The Redwood gazette., 1936-03-26
Former Redwood Residents
Tell of Pittsburgh Flood

"A picture O1 lie akin 10 lIldI
of the pioneer days, without cleo
tricity, with drinking water at a
no modern means of
transportation and menu planning
whatever is obtainable
in the line of groceries was vivid
ly portrayed in the first letters to
be received here from residents
of Pittsburgh since the city was
by flood waters.
L. P. Adkins, husband of the
former Zelma Thune, was mar
ooned in the second floor of his
building, the Pan-American Paint
and Paper company, from 2 a. m.
until $50 a. m. March II while
the waters filled the first story
and basement, completely cover
ing his car parked outside. He
mad stayed at work in the evening,
moving all the stock from the
first floor to the second and was
unable to leave the place until
he obtained boat in the morning
after trying for seven and half
hours. AS the telephone was on
the first floor, he was unable to
communicate with Mrs. Adkins
until he reached a hotel out of
the flood district at 1880 a. m.
Mrs. Adkins wrote her mother
and sisters here that she rushed
cut to buy groceries after hear
ing from her husband and learned
at the store that water was to be
turned off in Mount Lebanon, the
suburb where she lives. Return
ing home she filled every avail
able tub, but the water was turn
ed off before she had run all she
wanted. The Adkins are without
electricity, but were fortunate in
having a dozen candles on hand.
They have been boiling water and
milk since the beginning of the
flood, which raised the river 46
feet.
Mrs. Roger Shumate (Dessy-
more Whiting) and her husband,
a professor at the University of
Pittsburgh are having difficulty
in obtaining certain types of food,
she informed her parents, Mr..
and Mrs. C. H. Whiting of Red
wood Falls. They have no cleo
tricity, but fuel is plentiful and
they are out of the flood district.
Mr.. Shumate, however, will en-
joy vacation for another week as
no classes are being held.
How rivermen took advantage
of the flood waters and the unfOr-
tunate families marooned in their
water-surrounded homes by charg-
ing exorbitant prices for rescuing
them was related in letters re-
ceived Tuesday from Mrs. Adkins.
The boatmen continued this prac-
tice until police commandeered
all available boats, she said.
During the height of the flood
telegraph and telephone services
were used for emergencies only
and phone calls could be received
at her home but none could be
made from there. The shelves of
grocery stores in her neignbor-
mood were nearly depleted from
the heavy run by persons fearing
food scarcity. Only cereals and
soap remained in large quantities.
After the water had been turned
off, Mrs. Adkins related, it was
delivered by water wagons, while
dirty snow was boiled over and
over for use as dish water. When
a rumor circulated that the gas
would be turned off she cooked
most of the food on hand but the
report proved to be false.
Mrs. Adkins recounted how the
night the overflowing Monongahela
and Allegheny rivers inundated
the business district her husband
and an assistant left their office
building about 10:3O to get cup
of coffee. They had. walked only
a short distance when they OBJ
served a wall of water rushing
down the street toward them.
They dashed back to their build
ing and bolstered the door against
the pounding waters.
All street level floors of stores
were flooded and the stock and
equipment ruined, the letter said,
while theatres were flooded as
high as their balconies. No one
was allowed into the devastated
district without pass.