Evening star., 1936-03-20

much worse, however, damage there
being expected to reach $1,000 or
more. The front portion of the build
ing was badly damaged by houseboats
and debris swept against it by the
force of the current. A part Of
the foundation had been carried away
by the ice a few weeks ago and was
being repaired at the time the flood
waters swept down the river. Several
sections of the rear Of the building,
which faces the B. d o. railroad
tracks, were torn away entirely and
swept downstream. The roof of a
portion of the building was left in a
series of waves by the receding water.
Many Canoes Damaged.
Hampered by q freight train which
lay on the siding behind the boat
house, employees were unable to get
more than IL or Is canoes out to the
banks, leaving about IS privately
owned canoes and about 10 owned by
the company in the racks on the
lower floor level Until the waters
recede it will be impossible to tell
how many of the canoes were dam
aged or how badly they were damaged.
The Potomac Boat Club sustained
little damage, except to the recently
constructed platform facing the river
and the foundation on the river side.
Part of the platform had been carried
away by the recent ice flow and the
remainder was swept away by the
water yesterday. The current under
mined the new piers. which will prob
ably have to be replaced, officials
said. The costly racing shells and
canoes, however, were all removed in
| time. The last of the shells were
| taken out as the water came within
few inches of the top of the doors
on the first floor.
Above the Potomac Boat Club the
wreckage and loss were extensive.
Robert Manning reported loss of
$1,000 40-foot cabin cruiser which
broke loose last night and turned up
in Alexandria, ruined after being
smashed on Memorial Bridge.
Houseboat Swept Away.
Ofacer Langley OF the sixth police
precinct lost the houseboat where he
lived with his wife and 22-month-
old baby.
Cabin cruisers were lost by James
Justieeance and A. ]. Sullivan.
Sanitary Engineer j. B. Gordon
today directed men to use water to
remove the silt and debris dumped on
Water street southwest by the food
waters. A corps Of city refuse water
tank trucks was sent to the street to
start flushing operations between Four
teenth street and the War College.
Shortly before noon only an area near
M street was still flooded.
City refuse workers later were to
clean and flush Constitution avenue
from Fourteenth to Seventeenth streets
and were ready to aid Federal workers
in cleaning streets under Federal
jurisdiction.
Fears Of q break in the sewerage
system under Pennsylvania avenue
were expressed about Q o'clock last
night when Gordon was warned of
water backing up in the sewer sump
basin in the sub-basement OF the
Munsey Trust Building, between Thir-
teenth and Fourteenth streets. A re-
pair man was dispatched there and
found S feet of water in the basin
was caused, not by the flood, but by
a clogging Of the grease trap. This
was easily repaired.
Incinerator Crippled.
The Georgetown incinerator, at
Thirty-first and K streets, was put
out of commission for about two hours
last night when flood waters in Water
and K streets apparently damaged an
electric cable. Refuse trucks promptly
were assigned to cart incoming trash
to dump at the west side of George
town. Electric power was restored,
however, and burning Of commercial
trash was resumed. Carting of other
trash. to the dump was continued for
fear the plant might again be put
out of commission. No further break
was reported by noon.
At the main sewage pumping sta
ton, First and o streets southeast,
the flood did not rise to the level
which had been anticipated as the
possible maximum. Sandbag barri-
cades which had been thrown around
the plant were not needed, but Maj.
Gordon said they would be retained
until Federal officials said all flood
danger was passed, because a break
down Of the pumping plant would
cause very serious difficulties in sew
age disposal.
Both Col. Sultan and Maj. Gordon
praised the wisdom of storm water
sewer plans which were drafted for
the lower section Of washington by
a board of national consultants at
the initiation of President Harrison
after the experience here in the flood
of 1889.
These plans, approved by Congress,
call for the laying of large sewers
generally in the line of r street. Con- |
stitution avenue and what is now
Independence avenue. They were
designed to carry to the Potomac
River near its juncture with Anacostia |
River any storm water which would
heighten the damage Of flood waters |
If allowed to pour into the Potomac
Park area. It was as q result of |
those plans that the pumping station |
was built at First and o streets. |
Previously sewers had been on q
gravity basis.
Cavern m ants Sova plant 1