Evening star., 1948-04-14
Ohio River Rise Slows;
Areas on Tributaries
Feel Floods Brunt
By the Associofed Press

from Pittsburgh to beyond Louis
Vile, KY, today, but rivermen hoped
to get by with little damage.
The rate Of rise slowed at severa
key points, and the water so fal
has done little but force people living
In low areas to make their usua
spring trips to high ground.
Conditions on some Tributaries
were more serious. Cynthiana, KY.
on the South Fork Of the Licking
River south of Cincinnati, suffered
great damage" Police Chief Leslie
Miller reported. The water suppl!
was shut of and 400 families were
forced from their homes. Falmouth
where the South Fork joins the
Licking. braced for the expected
sharp rise.
Flash floods on creeks and small
rivers chased out numerous famllie!
In villages in many parts of the val
lev. However, in many cases, the
water already had gone down today
and the people had returned te
their homes.
Florida, North Dakota Hit.
Other floods hit lowlands ir
Florida and North Dakota.
An estimated 1000 families vert
evacuated in the Ohio River ares
of Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Wes1
Virginia, Indiana and Ohio.
Nearly 100 families were forced
from their homes in Grand Forks
N. D., and nearby East Grand Forks
Mimi, when the Red River crested
at 40.70 feet 1910 feet above f1ooc
level. National Guardsmen dyna.
mited ice jams there to save bridges
Grand Forks power plant was ou'
of order.
Florida's State capital. Tallahas.
see, was isolated from Peninsulal
Florida except by air or round.
about routes through Southern
Georgia. Branford, Fla, wa!
hardest hit when the Suwannet
River left It's banks. There were M
reports of flood deaths or injurie.
and the water was falling there.
Red Cross Sends Aid.
National Guard units were alertee
at Marietta, Ohio: Parkersburg. w
Va, and Jacksonville, New Alban.
and Evansville. Ind.
At Washington, Red Cross East.
ern area headquarters announced
it was sending 20 disaster workers
to areas facing major flood threats
Red Cross shelters were set up a
Parkersburg and Point Pleasant
w. Va: Maysville, KY; Cincinnati
and Marietta, and Madison ane
Aurora, Ind.
The Army and Coast Guard SEN
cots, blankets and additiona
workers.
Two Ohio cities, Pomeroy anc
Athens-were isolated. All traffic
vehicular, rail and air-ground to g
virtual halt in Athens, Meigs ane
Washington Counties. Ohio Uni
versity's athletic field at Athens
was 6 feet under water.
Business sections In Pomeroy
Marietta, East Liverpool, Ohio, anc
several West Virginia cities-includ.
ing Wheeling were inundated
Companies at Madison, Ind, evac'
uated water front Offices. =, In cities
protected by flood walls men worked
throughout the night placing sand
bags.
At Pittsburgh, where the Monon.
gahela and Allegheny Rivers meet
to form the Ohio, the river crested
at 266 yesterday noon and started
going down. But last night it be.
gan rising again and today was ex.
pected to reach 27.5 feet-2h feet
above flood stage.
East Liverpool. about 40 miles
downstream from Pittsburgh, re-
ported q reading several feet above
its 33-foot food stage. Bus and
auto traffic was halted over the East
Liverpool o-Steubenville highway
Cincinnati prepared for a 60-foot
stages above flood stage. The
Red Cross estimated 6,170 persons
would be affected in the immediate
area if the Ohio reaches so feet.
At Newport, KY, across the liver
from here, pumps were installed to
move sewage out of the city.
Flood Delays Strike.
Flood conditions brought post
ponement of a strike against 76
Cincinnati produce houses serving
an eight-State area within 300 miles
of here, drivers and helpers had
scheduled a strike for 1901 am,
tomorrow, to support demands for
2O-cent-an-hour increase. Samuel
Butcher, business representative for
the Commission House Drivers and
Helpers Union (AFN, said men,
bers would keep on working as
long as the emergency lasts"
The Newport Rolling Mill and
the Andrews Steel Co. at Wilder,
Ky, banked fires and suspended
operations Monday.
Early today. Chairman Paul F
Thomas Of the Red Cross Disaster
Relief Committee at Proctorville
Ohio. requested trucks from the
Ohio highway department tc
evacuate Is families from low-lying
areas.
He said 54-foot stage was ex-
pected tonight at the Lawrence
County town, just across the Ohio
from Huntington, w. Va. at 2 am
today Mr.. Thomas reported, the
level was 4s.7 with the river rising
5 of foot an hour.
Wheeling reported 375 feet ano
looked for a 40-foot crest tomor.
row. 4 feet over flood stage. Wheel.
ing News and Intelligencer crews
worked throughout the night tc
safeguard press motors by moving
them to higher ground. Spokes.
men said they expected the news.
paper buildings ground floor woule
be under water tomorrow.
A>f.L1. n>.:~>1>J