NUMBER OF DEAD NOT KNOWN

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22003, 29 January 1937, Page 11

NUMBER OF DEAD NOT KNOWN

Blagoitude of Flood

Disaster

.NEWS CENSORED

GRIM ACCOUNTS FROM

STRICKEN AREAS

(cuited rnr.t-3 ASSucivnos-corvßiciiT.)

(Received January 28, 0.5 p.m.)

CHICAGO, January 27

The sudden realisation that the dead in Louisville alone may total hundreds broke over the harassed city, states the Associated Press. As many as 120 bodies were recovered during the day in the submerged western area.

' In spite of the strict censorship imposed by the city and military authorities, it is learned that nine undertakers have been lazAc deputy-coroners to deal with the situation. Stories about the disposal of the bodies arc conflicting. The Health Commissioner, Mr Leavell, said that an unknown number of bodies were badly decomposed. Bodies had been buried in shallow trenches en the highlands. It was impossible to identify them or even to determine whether they were whites or negroes. "There is no way of knowing how many are dead until the waters recede," he said.

It is agreed by all authorities that many of the bodies will never be found. New York residents have reported to the Associated Press that in telephone conversations Itheir relatives in Louisville said that many hundreds of dead bodies are being cremated as fast as possible to prevent the spread of disease. Most of them were unidentified and cremation was making identification for ever impossible. It is reported that the city incinerator was used for cremation, but the authorities have denied this. The bodies of twp people who committed suicide to escape suffering were removed from one house.

The relative of one of the New York residents who gave information was a war veteran serving with the volunteer police. He said that refugees were dying like flies. By others it is said that many looters have been shot dead, and a word picture is painted of miles of houses with water as high as the roofs. There is no possible way of knowing how many are dead in these regions. Conditions on the Indiana shore of the Ohio river, opposite Louisville, where the normal population of a score of small towns and suburban areas is 100,000, are described as worse, because of relief reaching there later.. Many areas are completely isolated. It is impossible even to guess the number dead there. . , Censorships and impossibility ot communication give rise to the Wildest speculation about what will be the eventual total of dead in nearly 1000 miles of the worst flooded area. Observers have been baffled by the relatively small estimate of the dead in such vast devastated areas. They now believe that all the .authorities have been cooperating in withholding the facts to, prevent a panic

Conflicting Estimates

An earlier message:—The total number dead in the flood areas in the United States is 137, and the homeless number at least 800',000. Property damage has exceeded 300,000,000 dollars. An epidemic of influenza and pneumonia is rampant, particularly in Louisville, where the health commissioner has estimated that at least 200 have died of diseases which are attributed to the inundation. At Cincinnati the river is receeding inch by inch from the high stage of 79.99 feet reached yesterday. Evansville, under martial law, awaits the crest of the flood, which is expected on Thursday or Friday.

SEVERE DROUGHT IN WESTERN AREA

''DUST BOWL" SUFFERING

(Received January 23, 8.1 p.m.)

CHICAGO, January 27. Ironically, the great plains in the

Western area known as the dust jtowl are suffering severe drought, fnere has been scarcely any rainfall for a month. The soil is powand dry, causing great dust storms.

U.S. AMBASSADOR LEAVES LONDON FOR HOME

(BRITISH OFFICIAL WIAEI.ESS.) RUGBY*, January 27. . Mr R; w. Bingham, United States Ambassador to London, has left for New York en route for his home "tear Louisville (Kentucky), where disastrous floods have created a Ration of great gravity. The Ambassador's wife and several other members of his family are at pre■sa»tat Louisville.