Evening star., 1936-03-22

win somewhat delay the rate Of SUBJ
sidence Of the high flood levels"
The Connecticut River was leveling
of. Ofacials In the Connecticut VAL
ley were hopeful they had seen the
worst. They believed that even new
rains would have negligible effect. be-
cause there were reports the waters
were receding upstream.
The Merrimack, which carried much
misery and damage on its flood crest
during the week, was receding, but
slowly. There were fears that more
rains at the rivers source would send
it screaming down its channel anew.
Epddemics menaced. There was
scarlet fever at Southbridge, Mass.
and at Amherst. All the cities worst
hit by the waters were alert to the
menace to health. Unusual precau-
tons were taken everywhere.
Martial Law Declared.
There was martial law in dozens of
places, not only in New England, but
in other hood-struck States. Looters
were promptly dealt with.
Word came finally from Rumford,
Me-, which had been isolated two days
by the wild-running Androscoggin
River. Five hundred families were
being cared for there by others more
fortunate. Farmers, fleeing from their
inundated land, brought milk and food
with them.
Industry throughout the Connecticut
and Merrimack Valleys was at a
standstill. A dam in the Quinebaug
River near Danielson, Conn, caused
great uneasiness as the waters poured
over it, and the people of Jewett City
and Wauregan, below, were alarmed.
Many cities from Connecticut to
Maine were without power. The night
was q night Of darkness. Communica-
ton companies struggled increasingly
to undo the damage done to their lines.
The task seemed almost impossible Of
early accomplishment, but progress
was made almost everywhere.
There was one man who had reason
to be thankful-if only temporarily
as the flood waters rose in the prison
at Wethersfield, Conn. He was John
Stemborski, who killed a policeman
and was sentenced to be executed next
Monday. Tonight the water stood ID
inches deep in the death chamber.
There was good chance that the
food may have delayed his execution.
Hartford Suffers Most.
Hartford. among all New England
cities, has suffered most. The waters
stand many feet deep in some places.
Hundreds have been driven from their
homes. More than 1000 National
Guardsmen were patroling the street
last night, with 500 more expected
The Red Cross was caring for $500
persons. The damage in Hartford
alone was estimated at $4,000, 900 in
the worst calamity the city has ever
known in its 800 years of existence.
In New York State the six large
Finger Lakes, in the central part of
the State, reached record flood levels.
Three hundred Summer homes and
cottages were inundated. Greater
damage was predicted. The waters
we're rising last night.
Twenty-eight New York counties
have been hit by the flood. The
city of Binghamton has been a
heavy sufferer. One large plant there
estimated its own damage at million
dollars. A leak in the city's food
surrounded gas fuel holder spread
great alarm. w. P. A. and C. c. C..
workers calked it late yesterday with
sandbags
The New York State Health De-
partment, alert from the first moment
of the food, said there was no sign
Of disease in epidemic proportions
anywhere in the State. Buffalo was
inconvenienced by snow and slush
that hampered traffic.
Much of Pennsylvania flooded area
was concerned with rehabilitation
with returning to homes where few
days ago water stood and where now
there is muck and mud, calling cards
Va tllC 4Q1xldn 4ltC1cs
Ohio Cities in Danger.
Huntington, w. Va, was expert
encing though in smaller measure)
the suffering that Pittsburgh and
Wheeling knew earlier in the week
and that, it is feared, downstream
points on the Ohio may experience
this week
The flood waters were spreading
over the Ohio lowlands from Marietta
to Cincinnati, and on the West Vir-
ginia and Kentucky sides, too. Cold
added to the difficulties. but the Ohio
River remained below the 1888 mark
in most places. Offlcials predicted
that damage would be confined mostly
to houses in the lowlands and to busi-
nesses that have experienced many
worse floods since 1883.
Health officials said the chief danger