Evening star., 1936-03-19

%kAak VIVA
Star STAFF Photo from American
lives, and surged down on dozens Of
other West Virginia and Ohio cities
today.
Two others were drowned at Wells
burg, upstream from Wheeling, and
panicky survivors, stranded high in
their homes, screamed for help
throughout the night.
Wellsburg was cut of from the
world as the flood stage reached IS
feet early this afternoon. Police Chief
Arthur said he knew OF three drowned.
Hundreds were marooned in Wheel
ing homes and business places as the
food waters, their devastating inva-
sion of the Pittsburgh area accom-
plished, moved in.
The food struck hardest at Wheel
ing Island-in the middle of the
Ohio River-and police and volunteer
rescuers rode q feet Of some so boats
to help the stranded inhabitants TO
highlands.
Many people were aided from Sec
ond-story windows.
Nine Die Fleeing Flood.
Police Lieut.. j. z. Stanley told the
Associated Press evacuation work went
on rapidly over night but that nine
people drowned attempting to escape
the flood. Four others were killed
in an explosion in a house.
w. H. Yenke, a reporter for the
Wheeling News, over the telephone
described scenes Of desolation and
terror.
Wheeling Island is community Of
about 1000 and constitutes the seventh
ward Of the City Of Wheeling.
The food waters poured through
the lowlands south side to a depth of
ID feet and surged through the down.
town area, carrying debris Of the
tremendous floods that spread death
and destruction in Pennsylvania.
More than hundred homes were
surrounded by water.
The Windsor Hotel, one of the city's
biggest, was engulfed, with the food
covering its first floor. The waters
surged into main floors of stores and
ofices and filled them to their CELL
ings.
Many inhabitants, forewarned, were
safely in the hills.
All Schools Closed.
AL schools were closed. Transporta-
ton was demoralized, communication
difficult.
Wheeling still had the beneht OF
lights. but gas service was gone.
Yenke related:
Police squads and volunteers patrolled
the flooded streets where the currents
permitted, in rowboats and motor boats
trying to aid persons trapped in their
homes and to deliver food and clothing
The Ohio ran through the main
street of Wellsburg and continued to
rise at about 4 inches an hour.
Hundreds of residents In the lowest
sections watched anxiously from upper
windows or roofs for rescuers. Some
shrieked for aid.
The swiftness Of the stream stopped
the men who had piled the waters all
night, taking stranded residents from
homes to high ground.
Telephone operators marooned high
in bank building refused to try to
put through any calls except for dire
emergency after 8 am.
Miss Helen Kemp, surveying the
scene from a boat and then from the
high vantage point OF her residence,
declared every school and public build
ing was crowded with persons forced
from their homes.
II don't think any one has been
killed since the two men who drowned
last night"
She referred to Elmer Leonard and
Q man called Deneen, both of whom
perished when Deneen stepped from
the second floor window of his home
into Leonard's rescue skiff.
Refugees in public buildings were
furnished food by boats moving eau
tiously from the nearby hills.
The Ohio surged up to foot
depths around houses in the low sec
tion Of Point Pleasant, boat building
town OF $500, hours after residents
evacuated.
Temporary Quarters Set Up.
Preparing since Monday for a rec.
ord flood, 200 refugees opened quar-
tiers at the National Guard encamp.
ment near the town, others took up
quarters in fraternal halls; furniture
was stored ip the city hall, filling the
corridors.
Mayor James Couch declared a
state Of emergency. He told the Dis
aster Relief Committee to confiscate
boats, trucks or other needed equip
ment.
Parkersburg, city of 10000 in
habitants, braced itself for the crest.
The waters already had entered
parts OF the town and, with 800 per-
sons moved to an abandoned hospital
building and transient camp, work
ers rushed to get others out of the
more dangerous areas.
The Camden Clark Memorial Hos
pital, With about 10 patients, learned
its heating plant would be under
water and made . distress call for
electric heaters.
At Moundsville, Warden c. =. Nc
Clintic said the more than 2,o00 pris-
oners in the State penitentiary were
"in no danger"
The West Virginia dead:
In Wellsburg:
Elmer leonard, . glass worker, who
tried to take . man called "Deneen'
from Q second-story window, and De-
neen. Leonardis boat capsized when
Deneen stepped into 1t.
In Wheeling:
Buddy Harris. az, fell into flooded