Evening star., 1937-01-26
FIRST REFUGEES
REACH COLUMBUS
Portsmouth Group Takes
Special Trains Con.
tacted by Busses.
xy the Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, Ohio. January 26.-
More than 500 twentieth century
Acadians-residents Of flood-tormented
Portsmouth on the Ohio River-com-
pleted today an excursion Of misery
from the squalor of their temporary
shelter in the flood zone to the safety
Of this State capital.
Carrying pitifully small bundles Of
belongings, mothers hugging tiny chill
dren to their breasts, the first Of the
flood refugees to be moved inland from
the swollen Ohio boarded one of the
two special Red Cross trains at tiny
crossing near Portsmouth last night.
Early today, after more than six
hours in the railroad cars. the ex-
hauSted survivors of the Ohio Valleys
worst food reached Columbus. They
found ready welcome. skilled
handling by Red Cross workers, and
finally prayed for rest and peace in
quickly assigned quarters.
Exhausted in Mind, Body.
The fugitives climbed from special
buses S miles from Portsmouth as a
special approached as close as possible
to the food. They submitted as
stoically to the removal as they did
when rising water drove them first
into second stories, then away from
their homes and into temporary
shelters.
T1,aro uoS M reSictopce aS tho
refugees trudged onto the waiting
train. and sank into their seats. most
of them totally exhausted in mind and
body.
A strangely assorted group. all
were alike in an almost complete
loss Of belongings as the flood waters
swept over the Portsmouth wall,
which for "a years had resisted every
attack of Old Man River.
Nearly half the group, 248, were
children, many of them pitifully tiny
children, their grimy hands and
sweaty bodies unwashed for many
days because of the acute shortage
OF water in Portsmouth.
In one of the II cars of the train
found Mrs. Frank Reed, pallid.
worn woman, nursing an infant
daughter who became two weeks old
as the train of humanity roared to-
ward Columbus. In the seat beside
her were three other small children
and the remainder of the family,
four other sons, daughter and her
68-year-old husband
I'VE were rescued just in time"
she said. IT didn't want to leave
because of the baby. But they final
ly had to pack us out by boat"
Woman Puffs at Pipe.
In the next car was the oldest
resident aboard, 80-year-old Marin
Brown, who puffed stoically on a
long, curved pipe as her son, Isaac,
and her daughter, Susie, told of their
escape from the flood.
Every car of the long train con-
tanned its quota Of injured, children
nursing bruises and lacerations re-
cejved in their escape from the floods
Several women were i'll or exhausted
and others, unused to train riding,
became sick as the train started its
journey out of the high-water area.
DR.. Albert L. Berndt, knight of
medicine in muddied rubber boots,
torn brown trousers and a rumpled,
griny shirt, rallied his nursing staff,
including two volunteers, and turned
a luxurious club car on the rear of
the train into temporary hospital.
Mrs. William Hanshaw of Ports
mouth aided him in caring for the
sick and injured, while in car ahead
her husband, Raymond. described
their flight from the flood with little
more than the clothes on their backs.
Everything is gone," he said. I'VE
had good furniture, clothing and
other things. I wonder how it will
be to start all over again"