Evening star., 1935-01-27
Continued From First Page.)

life and hope to thousands of natives
driven from their homes, were humans
white and colored, old and young,
living with their dogs. mules, hogs and
cows battling with cold and hunger
and patiently awaiting relief.
The right of way was strewn with
animals frozen to death, and with box
cars in which families huddled. On
any spot above the water humans
were congregated. The thud of motor
boats flowing through the backwater
could be heard as the courageous
boatmen brought out stranded fam
lilies or took in food to those who re-
fused to leave their shanties.
Find Bodies in Houses.
Boatmen left the bodies they found
in houses.
1--WE were after live folks" they
said. 1--WE couldn't take time to bring
out bodies"
Each town reported some deaths,
but an accurate count of the dead
may never be made.
One boatman saw bodies Of three
colored persons in house on a float
ing bed where they had frozen; an
other say the body of a dead colored
man on the porch Of a shack; an
other told of a colored man and woman
drowning from the upset Of a stable
feed trough in which they were try
ing to float out.
A few deaths Of white persons were
reported. but the heaviest toll was
among the colored. Today the Red
Cross, under the direction of George
E. Myer, assistant director Of disaster,
from Washington. had arranged to
feed, clothe and house thousands of
families driven to concentration CEN
ters.
Plans were being made to feed the
live stock found on railroad embank-
ments, but Myer estimated that rs
per cent of the live stock in the area
had perished.
Cold Frightens Natives,
Before help came, the rescuers told
narrowing tales Of suffering and fright
of the natives. These basin dwellers
had been accustomed to high water,
but they had not been accustomed to
snow, ice and freezing weather. They
had all of these combined and for
this reason this flood produced more
hardShips than any other.
The water caught the natives un-
prepared. 1t rose up around their
homes within a few hours and without
warming. 1t caught them without
boats and without sufficient food and
fuel.
Boatmen told Of women and little
children standing on their porches In
foot of water begging to be taken
aboard. The boatmen worked rapidly
and courageously and did heroic work
IN the dead of night and in ice-cov-
cred water.
After they had been brought to high
the refugees took their stu
alton philosophically.
Colored Man Is Hero.
John Little, colored, probably was
,he hero OF the flood. He may lose
some fingers from frostbite, but he
would do the same thing again.
When the water hit Crenshav.
here were no boats and many fami-
les faced drowning. John heard there
vas big boat three miles away. He
,ook the little pirogue and in the
lead Of night and at freezing tenn
oerature rowed through the icy waters.
aug the cars out of the ice with his
lnserS ana rowed the boat back to
Crenshaw, where white men used it
% bring out 100 people.
But Little's hands were frozen and
ms clothes had to be cut from his
BODY, the flesh of his arms cracked
and his finger tips may drop of. He
S being given the best of care and is
people.
At Sledge, Thomas Allison, a store
Keeper, threw the doors of his store
open and invited any hungry person
70 come in and help himself. A
thousand families Of refugees were re.
ported In this area. The water was
railing today, but it was still / to 3
feet deep in the streets.
The water missed Crenshaw proper
put the thickly settled rural section
70 the west was drowned out.
Hog Rides Log.
Rescuers told stories of animals
saving themselves in most peculiar
ways. A big fat hog rode a log for
miles before 1t struck high ground
Two little dogs were seen floating on
raft. Chickens perched on house,
IopS and on top Of automobiles.
Horses, mules and COWS swan to
Safety, but many Of them, exhausted
and starved. died of cold after thew
had reached high ground.
woman nurses, full Of pluck and
daring, moved through the zone of
aandcars and boats with their kits.
lighting against the spread of disease
and caring for the sick and exposed.
The most pathetic cases were those
of children. Many q little boy and
girl was brought in nearly frozen To
1eath. They literally had to be
shawed out.
In two more weeks, 1t Is estimated.
bout all Of the families will be re-
tored to their homes and they will
70 forward with Spring planting with
he full expectation that the water
will come again next year. They are
ured to this country by the fertility
Il the soil. comparable to the Nile,
nd they are willing to take chances
With the high water. Each time the
Ugh water comes and recedes the
and becomes richer for cotton and
orn. The residents hope some Gay
he Government will run the water