Evening star., 1937-10-24
MARYLAND AREA.
PUTS FLOOD COST.
AT OVER S9]0,0)0.
Officials Checking Results of
Worst Damage by Water
Since 1888.
NUMBER OF RESIDENTS
REMOVED FROM HOMES
Many Business Houses in Blad-
ensburg Are Forced to Close
for Day.
n, stan cnrresnondent Of The Star.

By Stan correspondent Oh Inc otdf.
BLADENSBURG, Md, october %
With damages estimated at more
than $500,0O0 tonight, officials began
checking the results of this sections
worst flood since 1888.
Swollen by inches of rain within
less than "a hours, the Northeastern
Branch of the Anacostia River spread
over a large portion OF Bladensburg
and extended into Colmar Manor,
Riverdale, Brentwood and Edmonston.
More than 6 feet of water covered
the Baltimore boulevard around the
Peace Cross.
Firemen and members of the rescue
squads from Riverdale, Hyattsville and
Bladensburg spent the day removing
residents from their flooded homes.
Doctor Rowed to Patient.
DR.. Darrell C. Grain, answering
call to treat Mrs. Mary A. Manning,
suffering with pneumonia in Bladens-
burg, had to be rowed to the home
by rescue workers.
In the same block, the body of Tom
Lee was awaiting burial, but the high
water forced postponement of the
funeral until tomorrow. A wreath on
the front door was only slightly above
the tapping flood water.
Vincent A. Osterman, president of
the Bladensburg Town Commissioners,
who has been active in the drive to
get food control measures along the
Northeastern Branch, said the dam
age probably would be far greater than
that of 1888, when the loss was esti-
mated at approximately S500,000.
Answer Post Office Call.
The first call fremen had to answer
this morning was to the Bladensburg
Post Office. Water running into the
building forced Postmaster Howard
Brown to vacate.
Clarence Gasch, chief of the rescue
squad, said nearly 20 families had
been moved from their homes in the
path of the flood and that three men
in boat still were busy taking others
out to safety. No casualties were re-
ported, however.
Business houses in the Bladensburg
area had and 3 feet of water on
their floors at the peak of the food.
All business was suspended in most of
the places throughout the day.
Kept Busy With Traffic.
As result of the routing of traffic
from the Bladensburg road over Rhode
Island avenue through Hyattsville, sew
eral policemen were kept busy entan-
CLING snarls as thousands of persons
started their drive from Washington
to Baltimore for the Maryland -Syra-
cuse foot ball game Ind to the Laurel
race track. The line of cars and
trucks was almost solid in double lanes
from College Park to Mount Rainier.
Although much of the area around
the race track at Laurel was under
water and the roads leading to the
track was mostly mud, the races went
off on schedule. Traffic was routed
over Whisky Bottom road, leading off
the Baltimore boulevard between
Laurel and the State police station.
High water over the tracks of the
Baltimore e. Ohio Railroad between
Hyattsville and a point beyond Bla-
.densburg forced suspension of services
over the freight spur early today
Service will not be resumed until the
water recedes, officials of the road
said.
The heavy rains of yesterday morn
ing swelled Rock Greek into a tur-
bulent stream which covered Beach
drive in some sections. This road was
closed from Military road north into
Maryland, and barricades also were
placed along Rock Greek and Potomac
parkway at the low point under Mas
sachusetts Avenue Bridge. Park police
said they believed the barricades could
be removed this morning.