The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-04-28
Many Die, Homeless
 M 4 States, Cdnada
CCOntinusd from Page D

ad then remained stationary. It was expected to remain at that level for several houds and then recede. Wheeling Island, home of 10000 persons, was covered with water. About 2,O00 fled from their homes and the remainder moved to upper floors.
 The Ohio below Bellaire was ex- pected to absorb the flood crest.
 Wheeling, w. Va, April 28.-(UP) -Three thousand persons fled their ilOmes early, today when the Ohio Fiver rose to 45.S feet-98 feet above a1lood level. Only one railroad was ~cperating into the city.
 Seven deaths attributed directly Or indirectly to the flood were re- ported throughout the western Pennsylvania watershed.
 M The river, swollen by the flood waters of the Monongahela and Allegheny, washed across Wheeling Island, home of 10000 persons, and more families prepared to move to higher ground.
 An emergency relief center was Established in the city's huge mar ket auditorium to house the 1000 refugees who had fled from low-ly- ing sections of East and South Wheeling and from Wheeling Island.
 pr. R. M. Pedicord, city-county health commissioner, announced that health conditions at present were excellent but that his staff was ready flor any emergency"
 Wheeling had expected high wa- ter and was well prepared. Stores and homes in low-lying areas were sprotected by sandbag barriers. Perishable goods were moved to up- per floors. Relief agencies were mos bilized for immediate action.
 Accumulated after heavy rains in the s'storehouse" of floods on the western Pennsylvania watershed, the sfloodwaters rushed past Pittsburgh, emptied into the Ohio, and carried filth and debris to river towns in eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia.
 More than a score of villages were inundated and few were Isolated.
 q Tn this industrial community, center of metropolitan population of 100000, factories were shut down and street car service practically sparalyzed.
 Muddy water swirled into the Easements of several hundred busi- mess buildings.
 N Oficials estimated that approxi- .mately 2,000 of the easily flooded Islands 10000 residents had been femoved to the mainland across the Two giant bridges spanning the Ohio. A thousand persons left their homes in South Wheeling.
 :. Among the refugees was Mrs. Carrie Rollison, who gave birth to a baby boy in the auditorium at Itl1e height of the January flood. She and her hree-months-old flood baby" Robert Lee Rollison, had been driven from their home again. ' Emergency rescue work was ham, niled by Wheeling policemen under Chief Albert Megale, Red Cross Volunteers and works progress ad- Aninistration workers.
 After rising steadily for hours, the Ohio was stationary at 2 a. m. EST. and observers hoped it soon would Hegin to recede.
 \. The flood in northern West Vir- Einia and eastern Ohio claimed two lives. George MaratuS, 8, was drown "a when he slipped from 8 foot bridge into Island creek, north of Steubensville, o. Lewis Davis, 48. fell into Three Fork creek near Grafton, w. Va, and was drowned. = Their deaths were added to five Recorded in western Pennsylvania as ,4he indirect result of the ilceSsant rains which pushed rivers and Greeks out of their banks. Three .wailroad section hands were killed 1t McKeesport while clearing a Hide of earth and rocks from rail- .goad tracks. Two Johnstown, Pa, residents, survivors of the great hood of 1889, died of heart attack and shock induced by fear of the rising waters.
 Small towns in the Wheeling area Jared badly before the onrush of the waters. At New Cumberland, w. Va, north of here, the business dis 4rict was flooded and residents in the low-lying parts of the village moved to hillsides.
 ' The business district of Wells burg, w. Va, tri-state "Gretna Green." was flooded, water entering the city building to the depth of one foot. Despite the flood, nine Couples got marriage licenses yester- day.
 A hundred families were homeless at Wellsburg, 250 families homeless at New Cumberland. Wellsburg was Isolated except for one road to Washington, Pa.
 Few residences were flooded in E Steubenville, which borders the river, but industry was crippled. The Weirton Steel and Wheeling Steel corporation plants there were 5closed and the big Carnegie Illinois 5 works at Mingo Junction, O., was shut down.
 Tn Wheeling, as in the case of every flood, residents of the island, which lies in the Ohio river be- Tween the city and the Ohio shore,