Evening star., 1936-03-20
DANGER INCREASES.
IN NEW ENGLAND
Military Forces and Police
Guard Against Looting
in Large Cities.


clubs in the hands Of military forces
and police restrained threatened out
breaks of looting in three heavily pop
ulated cities today, while New Eng
lands flood conditions grew steadily
worse.
Flood waters of the Connecticut
River and other streams swept onward,
moving into new territory, causing
additional destruction of property and
threatening to increase the loss OF life.
New Englands flood toll of known
dead was at 81, of which 10 were
counted in the last two and a half
DAYS. Three others were reported
dead in Connecticut.
Thousands we're homeless. Damage
inflicted by the raging streams was
placed unoficially at $50. .000, 900. All
relief agencies, Federal and State, were
modified in the six States to care for
the victims.
Railroad and bus services were at a
virtual standstill.
Guard Against LOoting.
The armed forces on watch against
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Northampton and Lowell, Mass.
In Springfield, guardsmen, IL sailors
from the U. S. S. Tillman, rushed over
land from Boston with powerboats,
Joined the city police in watching the
water-filled streets.
Chief of Police John Maloney Or
dered every boat and canoe confis-
Gated. Maloney cited one case of loot
ing in Springfield and he was taking
every precaution to prevent more.
Whole sections of Lowell, on the
rapidly rising Merrimac River, were
vacated by alarmed residents. All
bridges there, many Of them under
water, were closed.
Manchester, Nashua and Concord,
N. H., eyed the Merrimac apprehen-
sively. So did the industrial cities Of
Haverhill and Lawrence, IN Massa-
chusetts.
Maine Has Problem.
In Maine a food problem was de-
veloping. Rumford was without lights
and power. The Androscoggin River
was at record height.
The Waterville- -Winslow Bridge,
chief entry to the former city, went out
before the churning Kennebec shortly
before midnight last night. Water
vile suffered from lack of power and
light.
The huge Wyman Dam, far up the
Kennebec, worried rivermen as water
piled up.
National Guardsmen were on duty
at Windsor, Brattleboro. Bennington
and Bellows Falls, VT. Washouts tied
up the Rutland Railroad.
The Passumpsic River stood at flood
level at st. Johnsbury. The northern
end of the town was marooned.
Headwaters of the Connecticut
reached an all-time high level.
Water reached the second stories Of
homes in Brattleboro Residents there
had only candlelight last night Be-
low Brattleboro the $1,oOo,OoO Vernon
Dam still held, sandbagged by Legion
naires and Guardsmen.
At Manchester, N. H., the Amos
keag Mill was sandbagged against logs
born by the churning Merrimack.
Nashua was without lights. Guards
men ordered all residents of the
streets at 9 o'clock last night. The
Merrimack was rising and approach
ing record mark established in 1887.
Candles Sell for so Cents.
Two-thirds of Concord was under
water. Candles were selling at so
cents apiece today at this State capi-
tai faced at least another night Of
darkness because Of flood conditions.
There was no electric power and no
gas. The population of $4,000 could
not get out of the city by road or rail.
Approximately 500 were homeless as
the Merrimack River reached an all
time high level.
reached an an-time high Of 44.20. No
relief was In sight.
State police rescued $50 persons
marooned in q Town Hall at Hatfield.
Northampton, to the south, was with
out power. The National Guard pa
trolled the streets.
The Connecticut reached 28.5 feet
at Springfield, with no indication Of
q decrease. Arthur T. Lyman, State
commissioner of correction, reported
163 men and women were transferred
from the Springfield Jail to other In
stitutions when water began seep-
ing in.
A legislative investigation Of flood
damage was ordered by the Massachu-
sets Legislature.
Announcing that ''it looks as though
replacement costs will run between
s12.000,000 and $15,000,000," Gov.
James M. Curley said he would ask
for a $4,000, 900 bond issue to be used
for reconstruction.