Evening star., 1938-09-22
River. already within 2 feet of the o.
font find stage and still rising

River. already within feet Of the o.
foot flood stage, and still rising.
Southbridge, Mass, town officials
and civic leaders agreed on an estimate
of $2,000,000 damage. Practically
every street was blocked by fallen
trees. Flood waters which inundated
the town yesterday after reservoir
gave way receded somewhat today.
In the western part Of Massachu-
sets. at Montague City, near Green
field, gauges showed the Connecticut
River had passed beyond height of
43.7 feet. compared with flood stage of
% feet. Small parts of Greenfield,
Montague City and two other towns
were under water and residents left
their homes.
A food shortage was reported in
three of Massachusetts, isolated COM
munities. Gilbertsville, Barre and
Barre Plains sent out word they each
had enough for but one day and that
the only way it'could be brought In
was by boat over flooded areas.
simultaneously, flood damage to the
towns Of Russell and Monson brought
an order from the State Department
Of Public Health for all persons to boil
their drinking water.
A Hartford (Conn.) Times repre-
sentative reported frol Old Saybrook
that eight unidentified bodies had
been found there along the beaches.
New England Paralyzed.
Not a vessel moved out of Boston
Harbor. Not train moved north
to Montreal. Automobiles moved, if
at all, in a wilderness of fallen trees
on city streets and State highways.
A woman drowned in the very center
of the Providence, r. l., business dis
trict.
Seven men met sudden death In
Boston Harbor when a tugboat sank
under them.
A gas tank holding 100000 cubic
feet OF gas exploded with roar in
tide-ravaged Providence, rocking the
water front in half-mile radius.
Two girl students died at North
field Mass, amid mass of toppling
chimney bricks. Twenty others were
hurt.
A school bus was reported engulfed
by flood waters near jamestown, R. L.,
and its five or six children passengers
drowned.
Mother and Son Drowned.
"A socially prominent Chestnut Hill,
Pa, matron, Mrs. John C. Norris,
was swept to death with her son, John,
when a tidal wave struck Narragan-
Sett Pier, R. I.
Similar scenes flashed almost simul-
taneously throughout New England as
rescue workers went to work.
So bad was the situation-with light,
power and communication lines down
in most of the area, tree-blocked high
ways isolating an undetermined num-
Der Of cities and some Of the hardest
hit communities under military con-
trol-that United States Representative
Arthur D. Healy. Democrat, of Massa-
chusettS wired President Roosevelt and
w. P. A. Administrator Harry Hopkins
urgent pleas for all available Federal
aid for the stricken area.
At the same time, Massachusetts,
Gov. Charles F. Hurley declared a
food and fuel emergency. His council
approved>a 5000 flood relief appro-
priation.
All railroad service on Boston &
Maine lines between Montreal and
Boston was suspended indefinitely.
The line linking Boston and Troy N
Y, was useless between Fitchburg
and Greenfield, Mass. Milk trains had
to be routed from New Hampshire by
way Of Montreal and Portland, Me-
Motorists found themselves unable
to buy gasoline because service sta