Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-27
MAILS STILL CRIPPLED
IN OHIO AND INDIANA
All Available Outside Forces
Are Called Into Flooded
Districts Today.

| Mail service in Ohio aand Indiana Is
practically at a standstill. The condition
| is regarded as deplorable by the officials
Of the railway mail service and the post
| the ground. Postmaster General Burle-
son, about noon today, moved by the
serious character of the reports. assem-
bled his four assistants. Chief Post Of
fee Inspector Carter B. keene and Chief
Clerk Merritt o. Chance in conference to
devise ways and means for dealing with
the situation.
| 1t was decided to call into the flooded
districts all the available outside force
Of the railway mail service who are on
Office inspectors service to care for the
mails, and to instruct fourth-class post
masters and others in the various phases
OF the complicated situation.
Postage stamps and other supplies will
be massed in large nearby cities to save
delay in having acquisitions filled in
Washington. Everything possible to
perienced men who know how to deal
| with serious situations in the service, said
Mr.. Chance at the close of the conference.
No Mails Since Tuesday.
In the Washington office no malls from
the middle west have gotten through
since Tuesday morning although malls
from the extreme northwest and the
Pacific coast are arriving via Chicago.
Mail due at $50 o'clock Tuesday morn
ing from the middle and far west via
the Chicago and Pittsburgh railway post
office to Washington has not yet been re-
ceived. Mail due yesterday from Fort
Wayne, Ind, was received at 10 o'clock
this morning and with 1t some mail due
/ ,H..,,. lie. ntz1
Lorain. Ohio.
Mails due from the northwest at am.
today arrived at Sam. from Chicago.
bringing mail connections from Minneap-
oils, st. Paul and the west as far as
Washington state. Under ordinary con-
ditions there are ten trains daily bring
ing western mail The trains arriving
from Pittsburgh are bringing only light
mails of a local character and none OF
the western connections.
Prepared for Avalanche.
When the accumulated mails are
ceived The city post office officials antic-
ipated an avalanche and have made every
preparation TO handle them The office
is in constant telephone connection with
the regular clerks who alone are able 10
route il.
In the department it MAS stated that
there is practically no service IN the two
states OF ONO and Indiana. ne rivers
are reported falling. but the Ohio river
is st.Il rising and the latest reports say
il is still raining in Cincinnati ne
Pennsylvania road is still open between
Pittsburg and Cleveland, via Alliance.
and dispatches of west and southWest
mails are being sent that way tn connect
with the Lake Shore To Chicago. Ar
rangementS are being made To direct
mails from New York and the east FOR
states south OF the Ohio river. which are
connected through the Cincinnati gate
way. by way of Washington and the
Chesapeake and Ohio. which is the only
eastern line open into Cincinnati.
The southern division Of the Lake Shore
between Elyria and Sandusky Is inter-
rIpted but the northern division is stu
orep and al mails are being sent VIA
Sandusky 10 the south and southwest
East0ound mails usually distributed over
tie r. x .. and the Pennsylvania now
GO over the Lake Shore via SanduskN.
Tine railroad on the Fort WAYNE and
Panhandle lines is badly washed out
and many bridges are gone. Yesterday >
mails were sent from PITTSBURGH I" TN
c,nnau via Parkersbure and Huntington.
bu, later reports say that line is out OF
commission.
No Losses Yet Reported.
No reports have yet been received at
th. department Of the loss Of any mails
or of any casualties 10 postal clerks
The railway mail service officer at Pitts
burph reported last n.ght that many trains
be tween New York and the west have
been annulled until further notice The
only trains operated west or PITTSBURGH
are over the Fort Waye line va Alliance
and Cleveland TO Chicago Thus far l. is
reported serious congestion Of the malls
at Pittsburgh has been avoided.
The Cleveland report states conditions
no better. fears growing worse While
the New York and Chicago and the Pitts
burgh and Cleveland lines are apparently
intact grave danger exists to the bridges
at various points. There il great mail
congestion at Sandusky. where NUM-
Der of postal clerks are marooned. Chi
cago reports congestion. but states mails
are not separated. Chicago and eastern
Illinois trains are badly delayed and Illl-
nois Central trains also are interrupted.
Cincinnati reported the abandonment OF
the Union depot yesterday afternoon.
Okaw River Levee Breaks.
VANDALIA. Ill, March 2a.-The Okaw
river levee. sixteen miles south OF here.x