FLOOD DISASTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22835, 20 March 1936, Page 9

FLOOD DISASTER

FROM MAINE TO CAROLINA DEATH AND DESTRUCTION PITTSBURGH’S TERRIBLE PLIGHT (United Tress, Association) (By Klcctrlc Telegraph—Copyright) NEW TORN, March 18. (Received March 19, at 9 p.m.) 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 Carolina. Fifty persons lost their lives and the damage i? expected to total 100,000,000 dollars. The Monongahcla and Alleghany Rivers, which converge at Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River, swept over the city’s business district. Eighteen feet of water tore through buildings, and to add to the confusion three large industrial plants caught fire 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 Suspuehanna River. New York State reported that 2000 persons have been driven from their homes in various cities by floods. Western, centre, and eastern portions of the State alike have reported exceptionally high water in all streams. The Hudson rose 13.5 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. Green Wood 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 people are known to be dead there. Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire also report wide areas in flood and damage amounts to 15,000,000 dollars and 30,000 persons arc homeless in West Virginia and North and South Carolina. POSITION GROWING WORSE PANIC IN JOHNSTOWN NEW YORK, March 18. (Received March 19, at 10.15 p.m.) In Johnstown, where the waters during the day receded considerably, the populace was thrown into panic late in the afternoon on reports that dams protecting the city were crumbling and the community was in danger of being wiped out, as in 1889. 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 email dam had developed leaks. In the confusion there was considerable looting, and hundreds of special police officers were sworn in to maintain order. At least 8000 are homeless in the city, where the property damage is cs|i mated at 35,000,000 dollars. By early evening it appeared that the situation in Pittsburg was becoming desperate. All telephonic and telegraphic communications were halted, indicating a power breakdown there. Every available commercial aeroplane in New York, Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago was pressed into service to rush food and medical supplies to the city, as all railway and highway communications were disrupted. Aviators reported that the water had readied such a depth that all power plants along the river were completely submerged. They also reported seeing patrol boats picking up refugees from floating debris. In one large hotel over 500 guests were marooned on the upper floors without food, heat or light, with a constant danger that the drinking water available would be contaminated. The flood area has now extended, practically cutting the 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, Express trains arc running eight to ten hours late. In Connecticut three dams broke, and warnings were broadcast down three river valleys for people to seek higher grounds. Martial law has been declared hi Pittsburg. The police are attempting to reach the western penitentiary in an isolated section. With the rising waters the guards were forced to move 200 prisoners to high tiers, and it lias been reported that 1200 inmates took advantage of the confusion to stage a riot. A NIGHT OF HORROR MARTIAL LAW DECLARED NEW YORK, March 19. (Received March 20, at 0.45 a.m.) The National Guard has been mobilised in the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont, as the flood menace lias increased hourly. Every stream in the entire section, from the smallest brooks to the larger rivers, were out of their banks shortly before midnight on Wednesday. An apparently authentic report was broadcast that a huge dam across the Connecticut River at Vernon, Vermont, collapsed. _ The electric company owning it said it was only a partial break and workers were 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 is faced with a milk shortage, according to officials there, and the damage in the Stale of Maine alone is estimated to exceed 10,000,000 dollars. At Washington relief workers arc hastily throwing up levees to protect _ the national capital from the rapidly-rising Potomac. in the confusion no attempt has been made to estimate the total casualties, but the dentil roll will undoubtedly exceed tlie earlier estimates of 50. Despite the belief that the waters had reached their height at Pittsburg at 8 p.m., at 11 p.m. they were still rising, when the depth was estimated at 48 feet, the official gauge having boon broken. It was n night of terror for the city. Relief crews in rowbroats distributed food as best they could, but were unable to reach all those in need, hires 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 would have been completely inadequate to handle the situation. A tank car of petrol in tlie railway yards exploded, starting a (ire which destroyed six. buildings. At least 50 persons suffered varying degrees of injury in (ires and explosions, exclusive of 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. The business part of the city is already inundated, and if the river

reaches the expected height early on Thursday it will Hood most of the city. With tlie aid of the police, thousands are being evacuated to higher ground. Unable to publish in Pittsburg, three newspapers moved skeleton editorial and mechanical staffs to nearby towns, where abbreviated editions were published. Martial law was declared in Johnstown during the night.