Evening star., 1937-01-30
PADUCAH CITIZENS
FORCED TO LEAVE
Evacuation Order CompeIs
5000 Die-Hards to
Abandon Fight.
BY ROBERT b. PHILLIPS. JR.
Stan Correspondent of The stsr

PADUCAH. KY, January 30.-Y
have taken my last ride through the
city Of desolate night After today
the cross currents that harassed US
will swirl on undisturbed. The fog
that hid long rows Of deserted homes
and made eerie the lights that shons
out from others will be cursed only by
officers in patrol boats, roaming an
empty city.
The order for forcible evacuation Of
every citizen in the flooded area Of
this town came last night. Half exc
pected and wearily discussed for days,
the action was taken after q confer.
ence with State health officials. The
edict will compel some 5000 die-hards
to surrender the forlorn hope that
they might stick 1t out here.
Local officers, the Coast Guard and
National Guard company will write
hnis to the siege. Those who still in
sist they can lick the Ohio, no matter
how big she grows, will be arrested,
removed and then offered the oppor-
tunity to avail themselves of all relief
facilities.
Await Day Of Return.
The lucky few who have homes or
friends on the high. dry ground at
the edge Of town will settle down to
q period Of comparative peace, the
first rest they have known since the
waters came. The refugees-they are
called rivergees now because an aged
colored man so described himself-vill
live in their makeshift quarters in the
hospitable towns that have offered
them haven. And all will await the
dread day when they may return to
open the doors Of their ravaged homes.
think there will be more tears shed
on that day than ever were set flowing
by bank crashes. wars and tornadoes.
Our last trip through the town was
not for rescue or relief With Arthur
Martin. reporter for the local paper.
which Is now under water, but print
ing daily on the presses Of q small
town plant as miles away. I set out
In q wobbly outboard craft to trace
down rumors about persons who were
supposed to have been drowned or
were missing-mostly people that We
knew
All rescue craft were fogbound. and
we had the waterways to ourselves.
For my part, from now on the said
waterways can have themselves to
themselves. 1t was dismal business,
even though We found not one Of the
dire rumors to be true Docking on
the doorsteps Of ones friends and
neighbors Is a sport to be recon.
mended only to veteran houseboaters.
And I cannot say it is any particular
fun to slosh about the library Of ones
own home. kicking up flooring with
every step and breasting tidal waves
filled with the works of Charles Die.
kens and william Shakespeare.
Head TO Dry Dock.
When We had checked every name
on the list, We headed west to the
city's dry dock. and our pilot An
nounced that. inasmuch as he couldn't
see q darned thing for the fog. maybe
1t would be well II We concentrated
on watching out for telephone poles
and other dangerous objects. The
trip was long and chilly and morose.
We hit a snag or two. but the rips
were not low enough to let in water.
The last traffic light on the main
street, still working overtime. was ac-
commodatingly green as we came
through. and shortly before midnight
we were at emergency workers kitch-
en-, where an amiable girl brought
us food and said she was sorry we
were cold and wet and talked to US
while we finished cigarettes and coffee
and kept our minds only vaguely on
the conversation.