800,000 HOMELESS THROUGH FLOODS

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 23, 28 January 1937, Page 7

800,000 HOMELESS THROUGH FLOODS

AMERICAN DISASTER.

Stricken Towns Like "Cities

Of the Dead. ,,

FIRES AND DISORDERS

United Tress Association.—Copyright.

(Hccelved 12 noon.)

NEW YORK, January 27

The known dead in the flood areas total 137, while the homeless total at J oast 800,000.

Property damage exceeds 300,000.000 dnllnrx. Kpidcniics of influenza and pneumonia me rampant, particularly in Louisville, where the Henltli Commissioner estimates that at least 200 have died. The discuses are attributable to the inundation. Km,,, Cincinnati it is reported that the Ohio River is receding fractionally inch by inch from the stage of I'.KWt leet reached yesterday. Kvjinsville, which is under martial law, awnits the crest of the Hood, which is expected on Thursday or Friday. Last night, since when the position Ims become worse, a summary gave the following result: — Kentucky.—3oo,ooo people homeless; four major cities affected. Uliio.— 1U3,0U0 homeless; two major cities affected. Indiana.—7o.ooo homeless; four major cities affected and all in process of evacuation. Tenuesse, —1.3.000 homeless; numerous small cities affected; levees weakening and expected to break at many points. Aulvimsas.—2o.ooo homeless in the eastern section; martial law declared; the evacuation of uO,OOO J people under way. Mississippi.—The river is rising rapidly. Missouri.—l3,ooo homeless; scores believed to have been trapped and probably drowned owing to the breaking of levees. Illinois.—2s,ooo homeless; eight of the smaller cities affected. West Virginia.—4o,ooo homeless; four major cities affected; water covering more than half the area of all the cities along the Ohio River. Pennsylvania.—Conditions improving and rivers falling. Work of Relief. The work of relief in the flooded j States, has been centred in Washington j under President Roosevelt's command and 71.000 Federal relief workers of every kind have .been sent to the various districts. i lie President has allotted 900,000 dollars to be immediately available for conservation funds and rescue work, and Congress is prepared to rush through si 790.000,000 deficiency measure. All this money could be used in the restoration of the areas which have already suffered damage estimated at 300.000,000 dollars. Members of Congress from the flooded areas have begun the consideration of a long-mooted flood conservation scheme, which would provide 1.200.000.000 dollars in 10 years for the construction of huge reservoirs and waterways. An army of engineers is finishing plans for a system of 1000 flood-control reservoirs throughout the entire country to cost 8,000,000,000 dollars. Offers of private and other aid continue to be received from all parts of the Jiation. In Xew York the city aldermen have been called together to consider voting 250,000 dollars for the devastated areas. Chicago is concentrating on the shipment of drinking water in railway tank cars, four of which carrying 10.000 gallons, left yesterday. From as far north jis Xew England marine equipment is lieing dispatched and Red Cross contributions are mounting to the goal, which now is 10,000,000 dollars. Seen from the Air. Tlu> "Xew York Times" sent a reporter in an aeroplane to fly over 700 miles of flooded country in eight States. He writes: ''Louisville was like h. new Atlantic, with dark brown water us high as the eaves of the Jiouses in three-fourths of the city area-, "Cincinnati, except for a few high spots, seemed to be planted in a chocolate sea. At Evansville, Indiana, where the river normally is a mile wide, it had spread to 15 or 20 miles. In Southern Indiana there was water as far as the t'ye could reach, ice-capped hills only protruding. ■ There was no sign on the liills of cattle or sheep, which must liave been drowned when tfce flood swept over mile after mile of pastures. Everywhere the sun glinted on great stretches of water. There were little signs of life, a few boats, no smoke from factory or . house chimneys—like great cities of the dead." The Mayor of Louisville, Mr. X. Miller, made a. radio appeal to the ' Mayors of all large cities to send 500 niore policemen to relieve those who have been on duty for four days with- ' out sleep. He explained that the city was under State martial law, not ' Federal, so that the regular Army, detachment could not relieve the ; police. Philadelphia is prepared to send ] 100 city and 100 State police by special i trains and aeroplanes. Other cities also are co-operating. Admiral Grayson says the flood presents the greatest emergency the nation and the Red Cross have faced since the Great War. ' The evaenation of Paducah, Kentucky, is under way. communications with the town having been reopened. Senator A. W. Berkley, in a broad- j cast from Washington appealing for t funds, pleaded for -news of his mother, ( who, he said, was among the Kentucky , refugees. A skeleton staff of the Louisville "Courier-Journal" is publishing a two- - page newspaper on presses at Shelby- J ville, 30 miles away, so that residents may read authentic news about the extent of the floods and instructions from officials. Fires are raging in the flooded in- j dustrial area of Louisville. The police j dynamited a factory in one section in an attempt to isolate the flames. Smoking and the sale of cigarettes have been banned throughout the city. < Disorders are reported to have occur- i red in a number of refugees' havens. 1 where hundreds of flood victims' nerves i have snapped through days of crowded | < living, continuous cold and ill-balanced j t foud. ' >