Huge Flood Disaster in United States

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 67, 20 March 1936, Page 7

Huge Flood Disaster in United States

Worst Visitation In a Century

Many Lives Losf; Thousands Homeless

United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.

. Received Thursday, 7.25 p.m. NEW YORK, March 18. The most devastating floods in generations resulting from snow accumulations of the hardest winter in a century, poured down through eastern United States to-day and caused widespread death and property destruction. Centring at Pittsburgh, • the disaster extended from Maine to the Carolines. Fifty persons lost their lives and the damage is expected to total a hundred million dollars. The Monongaliela and Alleghany rivers, which converge at Pittsburgh to form the Ohio river, swept over the city s business district and 18 feet of water tore through buildings and, to add to the confusion, three large industrial plants caught hie and were burned to the water’s edge. Smaller cities and mines up and down Pennsylvania's principal rivers suffered equally. The entire Wyoming valley was turned into an inland sea by the Susquehanna river. New York State has reported 2000 persons driven from their homes in various cities by floods. The western, centre aucl eastern portions of the State alike reported exceptionally high water in all streams. The Hudson rose 131 feet above normal. The Potomac river spread widely over its banks in Maryland, badly battering Hancock and Cumberland. Both these cities are covered by nine feet of water. Hundreds of houses were swept away by a stream which had the force of a tidal wave. Greenwood dam, five miles above New Hartford, Connecticut, collapsed, hurling a 19 foot wall-of water down Farmington valley, a thickly populated agricultural and industrial area. Three arc known to be dead here. Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire also report wide areas in flood. The damage amounts to 15,000,000 dollars and 30,000 persons were made homeless in Western Virginia and North and South Carolina as waters from rivers further north piled southwards. in Connecticut three dams broke and warnings were broadcast down three river valleys for the people to seek higher grounds. Martial Law Declared. Martial law has been declared in Pittsburgh. The police are attempting to reach the western penitentiary in an isolated section. With the rising waters, the guards were forced to xuove 200 prisoners to high tiers and it is reported 1200 inmates took advantage of the confusion to stage a riot. Looting in the Confusion. In Johnstown where the waters during the day receded considerably, the populace -were thrown into a panic late in the afternoon on receipt of reports that the dams protecting the city were crumbling and the community was in danger of being -wiped out as in 1889. The people madly rushed to the surrounding hills and the city was almost completely evacuated before it was found that the reports were untrue, although one small dam had developed leaks. In the confusion there was considerable looting and hundreds of special peace officers are sworn in maintain order. At least 8000 are homeless in the city where property damage is estimated at 35,000,000 dollars. • By early evening it appeared that the situation in Pittsburgh was becoming desperate. All telephonic and telegraphic communications are halted indicating a power breakdown there. Food By Aeroplane. Every available commercial aeroplane in New York, Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago has been pressed into service to rush food and medical supplies to the city as all railway and highway communications are disrupted. The aviators reported that the water reached such a depth that all power plants along the river are completely submerged. They also reported seeing patrol boats picking up refugees from floating debris. In one large hotel over SOU guests were marooned on the upper floors without food, heat or light and with the constant danger that the drinking water available is contaminated. The flood area has now extended to practically cut railway communications between the eastern seaboard and the west. The only railway service functioning between New-York and St. Louis is by way of Buffalo and the express trains are running eight to ten hours late. NATIONAL GUARD MOBILISED Received Thursday, 11.36 p.m. NEW YORK, March IS. The National Guard has been mobilised in the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Newhampshire and Vermont as the flood menace increased hourly. Every stream of the entire section from smallest brooks to larger rivers, were out of thenbanks before midnight on Wednesday. An apparently authentic report is broadcast that a huge dam across the Connecticut river at Vernon, Vermont, has collapsed, but the electric company owning it states there is only a partial break and workers are attempting to repair it, but in any event, the entire Connecticut river valley cutting through the heart of New England, is endangered and removal warnings have been sent out. Boston faced a milk shortage according to officials there. The damage to the State of Maine alone is estimated to exceed 10,000,000 dollars. At Washington relief workers are hastily throwing up levees to protect the national capital from the rapidly rising Potomac. It is recalled that the 1889 flood waters almost reached White House. In the night-long confusion no attempt has been made to estimate the total casualties, but the death toll will undoubtedly exceed the earlier estimates of 50. Night of Terror. Despite the belief that the waters had reached their height at Pittsburgh at 8 p.m., at 11 p.m. they were still rising when the depth was estimated at 48 feet, the official gauge having broken. It was a night of terror for the city. Relief crews in row-boats distributed food as best as they could, but they were unable to reach all in need. Fires broke out in many sections of the city, many burning unchecked as there was no means of notifying the Fire Department, which, in any event, was completely unable to handle the situation. A tank car containing petrol at the railway yards exploded starting a fire which destroyed six buildings. At least 50 persons suffered varying degrees of injury from fires and explosions exclusive of the flood casualties. At Wheeling, West Virginia, which is directly in the path of the roaring Ohio flood, heroic preparations were made all night to meet the impending crisis. Part of the business area is already inundated and if the river reaches the expected height, early on Thursday it will flood most of the city. With the aid of the police thousands are being exacuated. to higher ground. Unable to publish in Pittsburgh, three newspapers moved a skeleton editorial and mechanical staff to nearby towns where abbreviated editions were published. Martial Jaw was declared in Johnstown during the night.