The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-03-24
ia DEAD, lis MISSING RESURVEY
OF FLOOD LOSS SHOWS WHILE
2 BILLION DAMAGE ESTIMATED
Ohio Valley People Are
Taking up The Task of
Rehabilitation
Bv UNITED PRESS

Rivers that for 16 days Surgcd
wildly over parts Of 16 states eX-
hausted their force in the lower
reaches today but their recession
uncovered for first time the full
extent Of the damage, seldom
equallcd in American disasters.
Officials obtained from coron-
ers death list of TIA. At least
115 more were missing. Some in
dustrialists placed property DAM
age as high as $2,000,000,000.
Meanwhile congressman from
ID flood states demanded in
Washington Monday night APP
pointment of a joint COMPRESSION
al committee to recommend per
manent flood control measures.
Wide support was promised to
them, as the devastated areas
started rehabilitation.
The force Of the Ohio river
flood appeared to be spent, al
though water WAS rising to its
crest near Cincinnati. Parts of
the lowland section of Cincinnati
were under water, but the rich
downtown section was in no dam
ger, it was said.
Federal, state and private mon
ey poured into the Ohio valley to
aid the stricken towns.
A state of emergency still eX-
listed in Maine, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, and Connecticut,
New England's property damage
stood at $200,000,000 and there
were 100000 temporarily home
less.
Thousands of residents of the
great Ohio valley, along the 300
mile stretch from Cincinnati to
Pittsburgh, prepared tonight for
an era Of reconstruction rs the
muddy Ohio, its force spent, rose
slowly to its crest in the Cincin-
natl area.
The roaring stream, which left
the upper Ohio valley desolate
and killed more than score in
the Wheeling, w. Va, district,
crept almost lamb-like into the
lower valley.
While 10000 relief workers
modified at Cincinnati to handle
emergency duties on the Ohio and
Kentucky shores, families in the
Wheeling, Marietta, O., and Hunt
ington districts started the task
Of cleaning and repairing their
houses. Hundreds of flood refu-
gees, however, remained quarter
ed in public buildings or in
churches and school houses, their
own homes swept away or dam
aged beyond repair.
Relief and rehabilitation ma
chinery was geared at high speed
today as mud-logged cities and
towns emerged from the most dis
astrous flood in New England his
tory.
A state of emergency still ex-
listed in Massachusetts, Connectl-
cut, Maine and New Hampshire
as federal, state, municipal and
private relief agencies joined IN
the gigantic task of restoring
homes, jobs, factories and trans
porta t on, communication and
power facilities.
Swift and drastic precautionary
measures adopted by health au-
thorities in this section allayed
fears of disease outbreaks.
Meanwhile, waters of virtually
all rivers had receded, many to
near-normal level.
The picture of desolation left
by the flood was overwhelming.
The list of known dead stood
at 81. Property losses we're eStl-
mated at more than $2OO,OOO,-
600.
1t was impossible to determine
Immediately the number of dwell
lings destroyed completely.
In Maine alone 81 bridges were
washed away.
Officials estimated it would re-
quire from eight months to q
year-and more in some sections
to complete rehabilitation.