Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-11-26
Is STATES SUFFER
FROM 1927 FLOODS
Huge Losses Turn National
Attention to Need of Con-
troll Program.

An area larger than the combined
states of Massachusetts, New Jersey.
Delaware and Rhode Island has been
under water in the floods of 1927.
From the borders of Iowa to the
deltaG of Louisiana and all across
New England rivers and streams left
their banks. causing damage and put
ting residents of the lowlands to flight
in parts of Is States, taking a toll of
millions of dollars, bringing death to
457 persons and startling the Nation
into contemplation of a comprehen.
sive program for the control of flood
waters.
100000 Refugees Cared For.
In the Mississippi Valley and in
New England. the two major centerS
of disaster, the American Red Cross
has cared for upward of 600 900 refu-
gees. outside of those who sustained
themselves in relief camps, and of
this number 10000 are still dependent
upon the Red Cross for sustenance in
Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi
five months after the receding of the
waters.
OF the 81 900 square miles of land
flooded by the swelling of rivers and
the breaking of levees, 1000 square
miles was in New England and the
rest in the Mississippi Valley. Ken
lucky, Tennessee. Arkansas. Missouri,
Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, Mississippi
and Louisiana felt the deluee in the
latter region. Vermont. Massachu-
sets, New Hampshire, Connecticut
and parts of Maine and Rhode Island
were affected by the New England
flood. which came in November. five
months after the Central and South
prp floods had nacco6 their
Slow Rise Saved Lives.
The Mississippi Valley floods began
in the last two weeks of 1926 and lasted
well into June of 1927. Torrential
rains sWelled streams until every eff
fort to keep them in their banks was
futile, but in most cases the rivers
rose slowly, making evacuation pos
sible on a scale which greatly reduced
loss of life.
AS the head of water moved down
the Mississippi from the Ohio and Mis-
souri, rivers and tributaries, thou
stands Of men in scores of localities
bulWarked natural or artificial bar
riers to hold back the deluge. At La
COMA, Ark; at Beardstown, ILL.,, and
in many another community these eff
forts are epic, even though they failed
in the end to stem the tide.
Louisiana bore the brunt Of the
Mississippi flood and territory was
inundated that had not been under
water for 40 years So great was the
menace of the flood to the city of New
Orleans that an artificial crevasse
was made to relieve the pressure.
Christmas of 1926 in Nashville, Tenn.
found more than 20 blocks under
water. Arkansas City. Ark, was
deluged thrice in Spring and Summer.
Heavy Toll i'm New England.
In New England no more damaging
lnundation ever was felt. The death
toll in Vermont and adjacent States
was 212. almost as great as the list of
245 dead in the Mississippi Valley
hoods, and property damage was
assessed at upward of $4,000, 900.
Three State capitals were flooded
MONTPELIER, VT; Concord ~ H., and
Hartford, Conn. The little Winooski
River of Vermont became a torrent
overnight, and the dead in it's valley
alone We're counted at Is.
Los OF live stock in both regions
mounted to thousands of head. In.
tangible losses, due to consequent
stagnation of business, added to the
total. and in the Central South and
the Middle West at least 5000 square
miles of farm lands were so washed by
Hood waters that they could not be
titled in the Summer.
The Red Cross received for Mis-.
slsslppl Valley relief more than
S17,000,000, of which it had expended
In late October some S15,500,OOO AL.
though it was called upon for less
assistance in New England, if appro-
prlated 5000 for immediate relief
there, received $4,000 in voluntary
contributions and found it's relief
work supplemented by the Vermont
and Massachusetts societies of New
York, which sent S65. 900 and $50. 900
respectively, into their own States.