The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-01-27
GOVT. FORSEES
SUPER FLOOD
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Continued from Page u
tional boats into the Memphis area.
Field officers reported 1t probably
would be necessary to establish
new district headquarters at Blythe
vile, Ark. midway between Cairo,
Ill. and Memphis.
Waesche ordered six coast guard
cutters to head up the Mississippi
river for Memphis where the crest
Is expected Friday or Saturday.
Two coast guard Amphibian planes
surveyed the section.
No Immediate Hope
The weather bureau forecast for
tomorrow gave no immediate hope
for receding waters. The prediction
for today in the II affected states
was fair, but for tomorrow the bu-
reau forecast either rain or snow
in Ohio. Kentucky, Tennessee, New
York and Pennsylvania.
The Red Cross established con-
centration camps at Memphis to
care for $4,000 refugees In prepara-
ton for the crest expected there
within several days. Trainloads Of
food, clothing, bedding and medi.
cine and corps Of disaster workers
were rushed into the lower Missis-
sippi section.
Levees and dykes were being
raised above their present top levels
by the use Of thousands Of sand
bags, earth fills and other mater
ials. Engineers prepared to pull
the three "fuse plugs" along the
waterway to permit flooding some
Of the low-lying back lands and re-
lieve the pressure on the great river
walls holding back the flood.
Hope Levees VIII Hold
1--WE hope the levees will hold, we
are making every effort to strength.
en- so that they will hold. but we
can make no predictions" one high
ranking engineer told United Press.
The levee system stretches from
Rock Island, ILL.,, to the head Of
Passes, La, approximately $500
miles. The section where the great
est danger Is anticipated, and where
most effort Is being made to
strengthen the levees Is between
Cairo, ILL.,, and Memphis, Tenn, and
for some distance below Memphis, q
total stretch Of approximately $50
miles.
At Cairo 1000 men worked last
night under floodlights and today
still were laboring to complete a
three-foot embankment ON top of
the 60-foot seawall which shelters
the city from the roaring waters Of
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
Scattered along the levees and river
banks between Cairo and Memphis
were thousands Of workers.
The Red Cross modified every
available relief worker to send into
the stricken l,800-mile section to
relieve those exhausted from work.
ing night and day. Grayson re-
ported that many Of the 100000
are "caving in" from the constant
strain. Five hundred police were
dispatched to Louisville, KY.
No Limit On Amount
Encouraged by virtually unlimit-
ed federal funds to combat disaster
and epidemic, Grayson again ap.
pealed to the 3,700 Red Cross chap
tiers to raise more funds. He placed
no limit on the amount.
Federal funds were assured in the
$3.50, 100000 relief bill passed by the
House yesterday. The administra-
ton was prepared to use "any
amount" Of 1t to combat the disas.
ter. The bill now goes to the Sen.
ate.
Mr.. Roosevelt directed attention
OF relief forces to the task Of clean
ing up after flood waters recede and
of guarding health. He was en-
couraged by a report Of DR.. Thorn
as II. Parram, head of the U. 8.
public health service, that condi-
lions were generally good"
Red Cross figures showed: 10000
homeless being cared for: 100000
relief workers in field: $500
refugees In 1913 concentration
camps; 80 Red Cross hospitals in
operation; 1900 typhoid imrnuniza-
/ lions administered; 1000 rescue
boats in use; 500 disaster relief ex-
perts and TIA trained Red Cross
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