Evening star., 1943-05-19

persons evacuated from their homes.
Civilian defense workers imposed an
informal martial law under which
the downtown area was darkened
and no one was permitted in the
flooded business district unless on
official business.
Record Missouri Crest Seen.
The Coast Guard and Army have
evacuated hundreds of families in
St. Charles, Mo-, where observers
estimate the Missouri River stage
will reach 1868 feet before Saturday,
the highest since 1903 and sufficient
to inundate 10000 acres. Some Army
engineers expected the ecrest to ex-
ceed the 1874 record of 40.1 feet.
Southwest Missouri suffered prob
ably its worst flood in history. Water
stood 3 feet deep in Joplin business
buildings. Frisco railroad officials
reported service on its lines was cut
between Monet. and Joplin, at Ash
Grove between Springfield and Kan
sas City and at two spots-Neosho
and the Alton -Vinita area in Okla
home-between Monett and Tulsa.
At Tulsa, Okla, flood waters for a
time threatened the water supply.
Fourteen mines in the Missouri
Arkansas Oklahoma lead-zinc field
were shut down by high water.
Flooding streams in Southeastern
Kansas inundated portions of sew
eral cities and spread over thousands
OF acres of farm lands and blocked
roads.
Special highway trailers were to
bring lifeboats from Lake Michigan
and Army engineers increased river
patrols so per cent to $50 men. Col.
Malcolm Elliott of the Army en-
gineers predicted "a major flood in
the lower Missouri basin"
State Guard Troops Out.
State Guard troops were sent out
in Indiana and Missouri. Two State
Guard companies were on duty at
Joplin, Mo, where the waterworks
was flooded and the city's supply was
expected to become exhausted.
Pressure of the flood-swollen Ar
kansas River broke the Big Inch"
oil pipe line and cut off the flow of
fuel from Texas to Illinois. Valves
were closed promptly.
A New York petroleum industry
source, who declined to be quoted
by name, said that the Big Inch"
break probably would result in a
cut Of at least a million barrels in
supplies for the East, due to the
fact that it will take from 10 days
to two weeks to repair the damage -
Estimates were that 100000 acres
of farm and bottom land we're
flooded in Illinois and Indiana.
Scores of bridges also were washed
out in Indiana. Warnings of floods
rivaling last weeks record breaking
overf1oWs came from Muskogee,
Okla. although the Arkansas River
was falling generally in Arkansas.
Power Dam Menaced.
Douglas G.. Wright, manager of
the Grand River Dam, giant Federal
hydro-electric project in Northeast
ern Oklahoma, said at Tulsa this
morning that "the greatest flood of
all known records is at this moment
pouring into the. reservoir"
Mr.. Wright said it might become
necessary to release the full inflow
if the reservoir was filled to capacity.
G. C. Niday, general manager of
the Eagle Picher Mining & Smelling
Co., said about so lead and zinc
mines were closed down because of
high water and power failure.
Huge water fountains developed
in the Missouri lead and zinc mine
area from flood pressure. In some
instances water spouted so to 100
feet in the air.
Spring River, which cuts across
Southeastern Kansas, was on a ram
page in both Kansas and Missouri
The river, highest since 1872 at
Baxter Springs, Kans.. flooded out
big hydro-electric plants at Lowell
and Riverton. seriously impairing
power to the mining area.
The Office of Civilian Defense
took over warning and policing at
Pawhuska, Okla, where 240 families
were driven from their homes by
the flooding of Bird Creek. Red
Cross workers aided in removing
the families and provided them with
food and shelter.