Evening star., 1944-08-03

III 0hOs1sSa sVV0VN
By 1orrentiaI Rain.
Firemen Pumping Out
CelIors; Downpour Wos
Heaviest in Two Yeors
Firemen and sewer department
employees today continued pump
ing water out of hundreds Of base
ments flooded by yesterdays all
day torrential downpour, the heavi-
est in two years, which forced
approximately $50 persons from
their homes, disrupted trafiic and
marooned thousands in homes, ON
ces and stores. =
The 5.32-inch rainfall started at
800 am. yesterday, and except for
a brief period last night when the
downpour stopped, continued until
6:N Am. today. The Weather Bu-
reau said today would be hot and
humid with no more rain.
Hardest hit by. the rain were the
$50 persons evacuated from the
Jubal Early Federal housing de-
velopment In Arlington, where water
stood from 4 to feet deep. The
project, transformed into lake,
was accessible In areas only by boat.
Troops Guard, Homes.
Evacuees, were taken to Calvary
Methodist Church and the Je1fer-
son firehouse as troops from Fort
Belvoir arrived on the scene to ofIer
assistance. Food was served to
the temporary homeless by; Red
Cross canteen units in the develop
ment's community house. East
night 1000 persons milled about
the flooded area, helping the farni-
lies remove their furniture to dry
ground. .,-~ ~,
DR.. Ralph 6. Beachley. Arlington
County health ofiicer, said thai VOL
untary typhoid shots would be given
to the Jubal Early project evacNees.
A staff of 30 men started work to-day
disinfected the flooded areas ~, q
preventive measure against typhoid
and malaria. '1..,.si
Meanwhile, Arlington County
Manager Frank Hanrahan blamed
National Housing Agency roncials
for ths hooded conditions. -.
Il told the MIA authorities. on
several occasions that the site had
insufficient drainage" Mr.. Hanra-
han declared. IF the drainage sys-
tenn had been completed this never
would have occurred"
Thirty five families on Valley
street Sc, near Anaeostia High
School, were removed to the school,
while others were rescued from
flooded houses tn the $3.50 block Of
Crodut place Sc.
Streets here were converted into
miniature canals by. the driving
rain. Government employees, many
Of them removing. their shoes,
sloshed through feet Of water at
Constitution avenue and Four
teenth street NV.
Traffic Pafalyzed.
At many Intersections Constitution
avenue looked like = roaring stream
during the downpour. The avenue
was practically deserted Of automo-
biles, except for taxicabs jammed
by stranded persons going home.
Elsewhere throughout the city
bus and streetcar trahac was fire.
quently tied up with passengers in
many cases forced to wade in foot
deep water as they left the vehicles.
Metropolitan police reported that
the hardest-hit sections were the
Ow-lying area around Gallinger
Hospital on the Anacostia River, the
municipal fish wharf where a storm
sewer top was washed OF as the
water in it backed up, and the
blocks in Hail street S.W., between
TOO and 1000.
During the height of the storm
Commissioner John Russell Young
prepared to mobilize, If necessary,
the citys forces against the Potomac
River which rose throughout the
day Highest river stage yesterday
was recorded as So feet above low
tide mark at pm. The flood stage
Is feet. The highest recent water
mark was 17.5-foot level on Octo-
Der II, 1912.
Firemen Get Many Calls.
Throughout the night weary fire.
men answered emergency calls from
householders whose Easements had
been flooded. BY 8 am. today 200
complaints had been answered.
In nearby Maryland, for the first
time In "a years, traiYic was not
stopped by heavy floods along the
Baltimore boulevard at Peace Cross,
Bladensburg.. Perce Wolfe, Prince
Georges County supervisor OF the
Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, attrib-
nted this to the filling in Of low
lands In the area with dirt dredged
from Eastern Branch. The work has
been II. progress under his direc-
ton for the last two months.
Several cars In Silver Spring were
damaged when a brick wall at the
Wolfe Motor Co. on East-West
highway was loosened by the rain
and caved In. police reported.
The storm was described by the
Weather Bureau as what wax LETT
OF . tropical storm ct hurricane
proportions which swept inland
from the coast OF North Carolina.
Both the Weather Bureau and the
Agriculture Department said the
rain would prove very henealcial
to thirsty crops In nearby Virginia
and Maryland. 49,