Evening star., 1937-10-28
MERCHANTS MOVE
AS WATERS CREEP
NORTHUMBERLAND
Crest From Upper Potomac
Expected to Reach City
at 3 Pm.
RIVER CONTINUES RISE
OF ONE FOOT PER HOUR
Ridgeley, W. Va, Hardest Hit.
Is Almost Inundated
at Noon.
By the Associated Press.


CUMBERLAND. Md, october 25.-
Flood waters from Wills Greek. swollen
by the back wash of the Potomac
River, gorged by continuous rain fall
of nearly 4 inches in the last 27 hours,
began seeping into the business dis
trict on Mechanic street here at noon
today.
City Engineer Ralph L. Rizer at the
same time announced the crest of the
high water from the Upper Potomac
area could be expected to reach here
about O'Clock this afternoon.
Merchants, recalling the devastating
food of 1886, began removal of stocks
to upper floors of their establishments.
The Potomac River earlier had left
its banks and spread over Paca and
Smallwood streets and Avirett avenue,
on the west side, while the greater
part of Ridgeley, W. Va. across the
Potomac River from Cumberland, was
under water at noon. 1t was the
hardest hit in the immediate vicinity
of Cumberland at that hour.
The Potomac at noon had reached
height of 23.8 feet, bringing it with
in feet of its peak in 1886. 1t con-
tinues to rise at the rate of about a
foot an hour.
The Western Maryland Railway is
operating no trains between Cumber-
land and Elkins, w Va, and the
railroad telegraph lines are out of
commission. The Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad reports normal service.
Worse Than 1886 Flood.
Conditions at Shallmar, a few miles
west of Kitzmiller, in Garrett County,
we're reported as worse than at the
crest of the 1886 flood, as land was
flooded in the early hours which was
not reached in 1886. The decline in
the water at Shallmar this morning
was believed due to stoppage Of rain
above that point
The water remained about station
airy at Piedmont this morning, but
already two streets there are flooded.
The water has not reached the top Of
the flood wall in Piedmont, but the
streets we're flooded due to back water.
The Georges Creek at its junction with
the Potomac at Westernpoint is high
but not at an alarming stage.
Families Moved Out.
Residents on the flooded Piedmont
streets moved their household goods
to higher stories during the night and
left their homes.
Twenty families we're moved to
safety at Shallmar during the night
under the direction of H. A. Marshall.
superintendent of the Shallmar Mi
ing Corp. Marshall remained on duty
throughout the night giving reports
on and checking on mining property
which was under water. He reported
two county road bridges in the section
were washed out and that the road
to Kitzmiller was cut off at midnight
About 100 families took refuge on
higher ground at Kitzmiller.
Roads connecting Piedmont, West
ernport and Keyser are blocked on
both the Maryland and West Virginia
sides. Keyser is also cut off from the
West as New Greek has left its banks
Operations at the West Virginia
Pulp g. Paper Co., at Luke, Md, were
suspended this morning when water
reached the plant. A truck carrying
paper. owned by the company, was re-
ported overturned by the water in
Keyser.
Bridges Washed Away.
Approaches to the bridge at Bloom
ington we're washed out early this
morning and lumber being used to
construct new bridge at that point
was washed away.
Patterson Greek was over route 26
at Fort Ashby, w. Va, cutting off
traffic between Cumberland and ROM
ney. Route so, west of Romney, was
blocked by Patterson Creek at Bur-
lington, but the rise has stopped at
this point.
The south branch of the Potomac
is out of its banks at several points,
but had not blocked the road between
Romney and Moorefeld.
Rainfall in the 24-hour period end
ing at am at Cumberland was 255
inches. 1t is still raining hard.