The Washington times., 1937-04-28

Portions of the lower Alexandria
Noad an the Mt. Vernon Boule-
ward were under water, forcing
many motorists to detour or run
through shallow depths for long
stretches.
From far upstream along the
Potomac came story after story Of
reScues during the night. Islands
in midriver. some of them hun
dreds of acres in area, were sub
merged.
Bodies Reported Seen
At Great Falls the river tore
through the gorge at express speed,
sweeping down the rocky channel
with a roar that could be heard
for miles.
Watchers at Chain Bridge re-
ported they saw what resembled
the bodies of an elderly woman
and a child tossing in the waters
last night, but no bodies had been
recovered today.
Hundreds See Three Rescued
Between the Key and Highway
spans. tragedy was averted through
the daring of John Williams, 40,
attendant at Lincoln Memorial
Bridge.
The near victims we're John
Leopold, 35, a cab driver; his wife,
Josephine, 26. and Thomas Fen
ton, all of Rosslyn, Va. Thrown
into the water when their canoe
overturned just after it passed
under Key Bridge and was swept
into Little River, along the Vlr-
ginia shore. the trio were dragged
exhausted from the river.
Hundreds watched the rescue.
The party had gone out in an eff
fort to reach a drifting houSeboat
belonging to friend. The tossing
waves picked up the canoe, SWirled
1t around and overturned it. AS the
three occupants came to the sur
face they caught the canoe and
clung to it as it raced downstream.
Plunges Into River
At Lincoln Memorial Bridge, Will
liams and Park Policeman Harry
N. Berger saw them coming. Moth
ing could be done there. Jumping
into an automobile, they tore down
the boulevard to the Highway
Bridge. There Williams stripped to
his shirt and trousers. A rope was
tied under his arms. AS Berger
braced himself, holding the other
end, Williams plunged into the
river just in time to seize the canoe
and help the woman and two men
to shore.
In panic, they chung to him.
Fighting them off, he got them
to hold to the rope. Williams gives
Berger credit for pulling them to
shore. But those who watched the
drama unfold called Williams the
hero.
Flood Havoc Revealed
Up and down the Potomac, along
It's tributaries. and in the low
lying sections of Washington'S
metropolitan area, flood stories
poured in with each rise of a few
inches in the rivers level. Bridges
out here A wharf gone there.
Docks tumbled into the water Gas
tanks overturned. People being
taken from second-story windows.
Thousands trekking to higher
ground. clasping children and a
few personal belongings as they
sought safety until the flood re-
coded.
But all was not tragedy. The
day woke to sunny skies, the storms
of the last few days seemed to
have vanished, and under bright
spring sun the rescue work went
on, the barbados were strength
ened and precautionary measures
were taken with a cheerfulness
which belied the fears of the
night.
Thousands watched the flood
scenes from the surrounding hills
and from points of vantage in the
parks.
1000 Flee at Bladensburg
Some of the highlights:
l. At BladenSburg, Md, on
the edge of the city, where resi-
dents thought it was all over
when the waters receded yester-
day, 1000 were forced to evacu-
ate their homes during the
night and early today as the
rise was resumed.
2. As the RappahannOck and
James Rivers in Virginia joined
in the spring floods frolic, resi-
dents of communities along their
courses felt even NOR of the i'm
pact than those near Washing
ton. Fredericksburg was per-
hapS hit hardest, with Rich
mOnd reporting damage along
the waterfront RichmOnd'S gas
service failed during the night.
3. Eight lives were reported
lost in the Virginia flood area
since Sunday, when the waters
first reached flood proportions.
4. The Washington Airport,
submerged today, suspended
operations at o'clock last night,
shifting passengers and express
TO Richmond, and making the
Virginia capital a way station
on the nOrth-and-sOuth run be-
tween New York and Miami.
5. A farmer, EnOs jenkins, was
believed drowned near Whites
Island, when he disappeared in
the stream.
SUFFERING REPORTED
Apparently the flood centered in
the watersheds of the Potomac,
Monongahela and Allegheny rivers