The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-01-28

TIis first act was to ask Governor
Gordon Browning for 300 nationai
r,Iardsmen to assist the city IN
handling its growing refugee popu-
Iation. General Malin Craig, U. 3.
army chief Of staff directing prep
arations in three corps areas to
eyacuate 10000 miles Of threatened
Jowlands If the danger warrants
cautioned against panic.
Memphis Battle Center
AS the scene of the battle against
food shifted to Memuhis, fast be-
coming a refugee colony, cities stu
inundated along the Ohio valley
counted their dead in ever increas-
ing numbers and fought to prevent
epidemics. DR.. Hugh Rodman Lea
vel. health commissioner at Louis
Wills, said 100 persons had been
drowned or died Of maladies directly
attributable to the flood. The figure,
he indicated, would grow as search
PARTIES entered homes long ma
rocned. The river dropped a tenth
Of an inch In q hours, and Dee
Myatt OF the weather buieau an
nounced that I'VE are over the
hump" He predicted that the rate
Of fall would speed up to foot
Q day.
bikes Are Bursting
Despite the optimism OF levee
workers. reports of bursting bikes
came from points on the Ohio and
the st. Francis rivers. The Ohio
upstream from Cairo smashed the
barrier protecting Mound City, ILL.,,
and the st. Francis poured through
holes on the st. Francis to mum
date Truman and Monette, Ark.
Minor breaks occurred near New
Madrid, Mo-, and levees were pulg-
ing in the Mellwood, Ark, area.
South Of Arkansas City, Ark, how
ever, the flood walls appeared to be
strong. Army engineers pointed out
that levees from that point south
ward had been greatly strengthened
since the flood Of 1927.
No effort was spared, however, to
prepare for the Mksissippi's major
attack, expected in the Memphis
region by next Tuesday.
The army concentrated railroad
coaches and fiat cars, trucks, boats
and airplanes in key points from
jackson, Miss, headquarters Of the
evacuation organization, to Men,
phis.
Memphis Refugee Camps
Refugee camps were established
at Memphis, where a record crest
Of So fee tbs expected. for 5000 per-
sons already driven from homes in
the mid-south and for another 50,-
900 In the event Of further over
flows.
Thousands of PWA, CCC and vol
unteer workers raised levees north
of Memphis, working In eight-hour
shifts. They placed millions OF
sandbags on the dixie, called for mil
lions more.
Cairo, protected by 63-foot bar
rier, was safe for the time being.
Water poured into a floodway below
the city, lowering the Ohio from
58.65 feet on Monday to 57.94 to-
day. Engineers warned, however,
that a ..2-foot crest might strike
Sunday.
More Towns Evacuated
Evacuation OF towns continued in
the flooded areas. The Red Cross
removed about half Of the $4,000
inhabitants of lowlands near Nell
wood, Ark. Refugees were being
sent from Louisville in groups of
SO to 5000. Residents Of Paducah,
KY, were leaving their 5000 flooded
homes at the rate Of 300 an hour.
AS the Ohio started q slow recess
sion from Pittsburgh almost to
Evansville, Ind. refugees prepared
to return to their homes. A l0-foot
drop at Aurora, Ind, brought hun
dreds Of residents back to the town.
DR.. George M. Lawson OF the
Louisville health department re-
ported that communicable diseases
already had broken out in some
refugee stations there.
Mculpllb IcpOLLcu OUV Choco VI III
fiuenza in one refugee camp, 1000
more among the 10000 homeless
Of the mid-south.
Surgeon General Reports
DR.. Thomas H. Parran, u. 8. sur
geon-general, disclosed that the
public health service had sent &c.,
275 "anti-typhoid Shots" 22,l9l
smallpox vaccinations, 52.l40 doses
Of diphtheria anti-toxin. 6,85l, 870
units Of influenza and pneumonia
serum and 10,655 doses Of tetanus
anti-toxin into the fioci zones.
The Red Cross carcl for refugees
III 200 concentration camps from
Pittsburgh TO Memphis and in SO
fIeld hospitals.
Director Robert Fechner Of the
ofviIian conservation corps offered
he use Of 1876 Geo camps 10 refu-
eees pending renovation Of their
homes. and the Federal Home Loan
bank arranged through six district