Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17
Property Loss Unestimated,
but Will Be Many Millions
as Raging Rivers Wreak
Havoc Through Wide Area.
FOOD AND MEDICINE
HELD GREATEST NEED
10000 Are Homeless, Hundreds
Marooned' in Houses and in
Trees in Peril as Rescue Work
ers Tell Day and Night to Take
Thousands to Safety in Camps.


MONTGOMERY, Ala. March is.
unprecedented torrents which
ragged seaward between Alabama S
two water sheds tonight were a
handicap to the relief agencies
which concentrated their efforts
on aiding approximately 10000
persons affected by flood waters.
Rescue workers, however. had
taken thousands to safe ground
during the past "a hours.
While only 13 bodies had been
recovered, estimates here we're
that the fatalities would run into
the scores.
Property loss in buildings, live
stock, household goods, farm
implements and other materials
was so great that no effort was
made today to give an accurate
estimate, except that it was
millions"
The greatest immediate emergencies
tonight appeared to exist in the neigh
borhood of Geneva and Elba. in the
Choctawhatchee Chattahoochee water
she'd but many other towns in that
valley, as we'll as Brewton. Garland and
several other communities in the Ala
bama -Tombigbee Basin, likewise were
flooded and in great need Of food and
medical supplies.
Rescue Work Rushed.
Flood waters that engulfed several
southeastern Alabama towns tonight
had begun to subside and rescue work
apparently was nearing q successful
termination
Gov. Bibb Graves said tonight that he
believed S250,o0o was needed to main
tain the homeless until rehabilitation
could be effected.
The Little Coffee county seat of Elba,
shut of by the waters of the Pea River
and two creeks for the past two days,
was virtually deserted. Most of its
/ 1000 inhabitants had been removed to
Troy and Opp, neighboring towns, by
boat and automobile. Several hundred
remain in the town but are in no i'm
mediate danger.
Streets Waist Deep.
Lieut.. c. j. Hilliard of the Alabama
National Guard, engaged in rescue work
In the Elba area, reported to Gov.
Graves office tonight that on some OF
the streets men were wading in waist,
deep water The water yesterday and
early today had Tapped at rooftops and
driven the residents to scattered knolls
around the town. where they waited for
rescue.
~.-n,a a;,nnsl,, ~n,,tl, If Tlho ,.yo G
still flooded, but most of its inhabitants
were reported safe at Samson.
Brewton, in Escan1bia County, near
the Florida line, was not considered in
immediate danger. Adjt. Gen. F. Eu-
gene Butler said. but food is needed.
The town of approximately 5000 in
1abitants, located in the Conecuh River
Basin, was engulfed by the overf1owing
waters of Murder and Burnt Corn
creeks.
Food Needed at Flomat0n.
Information from the Guardsmen was
that food was the principal need at
Flomaton, another town in the lower
Alabama watershed. Airplanes had
dropped supplies believed sufficient for
q day or so and a carload Of provisions
was en- route from Mobile.
While direct communication had not
been established with Castleberry. Gar
land. Pollard, Keego. Pera and several
other towns partially submerged in the
basin, work was being directed to all
those places
Gov. Graves continued TO stress the
need for funds and clothing for the
refugees.
s1-Foot Stage Predicted.
xr,t.,1. 49,. ..;~o ,,-.- o~xora..1,, l,oIt;oc
in the southern, portion of the State
the Alabama River al Montgomery still
uas approaching q crest. The back
waters of the Alabama. Coosa ano
Tallapoosa Rivers tonight had driven
approximately 40o0 from their homes
in Montgomery County.
57-foot mark. the food stage, wa
predicted for the Alabama River al
Montgomery tonight.
Murder Creek Rising Again.
Water which last night covered mos
of Brewton on Murder and Burnt Corn
tributaries of the Alabama River, sub
sided somewhat today, but was expected
to food the town again during th'
night. as Murder Greek began second
rise.
Direction of relief and disease pre-
Vention was taken over at Montgomer.
today with Enterprise, Troy, Dothar
and the National Guard base at Gene
terry Hill designated as refuge and sup
ply concentration centers.
Gov Bibb Graves was in temporar'
command of II Army airplanes from
Maxwell Field, which flew over tn
food sections with food. serum ant
other supplies.
Returning aviators and news cor
respondents told of desperate situa
tions at Elba and Geneva, particularly
They said 100 automobiles were moVi1
toward the Elba region to take som
1000 refugees from Cemetery Hill OF
order of the governor. Sanitary condi
tions rapidly were becoming danger
Gus there and an outbreak of measle
among the REFUGEE children threatene'
TO spread.
Serum Is Administered.
state Health Department physician
working With National Gusrdsmen arr
CpI " Gavle and lncnI Red CrnS