The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-18

pended service when the wa
tiers invaded it's floors. The
aters made no attempts to
open.
Two dangerous fires were brought
under control but firemen feared
further blazes. Fire MIGRANTS were
under water and fire-fighting almost
impossible. Six persons were not
accounted for after fire at the
Metzger Boat Works.
The Weather Bureau said today
that floods here would reach their
crest between and 4 this afternoon.
The river stage was at 43 feet, eight
inches at 1890 p. m. and the fore
caster predicted it would reach the
45-foot mark.
Newspaper Plants Flooded
The river was rising at rate of
from to inches an hour. The
highest previous mark was 81 feet.
Normally the stage is 18 and the
flood stage IS.
The plants of the Pittsburgh Press
and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
were flooded and they moved to the
Sun Telegraph to put out their edi-
tons.
The city's most famed historical
building, the Blockhouse, on the
point that was Fort Duquesne and
later Fort Pitt, almost was covered
with water.
The Joseph Horne department
store-one of the largest in the city
stood in II feet of water. The
Roosevelt Hotel had four feet of
water in its lobby.
Damage Put at Millions
City officials said that flood dam
age would run into millions.
The district affected most was
from Smithtield-St to the point.
Water covered Penn-av. Liberty
av, Woodst, Smithfield-st and the
Boulevard of Allies, Pittsburgh's
best-known and most travelled thor
oughfares.
The most serious fires were re-
ported at the Metzger boat works
in Etna, where six persons were
unaccounted for, and at the Waver-
ly Oil Co. plant.
Firemen fought in waist-deep
currents to attempt to stem the
blazes. Ordinary equipment was
almost useless. Hastily constructed
RATS proved of little use in getting
at the blazeS
The Metzger Boat Co. was re-
ported destroyed along with four
frame houses.
Report 20 Explosions
The Waverly Oil Co. fire was
accompanied by explosions of oil
drums. Neighbors reported 90 ex-
plosions in all. Firemen had TO keep
a distance of 200 feet because of the
blasts.
Both blazes we're said to be under
control at 1926 a. m, but firemen
feared possible major disasters if
other fires broke out. Fire hydrants
were under water in many points.
Lowland districts of all cities
along the Monongahela and Allie
gheny were flooded
The industrial city of McKees-
port, on the Monongahela, was
mostly under water. The Nc
KeeSport Daily News was forced to
suspend publication because of four
feet OF water in its press room.
AT l0:45 a. m. only one of Pitts
burgh'S river bridges remained open
to traffic. That was the lost
bridge. The Point bridge, long a
Pittsburgh landmark, was closed
early this morning.
The Pittsburgh Stock Exchange
suspended trading at 1925 a. m.
The Allegheny was being enraged
by its tributary, the Kiskiminetas
which, in turn, was fed by the Cone
maugh which earlier flooded Johns
town. All rivers in Western Penn
sylvania were over their banks, caus-
ing havoc over the entire district.
Parts OF the town of Punxsutaw-
ney were under nine feet of wa
ter. Three deaths were reported
there. In Rossitr family of four
was drowned. One man drowned
at Tyrone. and another was re-
ported drowned and two were miss
ing at North Vandergrift.
A third of Tarentum on the Al
aegheny was under water.
sPolicelremained on duty through
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