DEAD IN FLOODS NOW 400

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22005, 1 February 1937, Page 9

DEAD IN FLOODS NOW 400

| FURTHER TERRORS AS | CREST PASSES i INSTANT RELIEF PLAN EVACUATION CONTINUES FROM THREATENED CITIES (UNITED I'KKSS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received January 31, 9.2 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 30. A special flood commission is to meet in Washington on Monday. President Roosevelt has announced a three-fold plan for immediate small-scale financial aid for the needy from the Red Cross funds, which have already received 6,417,000 dollars; for Government loans to aid storekeepers whose stocks are damaged; and for Federal housing loans to restore homes. The latest figures for flood destruction are:—4oo dead,' 400,000,000 dollars of damage to property, 800,000 homes flooded, 572,000 homeless, and 236,000 marooned. The weather bureau'at Washington has indicated that the average annual flood destruction in the United States between 1905 and 1935 is 89 lives lost and 40.000,000 dollars damage. Damage to property in last year's floods is already 25 per cent, below that in the present flood, in which it is estimated that 60,000,000,000 tons of'water are trying to seek the sea. Rain is predicted to-morrow in the Ohio river valley. Occasional rain showers fell to-day in the. lowei Mississippi area. Flood Sweeps On With the crest of the flood still in the river, the Mississippi has risen to a higher level than any hitherto reported, states a Chicago message. Cairo is preparing to meet the crest on Wednesday. To-night it lay on an island amid the raging waters ot the Ohio crawling towards a 59-foot level, with an expected crest of 61 feet, which is unprecedented. North of Cairo in the so-called "Little Egypt," smaller communities —notably Mound City—were evacuated when the flood waters backed up inundating them. A hundred and thirty-one thousand acres of southeastern Missouri were flooded as the result of the opening of levees. The complete evacuation of Paducah, 8000 inhabitants of which remained to-day. has been ordered, forcibly if necessary, in order that \vhen Ohio's crest strikes on Tuesda the danger to human life will be obviated. Memphis is in the path of the rolling ilood-tide, but is confident that her situation on higher ground will save her. It is a city of refugees, 2500 of whom come from the flooded Arkansas lowlands. More than 115,000 men arc strengthening the Memphis dyke area. Fourteen Memphis schools have been ordered to close to give accommodation for refugees. Five hundred flood sufferers are in hospitals for treatment for influenza, pneumonia, typhoid, and smallpox. Some Areas Relieved Two earth tremors in the Memphis area sent engineers hurriedly to check over the levees, which, however, were unharmed. An official said: "We are hopeful that we are going to hold the entire river." But he reiterated that it was proposed to evacuate the inhabitants from Cairo to New Orleans if riGCGSS3I*V. The river gauge at Memphis registers 47 feet, and the waters produced a so-called "hot spot" at various levees which caused consternation among the engineers. | The river threatened to overflow I at Hickman (Kentucky) to-night, and 'the evacuation of livestock and removal of household goods was begun on a 200-miles front from Hickman to White River (Arkansas). Almost overlooked in the greater horror of the Ohio's devastation, reports are now coming of great damage in Tennessee and Arkansas. Nashville (Tennessee) reported considerable privation through the Cumberland river overflowing, and cities along the northern reaches of the Ohio to-day began to report rehabilitation. Cincinnati optimistically broad-! cast "Business as usual." Louisville is greatly cheered by the receding of the waters. Evansville is half under water, with as much as 12 feet. The level is still rising, but not so swiftly as before. The fight against disease continues unabated, 200,000 being inoculated for typhoid in Louisville alone. Thirteen million units of serum and vaccines of all kinds have been sent) to the flooded areas. Fear of Fire A blanket of gas from punctured mains covered the inundated waterfront of Cincinnati to-night. The fire chief, Mr Houston, described the fire peril as deadlier than anything Cincinnati had ever faced. The danger is increased by the presence of millions of gallons of petrol onj the water. A ban on smoking has been established throughout the region. Even passengers in trains passing through the city are prohibited from smoking. Mr Houston has issued a warning to the cities downstream that the petrol would float there eventually if not ignited at Cincinnati. "One spark and the industrial section of Cincinnati and most of the suburban I towns would be surrounded by fire," he stated. Federal engineers werei asked to consult the city authorities to decide on methods to remove the danger. The river has fallen two feet, but it is expected to be another week before city business can be resumed. The Louisville hospital superintendent, Mr Buschmeyer, has predicted that the death-roll will run far above the estimates. He said he believed that 400 bodies were already prepared for burial. The Mayor, Mr Miller, insisted that the toll was not more than 19u. The flood control headquarters at Memphis reported that the Ohio river has broken through a levee five miles north of Cairo, threatening to cut off the city from the north, the only remaining exit from the area. It is believed, however, that the break will probably relieve the tre-

mendous pressure on a 64-foot sea wall behind the city, which lies 40 feet below the level of the flooded rivers. Directions by Radio In Louisville it is estimated that the flood loss there alone is 100,000,000 dollars. Three-quarters of the streets are yet under water. The entire nation is listening to the radio to hear distress calls from the Louisville station, and the directions to police boats. Four men were caught in rapids at what was once the busiest city interesection. They were rescued while directions to the boats to effect the rescue were carried from coast to coast by a radio hook-up. Another weird call was a message to'all police boats that a man aged 24 had gone berserk through suffering, and struck his father o.ver the head with an oar, stolen a motorboat, and was reported to be cruising aimlessly in the flood waters. The police were instructed to confiscate the boat and arrest the man. Another call instructed the police to seize the hip boots of any resident not engaged in relief work and give them i to those willing to work. \ An earlier message: From Cairo to New Orleans labourers are working day and night in an effort to heighten and strengthen the levee system against next week's expected flood crssts. So far the levees are holding out, but three danger points are considered to be New Madrid (Missouri), Hickman (Kentucky), and Mellwood (Arkansas). The evacuation of the population in these areas is already in progress. Throughout these areas there is the spectacle of a seemingly never-ending line of refugees on the march towards higher ground. Looters are roaming the distressed city of Louisville, and additional police have been sent from other states. .. . _'