Evening star., 1927-04-20
TOWN rs INUNDATED.
Heavy Toll Feared in Clarendon as
Tevee Breaks.

MEMPHIS, April 20.-The persist
ant pressure of the Mississippi noods
broke through two more leyees today
ana an Indication that there VIII De
NJ early slackening of the floods was
seen in the Weather Bureau forecase
for rain or showers generally IN Ine
States affected.
Near North Little Rock break IN
fhe Arkansas River levee Hooded the
town OF Levy and let loose a MOOD
af water to sweep down on NorIn
Titfle Rock. At Clarendon, another
Arkansas town, the White River levee
gave way suddenly, and reports We're
received that numbers of persons hao
been caught in their homes
Wafer roared through Clarendon, a
town OF Z. 500 inhabitants, with roar
that could be heard above the screams
s,f women and children, and early re-
,,o,-ts said river craft were literally
er1aShed to pieces against buildings.
Fears were expressed that lives nad
been lost, due to the suddenness OF
fhe break. The water was said to be
10 to IA feet deep in parts OF
Clarendon.
Wall 8 Feet High.
The wall of water that started to.
ward North Little Rock was described
as 8 feet high, and as it swept over
Levy rescuers got to work in boats
getting out inhabitants who failed to
heed the warning shrek of locomotive
whistles. -,
More than three inches of rain fell
at Little Rock in three hours this
morning and there was another heavy
1Istff Y-
pressed that Ieyees in that part of the
State would go out and citizens
committee began telephoning warn
fngs to residents as far south as
Dumas to evaeuate their homes at
once. The gravest danger was said
to lie at Warner, where the leyee al
ready has been weakened. A break
there would flood most of Lincoln ana
Desha Counties. At least a third OF
Pine Bluff was under water today,
and fiye schools were closed. A gaso-
line shortage was feared due to cur
tailed railroad and highway service.
Miss Rosa Gibson, telephone opera
for at Clarendon, told the Associated
Press over the telephone today that
the water rushed through the town at
a. rate Of 40 miles an hour during the
first few hours after the break and
that if any persons were IN numerous
houses in the poorer sections or the
city the force Of water would make
rescue impossible.
Houses Under Water.
From a window in the telephone
6fica she saw houses, animals and
river craft being washed down the
main business section of the town, she
said.
"Dozens of houses are completely
kovered by water and every business
building in town is in water up 70 Inc
ceiling she said. Hundreds OF per
sons are marooned on Toms hun,
httle mound about a mile from toWn
without food, and some OF them al
most without clothing. The raging
waters struck the town during the
.aTIv morning hours, and while al
citizens within reach Of the telephone
had been warned by us at o'ciocF
Yesterday afternoon, we do not know
whether all houses We're vacated.
s"The waters are not rushing as fas'
as they wer.5 early today, but they
are rising,"f the telephone girl said
She said she was working on the sec
pnd floor Of a building surrounded b.
z feet of water.
The break in the IeVee protecting
She town followed the smashing o
announcer 1GFG0 AtCGA NSNAA o. &Ch AASNA
before,
While telephone officials heard o
no loss OF life. there We're report
that dozens OF negroes and whites Il
The poorer sections of the town hai
not escaped. because they were unabl
10 leave their homes, or they believe
she levee would hold. Cries an
screams were heard from those sec
tions Of the town.
Rail Communication OF.
The levee broke at Clarendon an
cut off the last rail communication bt
tween Memphis and Little Rock.
Thousands Of men and mules wer
put TO work on levees between Ne'
Madrid, Mo-, and Helena, Ark, wher
floods of the Nj asissippi, st. Franci
snd Little Rivers are expected to foo
thousands of acres as a result of tn
break in the st. Johns Bayou leye
above New Madrid yesterday.
Reports received at the Unite
IC0ntinUsd on Page Q, Column ~