Evening star., 1947-09-22

maintained steady shuttle service
in the inundated area carrying ma
rooned families to safety.
So far about 1000 families have
been ferried to dry ground. Sheriff's
Deputy John Williams. said the
waters in some places were 8 to 8
feet deep.
These same food waters also car
ried the bodies of as least six persons
The Coast Guard brought in three
from a swampy area around Lake
Pontchartrain and hauled out two
more victims. an aged blind woman
and an unidentified man, near a
fishing camp. A couple and their
5-year- old daughter are still missing
in this area and at Lake Catherine,
a man and his wife have not been
seen since the hurricane struck.
Finds One Body.
Sheriff Frank ]. Clancy of Jeffer-
son Parish reported he came on the
body of a colored man who appar-
emily was drowned by the overflow
waters from Pontchartrain as he at
tempted to lead cattle to high
ground. Another colored man was
with the first and is.believed drowned
also, Sheriff Clancy added.
The sheriff said sewerage contain
ination also was adding to the mis-
cries of those in the flooded area.
About 300 persons had to be evacu-
ated from the Metairie High School
as the building became unfit for
human habitation" because of
breaks in sewer pipes.
On the outskirts of the Everglades
in Southern Florida, troubles were
being heaped on troubles for weary
residents. At Canal Point men
worked by whatever light was avail
able or none at all to bolster dikes
around Lake Okeechobee.
The lake, already full from alb
normal summer rains, was rising on
the strength of the torrential rains
which hurtled down with stinging
force from the hurricane. The
highway patrol reported from the
area that if the dixie broke, Canal
Point and several nearby towns
would be under 4 to feet of water.
Evacution Train Prepared.
Canal Point is on the Eastern
shore of Lake Okeechobee about 10
miles of West Palm Beach. AS the
waters rose. the Florida East Coast
railway prepared to rush an evacua-
ton train in from Fort Pierce. Ordi-
narily about 10000 people live in the
area which might be covered with
some water in event of a break in
the dixie.
Florida already has counted its
storm damage at $4,000, ,000-so far.
No comparable estimate has yet been
made for the Gulf Coast area though
virtually every house along the beach
and most business places from BIZ
loxi to New Orleans have been dam
aged to some extent. Most of the
beach vacation cottages have been
crumpled like so many match boxes.
In New Orleans alone, Mayor de
Lesseps Morrison has counted the
loss at $7,0G0, 900, and with the floods
in some sections of this city the
overall estimate undoubtedly will
climb.
The Jefferson Parish losses from
flood and wind also appear to be
heavy. Household furnishings in
many instances were water borne
inside the confines of the walls.
Transportation Hazardous.
Transportation through the
stricken area still is hazardous
matter. Most highways are closed
though one or two still are open.
Traffic on these road is being con-
fined to persons with urgent busi-
ness,
The Louisville g. Nashville Rail-
way said service between Mobile
and New Orleans will be out for at
least 60 days due to bridge washouts
at Biloxi and Bay st. Louis.
Looting in all areas was reported
under control. In Mississippi alone
about 400 national guardsmen were
patroling beaches and business