Winnipeg Fights Against Floods

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27384, 9 May 1950, Page 7

Winnipeg Fights Against Floods

Rec. 11 p.m. OTTAWA, May 7. The army late tonight warned 1450 more residents of low-lying Winnipeg suburbs to flee at once from the floodwaters. A broadcast message said the dikes might break at any time. Men, women and children helped toil-worn troops to strengthen the sandbag levees in a desperate battle against the floodwaters of the Red River, which already had surged over its banks on a 70-mile front, causing untold damage and driving 8500 people from their homes. The victims were quartered in railway carriages, army barracks and private homes not hit by the flood. Winnipeg authorities announced that 63 schools would be closed until further notice. Hundreds of blocks of Winnipeg, Canada’s, biggest western city, with a population of 300,000, are under water. About 4400 residents of low-lying areas were evacuated yesterday. Brigadier R. E. Morton, commanding troops labouring at the dikes, deplores reports that the whole city might have to be evacuated. Brigadier Morton took command of the civilian as well as the military flood fighting when the city authorities yesterday announced that the situation was out of hand. He said early today that most of the city would not-'be in danger, even if the river rose to its record level of 36 feet. The statement was issued when the river was 27 feet above normal and some suburbs nine feet under water: The floodwaters swirled through every town except one upstream between Winnipeg and the United States border, 60 miles away. Authorities on the United States side of the border warned that the worst of the .-flood was yet to come. One thousand homes are under water in Crookston, Minnesota. The authorities reported that a new crest rolling towards the border would put towns on the Red River deeper under water. Residents of the town of Stadolphe, isolated by the floood, slaughtered cattle in the streets when supplies of other food ran out.