Evening star., 1949-06-18
Score Missing, Hundreds Left
Homeless After Flash Floods Hit
Upper Potomac Valley Sections
Petersburg, W. Vo.,
And Horrisonburq
Areas Affected

Nearly q score OF persons were
reported missing and hundreds
made homeless today by flash
floods that inundated communi-
ties and swept away homes in the
upper Potomac Valley region.
Early. unconfirmed Associated
Press reports said from to 10
persons were unaccounted for in
sudden overspilling of the South
and North Branches of the Poto-
mac in the Petersburg Moorefield
area of West Virginia.
In the Shenandoah Valley town
OF Bridgewater, just southwest of
Harrisonburg. Va, seven other
persons were missing and Fire
Chief Harvey Allen said the entire
town was "in a state of confusion
and near hysteria.
Some buildings at Camp May
Flather, the District Girl Scout
summer camp on the North Fork
Of the Shenandoah River, 20 miles
west of Staunton, were reported
washed away.
Miss Lenora Mann, District Girl
Scout director of camping, said
five counselors we're at the camp,
preparing for its opening next
Friday. Scout officials we're un-
able to get through to learn details
of the damage, but the staff was
presumed to be safe.
Accommodates 135 Girls.
The ,counselors are Miss Edith
Clark. camp director: Miss Eu-
genia Darby Of Alabama, assistant
director; Miss Grace McBade and
Miss Catherine Ducharme, both
of Lafayette. La, and Miss Faith
Mari of Washington.
The camp. which accommo-
dates 1875 girls, consists of about
20 cabins. large dining hall. di-
rector's cabin. five lodges and
other buildings.
At Bridgewater. Chief Harvey
said water still stood at 10 feet in
some parts of town at midmorning,
falling S feet since / am. For
several hours the college town
Of 1000 was without electricity. !
telephone or drinking water,
Volunteer crews sought for the
missing, including two identified
as Mrs. Dick Bowman and Leonard
Kiraeofe. IS. Another family of
"four or five" could not be found.
Family Marooned In Tree.
Roaring down the middle of
town. after q six-foot crest from
North and Dry Rivers united at
q junction nearby, the flood swept
past the Bridgewater College cam
pus bowling over trees and houses.
Mrs. Margaret Bricker and her
three children were reported ma
rooned in q tree after their home
was swept from its foundation
and swept past the college campus.
A Red Cross unit set up a field
kitchen and in nearby Rocking
ham County, Sheriff S. H. Cal
lendar called out National
Guard unit to aid rescuers. Water
Tapped at the roofs Of two-story
buildings.
Lee highway, q four-lane high
way from Washington to the
southwest, was blocked for six
hours during the night.
Rain Falling Again.
Among the missing in the Pet
ershurg area was State Police
Corpl. A. M. Hurst, his wife and
two children.
State Police Capt. Basil Z.
Wright said it was learned early
today that Corpl. Hurst's home,
near Petersburg, had been swept
away. Since then there has been
no trace of the family, their house
or automobile.
Waters which completely in
undated Petersburg about sun
down yesterday. then spread to
other communities. were at first
reported receding today as the
flood crest moved northeastward
toward Romney, w. Va, and Cum
kerland, Md.
Later, however. rain fell again
(See FLOODS, Page A-2.)