Evening star., 1933-08-24
AIR FIELD FORCES
WORK FRANT|CAL[Y
AGAINST WATERS
Personnel Seeking to Protect
Property From Expected
Floods.
ANAC0STIA Navy STATION
IS CHIEF SUFFERER
Other Plane Ports Report Dam
ages by Storm and
10 Rain.

With damage already running into
thousands Of dollars from the storm
and flood waters of last night, personnel
at the National Capitals aviation fields
today were working frantically to pro-
tect property and equipment against
further damage from the high water
expected this afternoon.
Anacostia Naval Air Station is the
chief sufferer, with every airplane on
the station damaged by immersion,
every building flooded and the heating
and electrical systems put cut of COM
mission. Supplies and equipment of
every description at the station were
damaged by waters, which rose to a
depth Of 6 feet or more in the hangers.
No estimate Of the total damage could
be made this morning, the station still
being under water
Boiling Field Suffers.
Boiling Field also suffered considera-
BILE damage, the waters of the Potomac
hoodlng completely across the wide fly
ing field and rising into more than
half the buildings on the post, with
resulting damage to airplanes and
equipment. All power lines at the field
were out today.
Washington Airport escaped with
nothing worse than a flooded field.
which began to dry sufficiently this
morning so that flying operations were
resumed at O'Clock, when an Eastern
Air Transport plane took of for New
York
The engines Of 80 airplanes at Ana
costa Naval Air Station were wholly
or partially submerged, as the waters
rose to a depth of about feet in all
the hangers between 9 and 10 o'clock
last night. This will necessitate inspec-
ton and possibly overhauling of every
alrplane and engine on the station. it
was indicated. The cost of overhauling
an aviation engine which has been sub
merged often runs to $50 or SIS, ex-
elusive OF the damage to the mag
neto
Every building on the station. includ-
ing the new barracks and Office build
ing. was flooded. some to the depth of
several feet. Equipment, stores and sup
plies Of all kinds were submerged. Feed
ing the personnel Of the station. ex-
hausted by q night Of heroic labors. /
came a serious problem, with ::
spoiled by water and kitchen equi
damaged
The flood is expected to expedite I,
moving Of Boiling Field, local Army
Air Corps post. to the new field now
being constructed on higher ground to
the south. Although the site of the
new field was high and dry, the present
field was completely under water, which
extended to the sentry gate at the
entrance to the field.
Autos Partly Submerged.
When the waters reached their crest
last night automobiles along the roads
In the quarters section of the post we're
partially submerged, water covering the
floors Of officers quarters, hangers, the
engineering department and Offices.
Officers and men worked under high
pressure as the water rose. mo9ing sup
plies and equipment to upper floors of
buildings on the post. The water
covered the landing gear of airplanes
IN the hangers and reached to the
fuselages Of some of the planes This
will necessitate several days Of hard
work. The wheels must be removed
from every airplane for inspection and
repair of brakes.
Records and files at the post were
submerged and were being separated
and dried today. Expensive machinery
in the engineering department was
damaged by immersion, and must be
overhauled.
Children of officers and men at the
field put on their bathing suits and
were swimming today in the flying field.
Others were catching fish stranded on
the post by the receding water.
Although air transport operations
were resumed this morning by Eastern
Air Transport along the Atlantic Coast,
bad weather to the west prevented
operation Of Pennsylvania Airlines
planes. Weather conditions around
Pittsburgh were described as being
similar to those In Washington yester-
DAY afternoon. with low ceilings, rain,
wind and fog. The bad. weather ex-
tended as far as McConnellsburg, Pa.
120 miles northwest of Washington.