Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-12-03
Billy Carter, Camp Worker,
Is Drowned Wading Cub
Run in Dark.
RIVER COTTAGES NEAR
CAPITAL INUNDATED
Crops, Roads and Bridges Dam
aged in State, as Potomac Reaches
Crest Here This Morning.

One death and widespread damage
to crops, roads and bridges was
counted along Virginia streams today
in the wake Of flood which passed
Washington at peak stage tbs morn
ing during ebb tide without working
any appreciate hardship on property
owners along the local Potomac water
front.
A few cottages low on the river
were flooded, but the water remained
within the seawalls about Washington.
Rapid falls have begun in the Po-
tOmac and its tributaries. the local
Weather Bureau reported today. The
crest passed Harpers Ferry, w. Va"
the bureaus summary said, about
o'clock last night, and reached Syca-
more Island, Md, at 6 o'clock this
morning
The peak reached Washington
about the time of low tide this morn
ing, which reduced its height mate
rally. At the time of the next high
tide. 4:29 this pm. the freshet will
have fallen considerably and the
stage will be lower than it was this
morning"
5 Feet Z Inches Above Normal.
The water was feet inches above
normal at Key Bridge this noon, hav-
ing fallen inches. At high tide
this afternoon it is not expected to
get this high again.
Along the Shenandoah, the city Of
HarriSonburg apparently had suffered
the largest damage. 1t will cost ap-
proximately $4,000 to repair a 300
foot section of the hydroelectric dam
across the river at Three Springs,
which was washed away Saturday
Flood water also washed out the
underpinning of the Chesapeake
Western Railway bridge at Elkton.
but repair crews worked all night and
normal service was resumed today.
Flooded roadways in the area also
were leopened to traffic.
Heavy damage was done to shocked
corn in the Shenandoah Valley when
the river overlooked lowlands, washing
| out a number Of secondary roads and
| damaging bridges before the overflow
| receded yesterday
The highest water since 1924 was
reported from this area, although the
flood did not reach the proportions
of the one experienced there in May
of that year.
Overflow at Riverton.
The south fork of the river over
flowed its banks at Riverton yester-
day. flooding acres of bottom land
and carrying tons of corn and fod-
der downstream. The flood in
meadows reached a depth of 10 feet.
and depth of feet of water across
the highway at the western approach
to the river bridge caused suspension
Of traffic for 4 hours until 2 O'Clock
this afternoon.
The crest of the flood was at II
o'clock yesterday morning, when the
water was "a feet above low-water
level, the highest for 10 years. z. j.
Compton, official weather observer
Tor the United States Government at
Riverton. reported a rainfall of 3.3s
inches during S days, with 2.2l
inches on Friday night. Today's
| flood was the highest since 1924.
The fatality was reported from
shenandoah, Va, where the BODY of
BUY Carter. 81. Lynchburg resident
and Civilian Conservation Corps
member, was found in fiood-swept
CUP Run. Campmates reported he
nao tried to wade the flooded stream
in the darkness.
AT Columbia, where the James River
reached It's crest at II am. yesterday,
TWO men were rescued from the waters
Y. r. Pickett was marooned in his au-
tomoblle on the Cumberland side of
the stream Saturday night and Robert
Berry attempted to take him a rope
on horseback. The animal stepped into
deep water and Berry was carried 700
yards to half-submerged tree. Both
men were rescued by James Boggs.
who braved the current in light skiff.
Rising at Richmond.
At Richmond the flood stage was
steadily rising last night. with 10 feet
expected early today. The Chesapeake
q Ohio Railroad announced it had
suspended service on its James River
division as far west as Gladstone.
In the Shenandoah Valley the north
branch of the Shenandoah reached
its highest level since the Spring fresh
cts of 1924. Thousands of acres of
farm land were inundated between
New Market and Shenandoah, while
an 18-foot stage was recorded at Stras-
burg early Sunday morning. Crops
were damaged. Bridges we're out on a
number of secondary roads.
The James River crest at Columbia
yesterday was 3l7 feet, the highest
since April, 1886, when it reached 80.
The river was at the 17-foot mark at
Richmond tonight and still rising.