Evening star., 1937-01-24
D|SEASEFOLL0WS
FLOOD IN INDIANA
Scarlet Fever Spreads in
Two Cities-Martial Law
Rules Aurora.
Nv the Associated Press.

~ the Associated FIees.
EVANSVILLE, Ind, January 23.-
Sickness and looting spread over the
food stricken area Of Southern IN
diana tonight. :.
Gov. M. Clifford Townsend placed
the city of Aurora under martial law
when officials reported abandoned
homes and stores were being robbed
and that officers there were unable
to cope with the situation.
Outbreaks of scarlet fever in Evans
Vile and of scarlet fever and pneu-
monia in Jeffersonville presented Sc
rious health problems to relief workers
attempting to care for approximately
10000 homeless In the Indiana mood
area.
James c. Hooper, speaking for
Aurora City officials, telephoned a
plea to the Governor and the Asso-
ciated Press tonight for troops and
money.
will you please spread the word. ="
he said, that we need money badly.
Our funds rapidly are being depleted.
Food is coming in. but we need blan-
kets and clothing"
GuardSmen Assigned.
Adjt. Gen. Elmer F. Straub assigned
o company of so men from Columbus
to proceed to Aurora at once.
Hooper said approximately two
thirds of the city is under water and
that $500 persons are homeless.
Aurora is without electricity. he said.
Emergency hospitals were set up
in downtown Evansville as scarlet
fever spread among the thousands OF
persons driven from their homes. AL
the regular hospitals in the city were
filed to capacity.
At least 100 streets were flooded here
tonight as the river rose past the 1918
stage Of 48.3 feet and climbed toward
the creast Of 81 feet which has been
forecast by McLin S. Collum, United
States Weather Bureau head.
Approximately 200 National Guards
men patrolled the streets. The water
spread so rapidly over the city that 1t
was impossible to build barricades fast
enough to hold traffic back.
There was no street car service.
The water rose late today over the
Dress Plaza, a river front project re-
Gently completed at cost Of 81 SOC, 600.
School officials ordered Central and
Bosse High Schools closed and the
buildings at Bosse have been turned
into a Red Cross emergency relief
station.
All up and down the Ohio River
Valley, weary, homeless persons, now
numbering nearly 10000, prayed to-
night for food, warmth and rescue.
Many on rooftops and on the second
floors of their homes waited Tor boats
to come to their rescue.
The Cincinnati Enquirer received a
report from one of its reporters that
four persons had died of exposure at
Lawrenceburg, but the State police
radio station at Seymour received a
message from an emergency broad
casting unit at Lawrenceburg that
there had been no loss Of life.
New Albany's business section was
In complete darkness tonight. At least
1000 residents of that city are home
less and river men forecast a flood
crest there by Sunday night Of 8l.7
feet, 80 feet above food stage.
Warnings Are Issued.
Warnings were issued to conserve
gas and electricity and a ban was
placed on the sale Of gasoline except
for emergency purposes. Police Chief
Everett H. Meyer directed police to
investigate reports of looting, kiting
of prices on candles and bootlegging OF
gasoline at so cents gallon.
No deaths by drowning had been
officially reported.
State, Federal and private agencies
marshalled every resource at their
command to succor the thousands OF
homeless, many Of whom escaped the
deluge with only their lives, leaving
their homes and possessions to the
angry waters.
From Indiana's southweSternmost
town. Mount Vernon, the flood waters
stretched their yellow lake $50 miles
northeast up the winding Ohio Valley
to Lawrenceburg. important distillery
town, near the Ohio State line.
Desperate Appeals Received.
Desperate appeals for food, boats,
cots and fuel came today from Law
renceburg when State police. after "a
hours of trying, finally established
short wave radio communication with
the town.
Please send 500 cots Immediately"
came a message from the Lawrence
burg Flood Committee to Wayne Coy,
State relief director And keep the
food coming and we need coal. Send
more boats, too."
The supplies, excepting the boats,
were dispatched from State police
barracks at Seymour and from In
dianapolis, but it was problematical
when the shipments would reach the
distressed town.
The reports from Lawrenceburg
said 1000 homes and the business dis
trict were inundated, that 200 per-
sons were flood prisoners in second
floors and on house tops and that dis
ease was feared. The Citizens Com
mittee estimated damage at 81 ,000, 900.