The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-02-02
ABLE-BODIED
MEN MUST STAY
(Contlnuad from Page ID

vi Tue AlboAbotppls ptOuhDiy WIZ
know their fate.
The food crest left disaster, death
and disease behind It. Paducah, KY,
was ruined, deserted city, where
water Tapped around the lamp posts
and invaded houses where $4,000
persons once lived.
Louisville counted 211 dead as
stores opened for the first time In
a week. The water moved out but
the threat Of epidemic and quar-
antine was established over an area
IL square miles In the city.
Throughout the Ohio and Missis-
sippi valleys there were 1856 persons
dead: 100000 homeless and $500, >
100000 wkorth Of property damage.
The latest food victims were six
men who were swept into the food
ner New Midrid, Mo-, when a steel
barge carrying 100 persons sank In
a Spillway.
Flood Commission There
Heading toward this scene Of the
first major struggle between man
made walls and the Mississippi were
members Of President Roosevelt's
food commission-each Of them q
food expert. BY Wednesday noon
they will be in Cairo.
Major General Edward Markham,
chief Of army engineers-who has
unbounded confidence In the
strength Of his levees and the cour-
age Of his men-will be in personal
command when the Cairo food
gauge begins crawling upward and
finally signals that zero hour has
struck.
Harry L. Hopkins, WPA admins
traitor, who has thrown thousands
Of his men into the struggle to
work shoulder to shoulder with the
army, will be there, too-close to q
telephone line that leads into the
executive Offices OF the President Of
the United States.
Surgeon General Thomas Parran,
chief health officer of the United
States, will be beside them. He Is
charged with the duty Of guarding
health Of refugees, maintaining san
itation and advising local officials of
preventative measures.
The fourth member Of this "gen-
eral staff" Is James L. Fieser, vice
chairman Of the Red Cross, who is
concerned with raising money for
flood victims and with pouring sup
plies into the ravaged areas.
To Move NOrthward
Hopkins and his fellow members
OF the commission planned to move
northward from Memphis today by
automobile. Their first stop will be
New Madrid, Mo-. where they will
take boat and make their way to
Hickman, KY. From there they will
go to Cairo, arriving on the eve, or
perhaps the very day, of the strug-
gle that may tell whether lives Of
10000 persons from Cairo down to
the mount Of Arkansas river are
safe or In danger.
Mayor August Bode repeated his
command that the town be cleared
OF all persons not actively engaged
In defending the wall. The fighting
force totalled 5000 men, 400 OF
whom were regular army troops
and national guardsmen. No one
could enter the city unless on
urgent business. Stores were closed
and merchants hoisted their stock
onto scaffolds close to the ceiling.
Crest Over go Feet
w. e. Barron, government meteor
ologist, said the crest would be COS
feet--Si inches above the con-
crete. II there are contrary winds,
waves may slosh over the emer.
gency bulkhead on top OF the wall
and break through. II that ever
happens. Cairo Is doomed. for 1t sits
below the water level and the river
will become a little Niagara Falls,
pouring cold, yellow water into the
town.
However. splash boards have been
erected and 1t was hoped they
would hold back the water. Workers
stood by with sandbags ready to
plug any gaps In the wall. The
city's pumps were equipped to ham
die 24,000,000 million gallons Of wa
ter daily.
Hickman, KY, on the east bank of
by a wall, and the water already
is sloshing close to the top. Night
and day men, staggering under 100
pound sandbags, are marching to
the top Of the wall and stacking
their burdens to raise the height OF
the Notifications.
Another Danger Section
Bessie, Tenn, also is a danger
sector. The river already has broken
through sandbag legee near there,
but so far the flood water has
found its way back into the Missis-
Sippi, two miles downstream. Winds
occasionally whip water over the
main levee at Bessie which protects
Tiptonville, Tenn. - concentration
point for 1000 refugees.
New Madrid, Mo-, probably will
learn its fate from what happens
at Cairo. 1t sits behind a main line
levee, the type that General Mark
ham calls "impregnable", but heavy
rains or waves raised by wind con-
ceivably could cause havoc in the
town.
Fires In Paducah
Paducah, Feb. 2-(U.P)--Fire, Or
iginating In several unoccupied cot
tages in an unfiooded section Of the
residential district, threatened for a
time today TO destroy the part Of
Paducah's business district that re-
NAMED above flood waters Of the
Ohio river.
Three unoccupied dwellings, and
the buildings Of the Independent
and Bradley Coal Companies were
destroyed before the blaze was
brought under control and extin-
guished by the coast guard. Half of
the building occupied by the City
Consumers Coal Company also was
burned.
The business buildings damaged
and threatened were located near
the main business district.
Cause of the fire was not deter