Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-03-06
FORTY CITY BL ocKs


I " wcuA SjlolI UCCOuu UOOIU COutJ uOt u
reached and had TO stay there. 1'hesl
could not b reached by the ambulance
Of tho police department nor by tho lad.
doris Vt the Independence Co.
Chief Black Of tho Police Department
was out most Of the night, directing in
the work. To add 70 the seriousness oi
the situation, the failure Of the light plant
TO function, on account OF the flood, threw
the whole city in darkness.
/ REscUEp woMES.
About l o'clock tho police Ambulance
was Mt Vandever avenue and Head street
in the work OF rescue. The driver, Joseph
Grussemeyer, had gone through water
up TO his waist TO 4 house after q woman
and after reaching therc, and starting
back with her, found that tho water had
risen 50 fast that he could not get back to
the ambulance. He had to get out another
way and como back TO the station by way
OF the railroad
On Head street twnnty-ons Negro
residents, mostly women, were rescued
from the second stories Of their homes, and
were gwen shelter during the night at the
police station. They arc still there, and
will remain until the water recedcs or I'M
til some other provision is made for them.
| An infant OF one of tho women was
brought from the second story OF house
by way Of lnddor.
ORCHARD HARD HIT.
| Part of the territory suffering from the
| high waters included the boat yard at the
Orchard. A great many bonts and boat
| launches arc reported lost or sunk. Others
that were out on the yard braced up with
| temporary ways were washed out into
deeper water or turned over, many Of
them being badly damaged. II Is not
| possible ut this time 10 give the extent Of
| the damage to the boats, but il is known
| to be great.
The four-room house Of G. r. Myers,
| an employee at Slocomb's, was flooded early
| in tho evening and bis family forced 70
| get out. They were unable To get any of
| their household goods out, tho water
| rising so fast. The house WAS washed off
| its foundations and is bndly damaged.
| Mr.. Myers and his wife and children are
now at the home of friend, but he is in
great trouble on account Of not being able
| TO find a place for temporary shelter.
| Sickness in his family adds 10 the dis
/ tress OF the situation with him. There are
many other families in almost as bnd
CONDITIONAL their household goods in
the water driven from their homes, and
without money To supply their needs.
Among the boats lost and reported sunk
Ia one, a naphtha launch, belonging to a
Mr.. kirkman. James Morris bost, the
Lulu, which was at the boat yard in the
Orchard, was washed off the blocks and
reported badly damaged.
The cabin of Benjamin DEM, on tho
cast side OF the Orchard. was washed
away, but the family escaped. Several
boats belonging 10 Dudley Biscoe we're
upset, and his wharf was washed away.
Three feet OF water was in the basement
of tho firn hall Of Independence Fire Com
pany.
Tho cellar Of Kineswood NJ. r. Church
Mt Fourteenth and Claymout was flood
ed, and il was feared the water would reach
the main part of the church building.
Patrolman George Sutton, who lives
at HOS North Head street, and has lived
there for some years, says the water was
higher than be ever saw IL and rose faster.
He WAS al work all night helping in the
work Of rescue.
Several families rescued were given
shelter at the Independence Fire Co. hall
during the night and were still there this
morning. Others. besides these at the Ere
hall and the police station, found temper
airy shelter with neighbors who were on
parts of the city.
The situation with regard 10 the
families driven ont and 10 the second stor-
ies of their houses is distressing in the ex-
'rerne. The household goods Of all of
them are under water and practically
ruined, and most Of them are people with
out money to buy food or clothing.
FORCE or THE WIND.
Damage by the wind in various parts
of the city is reported Many trees were
blown down, windows blown in, and signs
carried away Among trees destroyed were
one at Fourth and Madison, one at Nine
teenth and Market, one at Second and
West, and several in the woodland adj
joining Union Park Gardens In the
park at the northern end of the Gardens
one fell about 8 O'Clock last night with
terrific crash, heard above the noise of
the wind. Residents nearby were alarm
ed, and scne of them started out to in
vestigate, but were driven back indoors by
the binding snow. Among the windows
smashed by the wind was one in Odd Eel
lows Building at Tenth and King.
A mail wagon was found overturned on
King street between Twelfth and Thir-
teenth, and the horse had got loose and
wandered away. The horse was later
found, but IN the meantime another
horse had been hitched to the wagon and
driven away.
WIDE ExrANsE OF FLOOD.
The houses in the Ninth ward seemed
TO suffer the worst Of the food. The area
bounded by the elevated railroad, Locust
street, Twenty-second and the Brandy
wine river was completely inundated
Homes on Claymont street between Thir-
tenth ard Twenty-se cond streets were
flooded to the second floors. the residents
being rescued by the Independence Fire
Co, and taken to the fire house in their
apparatus, where they slept during the
right. The members Of the company
worked throughout the night, responding
to calls OF people in that vicinity who were
in distress.
The Wilmington mills, known as the
flute works." were flooded, the water
rising to about fve-foot level above the
main floor. The boilers were flooded and
the fires extinguKhed, compelling the
plant to close for the day. Other damage
was to machinery and stock which was
soaked with water and mud. One Of the
officials Of the company said that the rise
began with great rapidity and attained
It's high level about ii o'clock; then, he
said, the tide seemed to turn and the
water reoeded about as rapidly as it
arose. Houses on Vandever avenue below
Claynont street and on Claymont, Head,
Thatcher and Locust streets and the inter
seoting streets We're flooded to the first
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