The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-23
CONCENTRATE FLOOD
RELIEF WORK WITH
VINCENNES AS BASE
Ice Jam Continues Menace
to Hundreds of Homes;
Planes Drop Medicine,
Food to Sufferers.

| BIZ Times Special
VINCENNES, Jan. 23.-1n a des-
perate battle against time, working
under the menace of an ice jam
which. II loosened, might sweep away
hundreds of homes and cause I'M
told loss Of life, southern Indiana
and southeastern Illinois flood re-
lief workers today concentrated their
efforts here.
The entire relief operation for the
! hood-swept, ice-bound districts will
be centered in Vincennes,
The Red Gross has established an
emergency landing field here, in an
ticipation of the fact that the bulk
of relief work must be from the
air.
| A fourth relief station was estab-
lished this afternono a few miles
west of Vincennes and truckload
of food, clothing and medicine was
distributed to food sufferers by auto
and sleds.
Reports received from Decker said
sickness in that area was in
creasing and plans were being made
to rush additional medicinal sup
plies this afternoon.
Planes From Illinois
With two planes from 1ndianap-
oils operating out of here today in
relief efforts, additional planes are
expected within a few hours from
Illinois where Governor Louis L,
Emerson has acted to take part In
the relief.
Governor Emerson today notified
II. B. Williamson, national Red
Gross representative, that he had
issued an appeal for funds for the
Red Cross relief work and that the
| Illinois work also would be centered
at VincenneS.
At the same time, new attention
was called to the ice jam in the
Wabash river at Palestine, ILL.,, where
the gorge is growing hourly and
wall of water more than six feet
high is held behind the icy barrier.
A smaller gorge twelve miles up
river added to the peril, govern
ment engineers fearing a break in
this lam would cause the larger
blockade to turn loose.
Break of the jam would threaten
portions Of Vincennes and many
small towns downstream.
Taken From Homes
Fifteen families were taken from
their homes near Palestine in boats
Wednesday afternoon and this
morning. Physicians waded through
two feet of water to reach the
tuberculosis sanatorium on the
outskirts.
Consolidation Of all relief work by
Indiana and Illinois at Vincennes
was looked upon as the most eft1-
cient method Of insuring the ear
lest possible access to the isolated
families and communities.
During the afternoon an effort was
planned to reach Griffin, where
many marooned families are with
out food and fuel. Seventy-f1ve
families are marooned at Griffin
| and no news has been received
from thirty-five families.
Suffering Is Intense
With below zero weather prevail
ing, suffering was increasingly hour
ly. Many of the isolated families
have had no fuel for several days
and are huddled together for
warmth in one room of the houses
where they are cut of from the out
side world by the flood waters, COW
cred by a sheet of ice.
Developments of the last twenty
four hours have added to the tens
ity Of the situation. They are:
Pneumonia, influenza and small
pox are sweeping the flooded dis
tricts with physicians unable to
reach the sufferers.
A government plane, manned by
Lieutenants Lawrence Genaro and
Walter Peck, dropping food and
blankets to isolated communities.
was forced down at Orrville when a
blanket, unwrapped from its bundle,
became entangled In the plane tail
Wednesday afternoon. The plane
was able to take of from its forced
landing place.
II. B. Williamson, national Red
Cross representative, in statement
declared 2,265 families In the food
district of Indiana and Illinois were