Evening star., 1936-10-28
RESCUE STRESSES
|. FLOOD CURB NEED
U. S. Hearing at Strasburg,
Va, Reveals Story of
Menace to Children.
BY LESTER N. INSKEEP.
2fo6

Stan Correspondent of The Star
STRASBURG, Va, October 2s.--Out
Of mass Of technical data concerning
flood control there emerged here yes
terday the heretofore unrecorded story
Of the rescue of more than 80 children
from school bus stranded In the mid
die Of swift mountain stream during
the high waters Of last March.
The story was revealed during a
hearing being conducted by Lieut..
w. j. Matteson, acting District Engi-
neer, and his assistants, into the ques-
ton Of flood control along the Shenan-
doah River, which. being a tributary
Of the Potomac River, is included in
the control survey of the Potomac
River basin required under an act of
the last Congress. Yesterdays hear
ing was the seventh conducted by the
United States Engineers Office.
Speaking for the owners of 1000
acres OF fertile farm lands along South
River. in Augusta County, o. C. Flory
said the waters Of this stream rose so
rapidly that a school bus became
stranded in the middle of the ordi-
narily shallow stream. When he ar.
rived, he said, all of the smaller chill
dren had been carried to shore by men
of the vicinity.
Rescued Just In Time.
The stream, however, had become so
swift and high that rescuers could no
longer keep their footing, so a team
was hitched to a high hay wagon and
the 80 remaining children were taken
to safety through water so swift the
horse upstream lost his footing three
times before reaching shore. Within
few minutes the water reached the
top Of the bus.
The condition of this stream, little
more than a small run during normal
weather. was the subject of a cry for
relief from those owning land border
ing it. Through years Of filling from
silt, rocks, timber lashings and brush
from untended banks, the engineers
were told, the bed of the stream has
reached normal level within 2 feet of
the banks.
Dredging Is Urged.
ANY ordinary rain floods our
farms,' Flory informed the Govern
ment officials. Our losses are annual
and not confined to floods that are
felt occasionally elsewhere.
Numerous other farmers Joined in
his plea for the dredging of the
stream and construction of levees at
the worst parts.
1t was suggested by Lieut.. Matte
son that the sufferers sponsor a State
law making it mandatory for all per-
sons owning land on such streams to
keep their banks cleared of under
brush and other rubbish.
G. G. Dickinson, Augusta County
agent, said the county suffered $780,
900 damages from the Shenandoah
River and $4,000 more from tribu-
taries during the last flood.
Waynesboro Figures Promised.
Appearing for Waynesboro, r. G.
Vass. city manager. said damage there
had been high. He promised to fur
nish definite figures. F. r. 10th, thea
ter manager of that city, told how
the food rose so swiftly it was neces-
sary to remove patrons after water
flowed into the building. which is 2
feet above street level. B. r. Shields,
manager Of the Du Pont rayon mills
in Waynesboro. said damage had been
great, but was not prepared to furnish
definite figures.
Herbert Trotter of Woodstock, man.
ager for the last 80 years of two hy-
droelectric plants, said the low-water
level was getting lower and the high
water level higher year by year Most
of this he blamed on deforestation,
declaring that the Federal Govern
ment Is now permitting timber to be
cut from the George Washington Ma
tional Forest. He urged that cutting
of all timber there be suspended for
q sufficient time to permit growth Of
enough vegetation to hold back food
waters.