-day, when gasoline and oil floating on the flood waters in the industrial section of the city was ignited by sparks from broken power lines. The flames spread to the warehouse of the Crosley Radio Corporation, destroying it. Several factories of the huge Standard Oil plant are burning. The damage is already estimated at thref! million dollars. Officials are planning to use dynamite to destroy the factories in the path of the flames in order to bring the fire under control if necessary. All the available firemen and apparatus are being used, including some from nearby towns. American Legion volunteers and prisoners from the city workhouse are helping to fight the fire. Many families had to be moved out of the path of the floating fire, which has extended over several miles of territory. Black smoke hung over the entire city, adding to the terrors of the flood. A burning 250,000-gallon tank of gasoline fell and floated downstream endangering the suburbs. Officials said 32 buildings have been destroyed along the three-mile industrial front. The number of firemen injured is now 18. RIVER RISES 76 FEET. BATHETIC STORIES FROM FLOODED AREAS. Received Monday, 9.5 p.m. WASHINGTON, Jan. 25. Four hundred haggard men are risking their lives by remaining on duty at the sole “remaining power plant which is far below water level. The windows are barricaded with tons of sandbags and two pumps are emptying the water leaking througli the sandbags. Barry Bingham, son of the Ambassador in England, suspended publication of the Courier Journal, his father’s newspaper, for the first time since the Civil War, to conserve the power. He led the staff in rescue and relief work. Protestant churches abandoned their services and refugees slept in the pews. Many smaller cities in Kentucky have evacuated their entire populations which have been placed on relief trains for the north. Martial law has been declared in the southern half of Indiana most of which is inundated. Troops are directing the transfer of thousands to trains for the north. Overworked by days of tense watching, Meteorologist Collum fell dead in his office at Evansville, Indiana. The flood gauge at Cincinnati recorded 76 feet, but one power plant is believed to be out of reaeh of the waters. The use of current is restricted and residents are urged to remain in their homes and conserve power and water and advised not evou to take baths.