The Bismarck tribune., 1929-03-16
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER
DESCRIBES ALABAMA FLOODS
Dodqes Death Twice as Two
Boats Sink After Rescu.
ing Persons
DEATH TOLL MAY REACH 100
Finds IS to 20 Feet Of Water
coursing Through Streets
Of Inundated E|ba

Montgomery, Ala, March l6.-(E1-
A graphic description Of the flood In
and about Elba was given by tele-
phone this morning by Kenneth A.
Miller, Associated Press correspond
ent, on assignment within the strick-
en- area. Miller's personal experiences
in covering his story" were fraught
with personal danger. The corre-
spondent was thrown from . boat and
hung in a tree top until rescued. He
waded four miles In water waist deep
and aided in the rescue Of many.
Miller said authorities were ct wide
variance as to the death toll. State
and county officers report no CASUAL
ties In Coffee county while refugees
contend the death list may reach 100.
Thus far, Miller said, no bodies had
been recovered.
The correspondent accompanied q
detachment Of Alabama national
guardsmen into the flooded area.
Il shall never forget my experience
Of the past three days." Miller said.
1.-THE assignment was one Of adven-
ture. fraught with danger, yet the
tasks had to be accomplished. People
were crying for food and water from
the house tops and the urge to reach
them cost many Of the members Of
rescue parties . wetting from boats
capsizing.
I'VE left Montgomery Wednesday
night about midnight and drove
steadily In big army motor trucks for
eight hours before we reached Troy,
50 miles to the south.
Lost Four Boats
I'VE lost four boats in attempting
to cross Big Creek after abandoning
our trucks. Our first rescue work was
among our own number although we
were successful in each instance.
I'VE reached Elba at noon Friday
after rescuing approximately q score
Of marooned persons along the way.
Arriving in the city proper, we found
from IS to 20 feet Of water coursing
through the principal streets.
During the four hours ending at
p. m, approximately $50 persons
were picked from house and tree tops
or we're removed from attics and up
per floors. In many places We found
from so to 90 persons huddled In
quarters that ordinarily would have
served 10.
Motor Boat Founders
"Our first attempt at rescue brought
disaster upon us. Our party was COM
| posed Of four national guard officers
and two civilians including myself
We had taken five negroes from tree
and were just about to land them
when our motor failed. At the mercy
| Of the current, the overloaded craft
spun around In the current like . tor
and We were steadily swept down
stream. We crashed into Q sub
merged tree trunk and our boat sank
My companions swan to safety, Ia.
cluding the negroes, while I grabbed
. branch Of the tree and hung On 9ol
an hour and . halt until . passing
boat picked me up.
"AS Ne criised about the floodet
streets In search Of the most pre-.
carioualy situated oG the refugees, N
saw hundreds Of men, women ant
children seated on housetops. In a.
most every instance where We 1oun(
. family On Z housetop they hAl
chickens and ptgs With them.
"As In every other catastrophe, thl
Elba food saw many children boen 4
one attic Wtere approximately tWl
do1en families huddlod
Leoe ConfooeGate vetoran
Zone plttful scene Mas at the reoi
dence of IN aged conlodocafo veter