Evening star., 1939-07-05
80 to 100 Drowned in Kentucky
As Flood Sweeps Away Houses;
Aid Rushed to Stricken Area
Bridges Washed Out;
Governor Orders
Police to Scene
BULLETIN.


burst and swept creeks and rivers
out of their banks in the noun
tains of Eastern Kentucky.
Thirty-eight of the dead were
listed here by Postmaster w. E.
Crutcher.
The State Board of Health at
Louisville said it had been in
formed at least eight were
drowned when a wall of water
rushed down the gorge of the
Kentucky River at jackson in
Breathltt County.
b. the Associated Press.
MOREHEAD, KY, July 5.-Thirty-
eight persons today were reported
drowned in a quick-rising flood that
came in the night after cloud
burst. inundating most of this East
ern Kentucky mountain town.
Postmaster William E. Crutcher
reported the death list at 38.
Mrs. N L. Wells, chairman of
the Rowan County Red Cross, said
the loss of life may run to 100. She
also estimated there would be 1000
refugees and many requiring medical
attention.
The bodies of the following had
been recovered:
Mrs. George Boggess, 78.
Mrs. James Tolliver, II.
Mrs. Minnie G. Garter. 80, and her
son, Junior Bays Carter, IL.
Mrs. Curt Salyers, %, and three
children, Alberta, 2; Bobby, 4, and
Ivan, 6.
Mother Drowned.
Mrs. Salyers' mother, a Mrs
Ratliff, and the latter's son, Lorene, 6
A man named Porter.
Marjory Amburgey, 13.
Evra Lee Amburgey, s.
Lula Mae Perry. 81.
Selva Lee Perry, II.
Maggie Frances Collins, II.
Evra Lee Goebel, 10.
Elmer Sparkman, 9.
John Paul Sparkman, 6.
Thelma Lee Sparkman, 4.
Robert Sparkman.
Mrs. Salyers and her three chill
dren, her mother and her brother.
were drowned as they were attempt
ing to start an automobile to flee
from the onrushing water. The car
was overturned and washed several
hundred feet.
No students of Morehead Teach
ers' College, located here, were in
the flood.
Mr.. Crutcher said the death toll is
expected to be high in the rural sec
tions of Rowan County, with which
it has been impossible to communi-
cate.
Farmers, village miles west of
here, was completely cut off and
Clearfield, factory town of approx
imately 500 persons, on the opposite
side of Triplett Creek from More
head. was feared to have suffered
heavily. Rescuers were unable to
cross the swift current to reach the
community.
Water as Deep as 10 Feet.
Water on Railroad street, More
heads main thoroughfare, varied in
depth from 4 to 10 feet at the peak
of the flood. Bill McClain, fireman
at the State Teachers College, esti-
mated the water rose 10 to Is feet in
less than 30 minutes.
Ted Sparkman, whose four chill
dren are missing, said the force of
the rushing torrents swept his house
from its foundation.
Il grabbed my wife" he said, land
we ran to the door. The force of the
water swept us into the torrent and
We were sucked into the street A
few seconds later our house swept by
and we were unable to do anything
for our children. We could hear
their cries as our house swept by"
Mr.. Sparkman and his wife were
rescued from tree top at $50 m.
by boatmen.
Rescuers said between so and rs
persons were taken from tree tops
along the banks of the creek.
Reports from all sections of East
ern Kentucky indicated the heavy
rainfall had been general and that
streams throughout the section were
flooded
Mr.. Crutcher and Joe Duncan,
telephone company manager here,
were unable to send out full
details of the disaster as an
emergency telephone was COM
mandeered to order medical sup
plies and ask aid for the stricken
community.
Paul Morthorst. a delivery truck
driver for Louisville newspaper,
who was stranded here by the cloud
burst which preceded the flood, esti-
mated "at least 40 or so persons"
were drowned.
Mayor Warren c. Lappin tele-
phoned Arthur Gamble, w. P. A.
district director at Paintsville, 10
miles from here. asking "all w. P. A.
help available" He said sanitary
conditions worst possible.
The American Red Cross ordered
Mrs. Sheridan Connally, field repre-
sentative, from Lexington, KY. into
the flooded town to set up relief
Offices.
River Rises 1913 Feet.
At Cincinnati, w. c. Devereaux,
United States meteorologist, reported
heavy rains throughout Northern
and Eastern Kentucky. The Licking
River at Farmers, he said, rose 1913
feet in the "a hours ending at 8 am.
Farmers is miles west of here.
Gov. A. B. Chandler at Frankfort
ordered State patrolmen and State
highway emergency crews into the
stricken county. The Governor
termed the flood "a terrible thing"
The flood was the second disaster
to strike Morehead in "a hours. Yes
terday fire threatened to sweep the
business district. ALT Caskey, owner
of the property damaged, estimated
his loss at $4,000.
Townspeople sought to rescue Mrs.
Harley Boyd from a house slowly
breaking up against a tree. Mrs.
Boyd could be seen plainly in the
gleam of searchlights across 300
yard stretch of raging water, Mr..
Crutcher said, but the torrent was