The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-01-28
255 NOW DEAD,
PROPERTYLOSS
IS 400 MILLION
Tens Of Thousands Of Men
Work to Avoid Disaster
From Mississippi
REFUGEES POURING
INTO HELENA DAILY
BY UNITED PRESS

The United States Army. di-
recting tens Of thousands Of work
ers, today hurled its power against
the raging Mississippi to prevent
repetition on larger scale Of dis
astrous floods which have claimed
255 lives, driven one million peo-
pie from their homes, and Destroy
ed four hundred million dollars in
property.
Thousands are being evacuated
from eastern Arkansas where the
floods are striking now with the
greatest fury.
Fifty thousand Arkansans are
already in relief camps after ns-
tional guardsmen, at gun point,
virtually drove farmers to higher
ground.
Refugees are pouring into Hell
ena at rate Of 700 daily.
Copyright, 1897, United Press)
Famine. pestilence and death
rode the crest of the nations most
disastrous food Wednesday night.
Two hundred and twenty-three
were known dead in II states
along the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers. Property damage exceed
ed s3O0.000,000.
At Louisville, KY, alone, Dr..
Hugh Rodman Leavell, health
commissioner, said 1870 were
known dead. He said he believed
there were at least 70 more dead
in outlying areas which could not
be reached.
The Ohio river, after surging
to an all-time peak, remained sta
tionary at 57.1 feet at Louisville
Wednesday then began to recede.
It gave officials their first chance
to take accurate count Of the
food-wrought damage.
Their report, it was feared, was
but the first of others to come
from hundreds Of cities and towns
along the entire length of the two
great rivers. II was the first let
up in waters which for two weeks
have risen steadily and left whole
cities destitute.
Pneumonia and influenza were
rife throughout the stricken area.
Many smaller epidemics were re.
ported from scattered sections.
POISONED DRINKING WATER
BIGGEST MENACE
Greatest threat was drinking
water poisoned by the brackish
food. The waters carried danger
of widespread outbreaks Of dys-
EMERY and typhoid. Red Cross
workers and doctors pleaded for
serums in ever-increasing amounts
to fight plague among thousands
of homeless.
Typhoid NEGOTIATIONS were adj
ministered to $4,000 persons at
Louisville.
City Manager C. A. Dykstra,
Cincinnati's food dictator" has
warned that even after floods sub
side the city must live for 30 days
in fear Of pestilence. Evansville,
Ind, residents were warned to
boil all water before drinking 1t.
Receding waters in Pennsyl-
vania. West Virginia and portions
of Ohio and Kentucky left cities
covered with muck and filth which
will cost hundreds Of thousands
Of dollars to remove.
ARMY STILL PLANS FOR
MASS REMOVALS
Meanwhile, at Washington. q.
s. Army engineers laid plans 70
remove a possible 100000 refu-
gees in the lower Mississippi val
ley should rising waters crush
weakened levees and spread across
lowlands. ;, 49,.
Clearing the 1900 mile strip
would necessitate the greatest
mass evacuation in the country's
history. :,
Engineers feared the billion dol
lar levee system would crack
when the foaming Ohio food crest
swept past Cairo, ILL.,, and Joined
Continued on page sikh
~ Ys.e IN