Evening star., 1936-03-20

crashing over Chain Bridge late yes
terday afternoon the river stood ass
feet above mean low, or 2 feet higher
than in 1889.
In the tidal section abreast of Wash
ington, however, the level was foot
under the 1889 high mark during the
crest stage between 6 and O'Clock last
night.
Weather Bureau experts attributed
this apparent discrepancy to the wind
and tide in the Washington area.
Higher at Harpers Ferry.
At Harpers Ferry, W. Va, the river
rose to 36.6 during the present flooc
and in 1889 it rose to So feet. The
river was falling rapidly at Harpers
Ferry this morning
Observers here said the Potomac
would fan more rapidly daily unless
unforeseen conditions develop. 1t had
dropped feet from the crest stage at
10 o'clock this morning.
The Key Bridge figures are COM
parable to those obtained on a guage
at the old Acqueduct Bridge during
1889. The old bridge was located a
short distance upstream from the
present bridge.
w. ]. Yarnoff, engineer in the
United States Engineer Office, pre-
dicted on the basis of data available
at 10 o'clock today that under present
weather conditions it would be about
48 hours before the Potomac River
returns to normal.
At Great Falls there was a drop of
feet overnight. The peak of the
flood there was reached at l pm.
yesterday with a reading of 10 feet,
and lasted for two hours. The 10 m.
reading today was feet. At Chain
Bridge the gauges Of the United States
Engineer Office showed the peak was
reached at pm. yesterday and con-
tinued for two hours at 449 feet. The
10 am. reading today was 36.8 feet.
At Key Bridge the peak of the flood
was reached at pm. yesterday, when
18.5 feet was recorded, and this con-
dition lasted for two hours. At 8
O'Clock this morning-the latest figure
available at 10 o'clock today-the
waters registered 14.4 feet.
The United States Engineer Office
data showed that the main body of
the flood rode into Great Falls at
! pm. and passed out through the
Arlington Memorial Bridge span at
IL pm. yesterday.
Train service between WashingtC<.
and the Middle West was continuing
today on the same irregular basis that
has characterized operations since the
flood hit. with the Pennsylvania and
Baltimore & Ohio detouring over other
lines in skirting the affected area,
the Southern. Norfolk g. Western and
Chesapeake & Ohio furnishing out
lets.
Several trains due here today were
Cancelled.
Refugees View Scene.
Early today groups of riverside resi-
dents, who had lost all they owned,
warmed their hands over bonfires on
the ridge separating the Chesapeake
& Ohio Canal from the river.
The ridge was piled high with ca
noes, furniture and clothes. At one
point on the road which skirts the
canal q cottage was thrown against a
lamppost. 1t was estimated that 35
cottages were either swept away or
smashed to bits.
Meanwhile, K street merchants in
Georgetown, just east of Key Bridge,
estimated their losses at thousands as
they waited for the Potomac to get
back into its channel after spilling 6
feet deep into the street, lined with a
paper mill, feed and grain wholesale
and general industrial plants.
The tender of Highway Bridge re-
ported the water was still running
swiftly and with great force. but it
had slowed appreciably, he said, when
compared with the l5-mile-per- hour
currents Of yesterday, fed by the fall
ing flood stages farther up the Poto-
mac and Shenandoah.
At the Virginia end of the bridge,
Washington Airport still was one vast
lake, with water from l foot to feet
deep all over 1t. Local commercial
lines continued emergency operation
out Of Logan Field, Baltimore, as the
muddy water spilled slowly back into
the Potomac under the Pennsylvania
Railroad spur running behind the
Eastern Air hangar. The ebbing tide
was expected to drain the field by to.
night as the Potomac itself shrinks
back within its banks.
Throughout the night IL men, lack
ing heat and light, although well sup
piled with food, stayed in the admin
istration building Of the airport. At
about 2 am. three Of them sought to
reach Washington In a rowboat. The
craft upset. Two Of them swan to
safety. but Lloyd Penrose, an airport
radio operator, clung to the boat and
was rushed to Emergency Hospital
when he finally was picked ups
The food picture this morning
showed: @T
Georgetown, east of Key Bridge
X street passsble In spots. although