Evening star., 1936-03-22

the little brick school house, Just above
the high water mark reached by the
Hood, as the Red Cross, the Saliva
ton Army, the American Legion and
the Maryland State police strove to
bring comfort to the people. Many
had lost practically all their clothing.
Food was running low when . supply
was rushed in by trucks from Fred
erick. A temporary kitchen was set
up for the 200 homeless. The nearby
Lutheran Church was turned into q
dormitory.
Pathetic figure was 8. w. 10y, for
merly q Washington building inspec-
tor, who came to Point of Rocks eight
years ago and was the owner of
the towns largest store.
I'm cleaned out and I don't know
how I'm ever going to start again. !
had read about the danger Of q
flood, but I didn't take 1t seriously.
I had seen floods before and just
moved little of my stock up on
the second floor, but I didn't have
time to move any Of the furniture in
my house.
Cash Was Stolen.
1.-THE flood didn't exactly come sud-
denly, SO as to take anybody by
surprise, but when the river started
rising it came up too quick for any
thing to be done.
81 was moving some of my stock
when looked out of the window and
saw that I could not even get next
door to my house. I had to leave
right then and I couldn't even carry
the cash I had on hand-two cigar
boxes full. This morning somebody
stole it." 10y said.
The school house Is a scene OF con-
fusion. The relief work Is being
directed by c. L. Belentlinger, the
school principal, aided by Salvation
Army and Red Cross workers. One
corner of the room is given over
to the typhoid inoculations. Tables
are piled high with all sorts Of
clothing for the homeless people.
It will be at least week before
Point-of- Rocks is able to sweep itself
entirely out of the mud-about the
ooziest. slipperiest mud one ever is
likely to encounter. The men were
hard at work yesterday sweeping out
the first-floor rooms and moving fur
niture from the Second-story windows
to higher ground. Women labored
with brooms in hip boots-the mud
up to their knees-to restore some
semblance of order in their wrecked
homes. A fire engine from Frederick
has been hosing out some Of the
houses.
Knoxville Hard Hit.
Between Point-of-Rocks and Har-
pers Ferry, the hardest-hit village, so
far as personal losses were concerned,
was Knoxville. about IL miles from
Frederick. The six small dwelling
houses on the river front were swept
down the current. The residents had
plenty of warning, but except in one
case had moved none of their furni-
ture. It is in Chesapeake Bay by this
time.
The important railroad center OF
Brunswick escaped without damage SO
far as its dwelling houses and business
center were concerned. But the big
car shops and yards are completely
inundated. Freight cars are massed
for mile. About 20 cottages on the
river front have been washed down
the rvier, Police Chief Joseph Chew
says.
Scenes at Harper's Ferry are al
most a duplicate of those at Point
of-Rocks. but on a larger scale and
without so mush personal suffering.
The streets in the lower part of the
town are knee deep in mud and for
the present it seems futile to sweep
it away. 1t is like trying to sweep
back the sea.
The town is cut of except on the
West Virginia side. Only the rail-
road connects it with Maryland, the
highway bridge being broken of sharp
about the center, while the bridge over
the Shenandoah was swept away
Houses and stores on the lower streets
are deserted, the Moncacy River rose
from the back push of the Potomac.
Many Summer cottages were smashed
and went down the river in debris, and
farmers living near the junction Of
the two rivers were obliged to aban-
don their homes and stock.
It is estimated that at least so head
of cattle between Harpers Ferry and
Big Seneca Greek were drowned in
the food. The animals, let loose from
their stables, were unable to swim to
shore against the swift current.