Evening star., 1923-04-29

men helped the women and children
from their place of refuge. After
ward. the men and boys were taken
to "dry land" which was in about
half a foot Of water.
Sweeps Autos Away.
Over dn Anacostia the water rushed
down Stickfoot creek in the twinkling
of an eye. A wall Of water hit the auto
mobiles and houses. carrying almost
everything movable before il. It swept
through low-lying portion north of
Nichols avenue and isolated homes.
1t roared under foot bridges and
ripped them from their moorings. It
picked up automobiles like toys and
turned them topsy turvy with little
or no effort. Almost before dwellers
Of the vicinity knew what had struck
them the waters were rising higher
and higher, until every one was in
the upper stories of their homes.
watching waters raging past just
below the upper windows.
The Oxen Run food was like sew
eral others. but more widespread and
not so high. The water here did not
rise above ten feet. whereas fifteen
feet was the average at Sheridan
road. The waters backed INTO a sort
of hollow where thirty homes were
located. and to get TO nearby high
ground il was necessary for the resi-
dents to rush out into the waters and
wade or swim to neighbors' homes.
Oxen run. which is just below Con-
gress Heights. near Livingston ave-
nue.. overflowed. inundating thirty
homes. Lieut.. Yulee Hedges and nine
other policemen rushed to the scene
Houses were being buried up to the
first story by water Women were
screaming. Children were crying. Men
were trying to effect rescues.
Policeman c. c. Wise met a bride
and groom in an automobile just of
Livingston avenue. They were iso-
lated by the food. He waded in up
to his armpit, ordered the man from
the car and carried the woman-who.
he says. weighed about 23O pounds
to safety. He is authority for the
statement that one man tried until
the end to save poodle dog and
was forced to let the dog be carried
away by the flood in order to save
his own life by swimming
The names Of all those rescued
could not be learned. The policemen
on hand were Lieut.. Hodges. Wise, c.
P. Kew. Harry Hildrup. W. p. Piper.
Z. j. Stewart. J. B. Belt and Mounted
Policemen Lusby and Manning. The
last named two were marooned In
the flooded territory until their broth
er officers rescued them.
Orders Out Reserves.
Maj. Daniel Sullivan. Assistant
Chief Of Police Pratt and Inspector
w. :. Shelby made tour of the
neighborhood and ordered out re-
serves from the End, 4th. 5th. 9Th and
Sth precincts for duty at midnight.
each man to be equipped with two
lanterns to post warning signals on
impossible roads.
Lieut.. ]. L. Sprinkle of the eleventh
precinct was first in charge of the
detail at the scene of the Sheridan
road food. He was relieved bv Cant
Martin Reilly, and four fire engine
companies aided the reserves and
regulars from the eleventh precinct
who were fighting to stave off
wreckage and to open the mouth of
the eight-foot sewer just below
NICHOLS avenue, which had become
jammed with debris.
Lumber Jams Sewer.
The cause of the backing I'D OF
the waters and the flood is believed
to have been a pile Of lumber placed
near the mouth Of the sewer. which
empties into the Eastern Branch.
This lumber was swept up and into
the mouth of the sewer, and the mis-
cellaneous debris sweeping down
later rushed in. completely jamming
the mouth of the sewer. The sewer
takes care of the drainage Of approxi-
hills above Congress Heights in the
District Of Columbia and Maryland
Ffremen descended from the top Of
the Nichols avenue culvert to the
them, and waded and swan in the
water in an effort to clear the mouth
Of the culvert and the mouth of the
sewer. 1t is believed possible that
the body Of Tibbs may be held be
meath the debris, although the opin-
ion also was held that 1t had been
swept down the sewer and into the
Eastern branch.
Chief Watson gave orders to the
firemen to continue at work until
absolutely convinced that the body
was not in the debris.
A row boai was sent to the Sheri-
dan road scene on a truck from the
naval air station but it was not used.
The call which brought the boat up
had been delayed for some time and
the difficulty which the sailors en-
countered in bringing it to the scene
resulted In its arrival too late to be
of actual service.
Scenes around the Livingston ave-
nue. territory were pathetic. One po-
liceman reported a mother with
infant fighting vail
antly to wade through the flood when
she was reached by the rescue party.
watch the work of the policemen and
ffremen. Crowds jammed Sheridan
road. Thick yellow mud, gradually
increasing In depth from two and
roadbed. For hours after the rains
Stickfoot creek ragged and roared with
its huge volume of water sweeping
into the culvert and sewer at a ter
rifle gait. Confusion was everywhere
except Wnero the nremen were work.
ing, calmly and systematically TAX
ing the debris. section by section, in
the search.
Cars Stick in Mud.
Minnesota avenue northeast, Just
before it turns into Sheriff road, was
badly flooded. making. all travel
across 1t last night impossible. Sew
eral machines were crossing it at
the time, and were badly mired in
the mud. The occupants nearest to
the shallower part were able with