The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-20
Hartford Is Under
 20 Feet or Floods
(continued from Page D

, established at state trade school, American Legion rooms, Kinsella, Henry Barnard and Hartford high schools and at the Junior Red Cross.
 All food was to be prepared at the hotel kitchens and distributed, ready to serve.
 Mlddletown Lightless Middletown, 20 miles down the Connecticut river from Hartford, was left without light and power early today when the flood crippled the power plant near the waterfront. Approximately 600 persons were driven from their homes and about that number were being cared for in the state arrnory, YMCA and Sal- vation Army. All factories were at Q standstill and 5000 persons were thrown out of employment.
 The highest the Connecticut had risen previously at Middletown was 24 1-2 feet. By 2:30 p. m, today 1t had scared to 27 feet and was still rising. The only highway bridge crossing the river there was aban- doned this afternoon and 1t was ex- pected to be washed away.
 A triangular shaped area of ten miles to the north and south of Middletown was under water.
 Eight coast guard patrol boats were in the vicinity. The coast guardsmen blew up several houses floating downstream. Early this morning they located 50,000 gall Ions gasoline tank which had fioated down from Hartford and secured 1t.
 A man was reported drowned in collapse of Brainard field dyke. Bus- mess houses in the down town area began closing their doors. The city faced Q night without lights and telephones. There was 8 reported sell-out of candles, flashlights, lan- terms and flares.
 175 Are Dead
 A total flood death toll upward of IFS was indicated today as the area of devastation in 14 eastern states was increased by surging wa- ters that swept down the Connecti- cut and Ohio rivers.
 Shortly before noon the United Press had tabulated 154 deaths. Fate of scores on a flooded island at Wheeling, W. Va, and others in central Pennsylvania still was .un- known.
 The Red Cross in Washington had received requests to care for 275, 1000 persons, indicating ct least that many were homeless. in addition to those cared for by other agencies. S2O0,O0O,O00 Damage
 Property damage was feared to be in excess of $200,000,000.
 With worst flood zones under vir- tual military rule, authorities strove heroically to prevent outbreaks of disease. Pittsburgh ordered de- struction of 250 carloads of tainted food. Thousands in the Ohio val- ley were inoculated against typhoid
 Much of the Connecticut valley from Vermont, through Western Massachusetts and Connecticut to the sea was under water. Spring field, Mass, was inundated in part. Twenty thousand homeless huddled in makeshift barracks. Power failed
 The Merrimack river at Haverill, Mass, was at an all-time high. Wa ter was five to seven feet deep in part of the city. Bridges were torn out and factories flooded in Maine.
 The Ohio river flood, receding in Wheeling, w. Va, where g were known dead and scores missing swept down on Marietta O., Park ersburg, W. Va, and other towns The water sw.rled five feet deep in the business section of Marietta. Martial Law Near Springfield, Mass, March 20-- (UP)-Police Commissioner Victor M. Bemole announced early this afternoon that martial law may be declared in this stricken city by nightfall to prevent footing and to force persons remaining in partly flooded homes to evacuate.
 The mayor apparently feared a repetition of last nights pillaging- halted by army officers, naval re- serves and militia--as well as the possibility that inundated homes where some residents remained in upstairs rooms would collapse and bring death toll.
 To date, although more than 10000 were homeless. there was only one known casualty 4 in Springfield. Woman Drowned
 A woman whose body was recov- cred from the turbulent Connecticut river near Memorial bridge early to- day was identified later as Miss Mary Quirk, 60. who roomed in a Main street house. Originally rescued and housed in High School of CmmeTce, she wandered out and was drowned.
 The business district. without power or light as result of the dis- abling 0s an electric company sta ton. was blocked by police to ell but those who could show they had bus theses in the crippled buildings.
 Emergency typhoid in0culation stations have been established at pos lice and Red Gross headquarters. Additional national guard companies have been detailed here and two coast guard cutters with i've men crews are c0ursing over Hooded dis- tFicta.