Evening star., 1924-09-29
CLEARING OF LENINCRAD RUINS
FROM FLOOD UNITES ALL CLASSES
authorities Handling of Situation Follo,cing CaIam.
ity Highly Praised by Diplomats; Loss
Estimates Still Difficult.

clear the street in front of his house
before clearing his own rooms. Every
provision shop Is ordered 10 remain
open until midnight and forbidden
under heavy penalties to raise prices
These orders are being strictly
obeyed as the correspondent can tes-
tify. 1t is intere sting to see prole-
tarians bourgeoisie, communists and
ancient aristocrats working side by
side with the eagerness of volun-
teers. pumping out baserne nts. col
lecting debris and generally cleaning
up the city.
Public order has been so good that
it was possible last night to end
martial law. The council of labor
and defense at Moscow is pouring
foodstuffs int nded for export into
the city.
Water supply Renewed.
Theaters have been so damaged that
they have closed for three weeks They
now are busy spreading scenery and
stage properties in the streets to dry
Everywhere one finds roadWays full of
sodden furniture. While the popula ton
Is; engaged in clearing the roadWays.
armies of men have been enrolled to re-
pair electric lines and replace bridges,
and as result of their work. almost
as if by magic, many bridges have been
many places is being renewed. The cor
respondents hotel Yesterday was with
out light water or telephone service
Today the water was turned on and
telephone service resumed. Lights are
expected shortly.
one result of the flooding was great
displacement of sewage. which now
makes Leningrad city of many odors.
Even now it is impossible to estimate,
save very roughly. the total extent of
the damage. Probably the worst dam
age will be the washing away of the
marShy foundations of houses, many of
which are threatened with collapse. Six
months ago 1000 blockhouses here were
marked as unsafe.
Renovation Ruined.
During the past year, the city
authorities have been gagged in the
titar ic task of renovating the city.
and repairing the havoc of years OF
revolutionary struggle. They relaid
the streets, making the Ncvski, which
until recently had been very bad, bet
ter than in pre-war days. They re-
shored threatened houses and relaid
the foundations All this work has
been swept away.
Many thousands of people are
homeless. their er tire possessions de-
stroyed. The city is finding them
rooms, but without further aid their
plight is pitiful
The port of Leningrad remains in
good working order. but the authori-
ties estimate the destruction of goods
in port at 100000 gold roubles. The
greatest loss may we'll be industrial.
owing to the damage to factories.
Lreningrad still remains one of Rus
siaS greatest manufacturing centers.
her factories employing over 100000
people. While full information is not
yet available, it is certain that many
of these factories have been partial
ly or wholly wrecked. adding con-
s1derably 10 the eity's previously
great unemployment problem.
Smaller disasters elsewhere have
drawn Americas liberal aid The
correspondent is not aware whether
such aid would he welcomed here, bui
its offer would be gracious act of
that International brotherhood which
forgets ancient controversies in the
antagonists hours of greatest need
Copyright, 1924, by the Chicago Daily News
Cob