Evening star., 1937-01-26
TROOPS TO PATROL
| ARKANSASLEvEES
28 Dead in Three Southern
States and Homeless
Mount to 125,OO0.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, January 26.-
Martial law was ordered for Eastern
Arkansas and troops patrolled weak
ening Tennessee levees today for the
South's fight against all-time high
food waters.
Twenty-eight persons were known
dead in Arkansas. Tennessee and
Mississippi. The homeless were esti-
mated unofficially at l25000 and
100000 acres lay under water Of
the Mississippi and its Southern
tributaries.
Gov. Carl E. Bailey, authorized by
his Legislature to declare martial law
in the East Arkansas flood zone, or
dered three companies of Guards
men out at once when Government
Engineers advised that the main
Mississippi River levee at Mellwood,
20 miles south Of Helena, might go
out within "a to SO hours"
To Police TiptonviIIe Area.
Gov. Gordon Browning said he
considered martial law unnecessary
in West Tennessee, but that troops
would police the areas in the Missis-
sippi lowlands around Tiptonville.
Warning that a super food Is on its
way" came from Lieut.. Col. Reybold,
district chief of U. S. Army engineers,
and spurred haraSsed relief workers to
plan for still more herculean labors.
Wholesale excavations of be-
leaguered towns in Tennessee. Western
Kentucky, Southeastern Missouri,
Arkansas and Mississippi burdened
refugee centers while the Mississippi
felt out the strengt h ofits confning
dikes.
Fear IS Feet in Memphis.
There will be SIS feet in Memphis
before the water now in sight from the
Ohio moves out" Col. Reybold said,
adding that the crest probably would
come within 10 days or two weeks.
He predicted general stages along the
Mississippi some 10 feet beyond rec
ords set in the disastrous 1918 and
1927 floods.
The Mississippi hit AZ feet here to-
day, 8 feet above flood stage and less
than from the 1913 record of ass.
Along with his forecast of a serious
situation. Col Reybold offered the aid
of engineers in evacuating completely
the St. Francis River basin from
Cairo, H., to the mouth of the White
River if an emergency arose.
Move to Higher Ground.
Refugees from the lower part Of
West Tennessee to the section near
Cairo where the Ohio River empties
into the Mississippi moved out en-
masse to higher ground.
Fears were expressed a main line
levee below Hickman, KY, might give
way Workers we're called to strength
en- the weak strip with sand bags.
Should the levee crevaSse food waters
of the Mississippi would surge to a
union with the burdened waters of
Reelfoot Lake, whose levees already
are weakened.
Precautions were taken to prevent
spread Of disease along all fronts. I'M
munization of refugees in the stricken
areas against typhold feVer was UNDER
taken.
% Dead in Tennessee.
The death list unoficially reached
% in Tennessee. Six persons were
drowned near Riverdale. Ark, when a
boat overturned on Little River, rais-
ing the toll in that State to IL.
In Arkansas the rise of the St.
Francis and Little Rivers was slowing
down. but preparations were going for
ward for long siege of high water.
Rescue work proceeded throughout
Eastern Arkansas.
The situation in Middle Tennessee
eased with slow recession of the Cum
berland.
Evacuations were reported in certain
sections of Mississippi lowlands, but
there was no cause for immediate
alarm along the Tallahatchie and
Coldwater Rivers.