The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-06-06
PUEBLO FIGHTING GAMELY TO
PROVIDE FOOD AND SHELTER
RESERVOIR BREAKS AND
CAUSES WATER TO RISE
RAPIDLY In STREETS IN
SEVERAL HOURS. EIGHTY.
THREE BODIES REMOVED BY
!: NOON.

times during the last 40 tlo"AS WV
waters of the Arkansas river,
breaking from their course, have in
undated the greater part OF this city
with the resultant loss of probably
not more than ESQ lives and proper
ty damage estimated at s1o,QoO,0o0
This loss is attributed chiefly 10 the
first flood Of Friday night and Sat-
urday morning. The second and
third floods of this morning and at
tesnoon found little value not al
ready ruined by the waters and
were looked upon with concern only
because they hindered rescue and re-
construction work.
First estimates Of the dead, based
upon reports from excited eyewit-
nesses who told Of seeing hundreds
og bodies wept through the streets
OF the city, are considered greatly
exaggerated. While no official count
of the fatalities had been attempted
Il is said the death list probably
viii not exceed ESQ, if that high.
One hundred bodies have been re-
covered, but it is feared that when
the mud and debris which Fills the
streets and buildings in the flooded
area, are cleared away more will be
found. f-.i& t.:
6 Relief work is progressing under
:nhe direction Of Red Cross officials
and Governor Shoup: The greatest
danger at present is from pey6-
hence. Foods being rationed. Those
without funds with which to psuiras
chase provisions are being cared, dor
by the Red Cross and other agencies.
TO those who. have funds, military
permits are being issued allowing
the holder to buy only a limited
: .amount of food from local stores.
Five hundred persons are in tenn
porary hospitals as direct result
of, the flood, according to ]. E..
Moorhead, secretary to the COVER
nor. There are cases of chickenpox,
: typhoid pneumonia, diphtheria and
one or two cases of insanity.
The entire city is under martial
law and. $50 troops are patroAing
the city with orders that all persons
are to be kept out Of the restricted
area and to shoot if necessary.
Troops have received orders to
prevent all visitors from entering
the city. No persons not members of
the national guard Will be admitted.
The Red Cross today cooked car
load of meat to keep it from spelling
and this will be distributed to the
needy. -
Governor Shoup returned this at
ternoon by automobile to Colorado
Springs from which place he ex-
spected to answer the message from
President Harding and Senator
Nicholson at Washington in regard
to the measures needed to help the
situation.
Col. Pat Hamrock, adjutant gen.
ersi, commanding state troops here,
said tonight it soon would be pos
sihle to ascertain something definite
on the disaster.
.-stIt iss imp possible TO obtain any ac-
euratef nformatien on; the. number
of dead Or the numher.o OF: bodies re-
covered, as military headquarters is
without communication with the
east anu south sections of the city.
When the first report Of the new
food came this afternoon soldiers
conducted a hurried search of
buildings and in one found a woman
standing in water up to her armpits
and holding above her head baby
five hours old. The mother and baby
were taken to a hospital, where it
was said they could not live.
On either side the ruins Of prinei-
pal structures, twisted and torn by
the flood stood in mud and stagnant
water. High water marks showed
the flood had reached nearly to the