Evening star., 1936-03-23

This village with the bucolic name
took about the hardest smash from
the Potomac last week Of any place
along the river. Eleven OF its build
ings were washed away. including
three stores, one of its packing plants
and seven dwellings Some Of the
houses went with all their furnishings.
which had been moved TO the upper
floors. in the expectation that the
lower rooms would be flooded.
The houses that are left will not be
habitable for some time. with two or
three inches OF mud on their noors.
But Sleepy Greek was waiting for the
flood and all the people we're out OF
the houses long before there was any
danger. The only exception. towns
people say, were Bryon Cross. the
village school teacher. with his wife
and baby. They only came there this
year from upstate end were con-
temptuous of the threat OF the river.
They STAYED until it was necessary 10
rescue them from an upstairs window
by boat.
When the water was about seven feet
deep in the streets, -four and meat
were carried by boat from one OF the
flooded grocery stores to the Lutheran
Church, where the townSpeople had
taken refuge.
Another little Potomac River town
in West Virginia is Cherry Run. 1t
used TO be connected with Maryland
by a railroad bridge. The bridge was
twisted by the flood like q stick of
molasses candy. Right on top of 1t
was deposited the dwelling OF Marshal
Starliper. railroad worker. who lost
everything. Starliper, like SO many
others in the flood area, had moved
everything to the second floor, conf
dent the waters would not go over the
building.
Wednesday night he realized his
home was doomed. In the darkness.
he rowed q boat out TO it and tried
TO chain it TO a tree. He couldn't see
what he was doing, the boat was rock
ing and tossing in the swift current.
and he was forced TO abandon his
home to the river
His little boy cried all night because
his pet rabbit and bantam rooster
were drowned. They had been put in
cages and taken TO the second floor.
At dsybreak, Starliper went looking
for his house. There 1t was, dumped
over on the railroad tracks, almost a
half mile from where it had been
lnnS from fc Hot
Both Pets Survive.
The rooster was sitting on top of 1t
and growing. Beside 1t was the rab-
bit. Today those two pets are all
Stsrliper has
Several other homes at Cherry Run
were lifted off their foundations. and
the furniture of score of families
was ruined. Every one. however, had
plenty of time to get out except John
w. Butts. bedridden for three years,
who lives with his wife and SOD Stan
ford just across the railroad tracks
from the river.
They didn't want to move Butts
unless 1t was absolutely necessary.
Finally. the water began flowing over
the front porch. They lifted the bed
on which he was lying helpless. but
1t was too big to go through the front
door. So Mrs. Butts, standing over
her ankles in water, made up a cot
on the porch while the sick man was
painfully transferred TO rocking
chair. BY the time they got him on
the bed on the porch. his three res
cuers and Mrs. Butts had to wade
over their knees in water to carry
their helpless burden TO the home of
o neighbor.
Most of the West Virginia towns along
the Potomac were hard hit-Great
Capacon. Magnolia, which lost nine
houses. and Paw Paw, site of large
tannery, but there was sufficient warn
ing so that the inha abitants got to
higher ground without necessity for
any thrilling rescues.
Highway Bridge Gone.
Yesterday Great Capacon. where the
Cacapon River empties into the Poto-
mas. could be reached only over
railroad bridge. The highway bridge