The Washington times., 1937-02-09
MEMPHIS SAFE
AS BULKHEAD
H0LDSFIR
Evansville Roofs Rip
ped as 45-MiIe Gale
Whips City


The Mississippi's flood crest rolled
past Memphis today with the river
standing at a flood stage of 48.56
feet.
Temperatures dropped today,
and the high winds that whipped
great waves against leveeS up and
down the river yesterday had gen.
orally receded.
Hastily erected bulkheads at
low points along the levee system
kept the waves from stopping over
the dikes.
A 45-mile wind whipped through
Evansville, Ind, unroofing houses,
uprooting trees and smashing
windows, adding to the misery of
the flood-stricken city.
Meterologist w. F. BriSt re-
ported today:
"Paducah was whipped by
angry waves which endangered
relief boats, drove relief workers
to cover, and disrupted electrical
service. The Ohio River there is
at 1888 feet, a fall of slightly
more than two feet from the
crest, but rehabilitation work is
going onward"
The flood crest may be several
days in passing Memphis, Brist
said.
Louisiana Break Feared
Additional workmen were rushed
to levees in Concordia Parish,
La, today when fear was eX-
pressed that a break may occur.
Sand boils caused by seepage were
appearing.
The flood situation was made
worse by an allnight rain and
windstorms that sent waves lash
ing against the dikeS.
Coast Guard cutters were stand
ing by for emergency in case Of
1evee breaks below Vidalia, La.
Five hundred families have
been forced out of the lowlands in
this area by high water. Some
of the families have been placed in
box cars and others have been
provided with tents.
Armed guards were patrolling
leveeS to guard against any at
tempt to dynamite them.
River Rising Rapidly
The Mississippi River here is
rising fast, the gauge registering
54.3 feet this morning.
The river was reported receding
at Hickman, KY. The Ohio was
reported falling at Cairo where the
greatest danger now is from sand
boilS.
Despite the evacuation order,
women and children appeared on
the streets of Cairo today, either
slipping past the guards patrolling
the highways or emerging from
hiding in their homes.
From here to New Orleans the
Mississippi was rising today as the
flood crest moved downstream. At
New orleans the river had passed
the 17-foot flood stage. At Natchez
the river was eight feet above
flood stage yesterday and still riS-
ing.
Arkansas In Peril
The greatest danger point, eng1-
neers said, is along the Arkansas
side of the river where backWaters
have already crept as far as 80
miles inland. Arkansas tributaries
were receding and refugees from
the least stricken sections were re-
turning to their homes.
A contingent of the engineers
pick and shovel army of 100000
men was rushed to the Deer Park
FairvieW area in Louisiana to
bolster levees weakened by sand
boils and seepage.
The river had passed the 5912-
foot stage at Helena, Ark, today,
a 53-foot crest was predicted for
Vicksburg, and 54-foot crest for
Arkansas City, where the stage
now is more than So feet.
Upstream rehabilitation work
progressed. At New Madrid, Mo-,
where high winds leveled num-
ber Of buildings yesterday, the
search continued for the bodies of
seven men believed to be in the
muddy waters of the New Madrid
blrQS S FOluG 1lOOQWdy.
Deaths Called Negligence
A coroner's jury investigating
the diSaster-the capsizing of
barge with 100 WPA levee work
ers abroad returned a verdict of
"contributory negligence" on the
part of the victims. Survivors tes-
titled the workers rushed onto the
barge when it moored to the levee
where they were working, and the
overlooking was largely their own
fault. TWenty-four bodies have
already been recovered
At Louisville firemen searched
for bodies in the debris of a
three-Story building wrecked by
explosions and fire. Ten bodies
have already been recovered. The
work of rehabilitation was pro-
crossing, although workers were
hampered by street cave-inS.
OrookI,uo Da.I.n4nnu