Evening star., 1942-08-10
Families Routed,
Traffic Stalled,
Crops Damaged

1928, when 7.31 inches Of rain fell
in a 24-hour period.
Humidity Stays High.
Prospects of more rain accom-
panying thunderstorms late this
afternoon or tonight were reported
by the Weather Bureau. Although
the sun came out directly after ces-
sation of the rains yesterday and
again this morning, humidity con-
tinued to be high.
The week end rain, it was reported,
created no flood dangers along the
Potomac River. Most of the water
had receded by this morning and
highways were open for traffic again,
except where the rains had washed
out holes in the road.
Nearby Maryland and Virginia
were hit hardest by the flood, which
isolated communities, flooded cellars
and reached into first floors, blocked
traffic and caused water from sewer
lines to back up into homes.
Is Taken From Homes.
The Eastern branch of the Poto-
mac River swept over its banks at
Bladensburg and flooded the area
around the Peace Cross to a depth
Of feet. stranding residents of the
town and forcing motorists to aban-
don their cars. About IS persons
had to be removed from their homes
at the height of the storm.
Traf1ic on the Baltimore highway
was routed through Rhode Island
avenue while motorists desiring to
use the Defense highway had to
take a two-mile detour through Ed
monston road in Riverdale.
Customers in Bladensburg road
house had to be carried to dry land
while several youths did q brisk
business pushing cars out: OF the
flooded 4xea.
Residests of Branchville also were
marooned by rising water over the
approach to the overpass on the
new Branchville road.
w. A. DivalI, resident OF the
area, expressed fear that a similar
situation would exist during future
heavy rains, since the old road,
which is passable during floods,
will be barricaded when the over
pass is completed.
Four Feet Of Water.
Approximately four feet of water
covered Route 4 just outside of
Upper Marlboro and trafIic was re-
routed via the Grain highway
Rowboats had to be used to cross
the road.
Hundreds OF easements were
flooded in Alexandria, and Route
at Hunting Greek south of Alex
andria was closed for several hours
Stores and apartments at Pres
idential Gardens, Alexandria, were
flooded by the overflowing of -Four
Mile Creek. The rush of water
broke through a retaining wall OF
a house in the 200 block OF Glendale
avenue, police reported. Many
homes were without utility service
due to short-circuits caused by the
water.
The lower end of the Belle Haven
Country Club golf course was under
2 feet of water yesterday and a pile
of tin cans washed down from a
nearby garbage dump floated around
in the new water hazard.
Sewer Mains Clogged.
Sewer mains in the 100 and zoe
blocks of North Oakland street, Ar.
lington, were clogged up by the flood
forcing the water to back up into
homes in the area. HOUSEHOLDER
made frantic calls to health authori
ties to clear the mains.
Police rerouted traffic on South
Glebe road west Of Arlington Ridge
road, which was covered with abou,
feet of water.
Two fatal Maryland traffic acci
dents were attributed indirectly tt
the rain. Miss Betty Marine, rs, Of
Cambridge, was killed instantly
early yesterday when the station
wagon in which she was a passen.
ger skidded of a muddy highwa.
and crashed into a tree near Cam
bridge. Miss Marine was the daugh
ter of A. Stengle Marine, Cambridg,
attorney and candidate for tn,
State Senate on the Republican pri
mary ticket.
James L. Leonard, Dundalk, wa
killed in an automobile accident OF
flooded highway.
Rail Tracks Flooded.
Flooded railroad tracks along tn
Baltimore & Ohio's Alexandra
branch near Hyattsville halted traf
flc for six hours Sunday morning
company officials said Trains wer
also stopped for a short time nea
Fredericksburg, Va, when track
of the Richmond, Fredericksburg &
Potomac Railroad were covered b,
water In Bedford County, Va, tn
rains washed out about 300 feet O
fill along the tracks OF the Virgini,
Railroad at Stone Mountain ant
made it necessary to reroute train
! from Roanoke to Lynchburg.
At l pm. yesterday, feet o
water still covered Bladensburg roa'
: at New York avenue NE, wher
the water had piled up to a deptl
of 4l2 feet the night before. Afte
: the sun came out, however, tn
water flowed of more quickly AM
enabled police to reopen the roat
S to traffic.
Farmers in nearby areas reported
: heavy damage to corn crops causes
by flooded fields. According to I
> B. Symons, director of extension
5 service at the University OF Mary
, land, the tobacco crop in Southern
, Maryland was not damaged, but h
! said the rains probably endangered
tomato crops on the Eastern Shore
4