Evening star., 1950-01-06
Flood Dangers Mount
In I Midwest States;
Ice Cripp|es Memphis
BY the As,eeiatsd Press

Flood perils appeared mounting
In Indiana and Illinois and a
severe ice storm struck damaging
new blows in Memphis today.
Bitter cold weather which had
chilled most of the Midwest this
week moderated but more freezing
weather threatened additional
damage to California citrus and
vegetable crops. Mild weather con-
tinued in the Southeastern States
and northward to the Middle At
lantic region.
Hundreds remained homeless in
the flooded areas. At least three
persons drowned in Illinois and
Missouri. Swollen rivers swept
over widely separated areas of
Illinois and Indiana. Some flood
conditions also were reported in
parts of Kentucky.
"A wide band of freezing rain and
sleet impeded highway travel from
Northern Ohio and Northwest
Pennsylvania southwestward across
most of Indiana and Southern n
linois into Southeast Missouri and
Arkansas. Rain fell in Eastern
Texas and the Tennessee Valley.
Memphis Schools Closed.
The worst ice storm in II years
curtailed all public utilities, in
cluding transportation, in Mem
phis. No immediate relief was in
sight. All schools were closed un-
til Monday. City bus transporta-
tion service was cut so per cent
OF normal as hours of sleet and
rain turned to ice and nearly par
alyzed the Mississippi River city
Of 350.000.
Thousands of Memphis homes
were without electricity and many
without heat. Some 5000 tele-
phones were out of service. Busi-
ness places were asked to close
early today to enable workers to
get home before darkness. Freez-
ing rain continued to fall for
four hours today.
Rain fell over many parts of
the flooded sections OF Illinois and
Indiana again today. Highways
were blocked in many places and
rail and highway travel was dis
rupted.
City Nearly Isolated.
The rising Wabash River nearly
isolated Logansport, a city of 90
600 In Northwest Indiana. The
crest of the Wabash which flows
from Northeast Indiana to the
southwest corner. was expected to
reach Clinton and Terre Haute
today.
Both forks Of the White River
which courses across the lower
central part Of Indiana and into
the Wabash south of Vincennes.
were above food stage and rising
Four units of the Indiana Ma
tiofial Guard were on call for
emergency duty. In Illinois, the
Sth Army at Chicago sent aid to
some areas and kept in close touch
with flooded sections.
The greatest flood danger in
Illinois was in the eastern and
southern parts of the State. Many
families were made temporarily
homeless in Villa Grove by flood
waters from the Embarrass River.
No immediate relief from the
cold was in sight for Southern
California. Temperatures of . "a
above were reported in some in
land points today but generally
the readings were not as low as
yesterday.
Cold weather in Texas was
blamed for five deaths in the last
two days.
There were sub-zero readings
again today in Minnesota, the
Eastern Dakotas. Northern Wis
consin and Northern Iowa. But
they were above the low marks
OF the last several days. Lows in
cluded 81 below at Pembina and
Grand Forks, N. Oak.
New high temperature readings
for the date were set in many
Eastern and Southeastern cities
yesterday. The mercury hit SO at
Cross City, Fla: 81 at Tampa
IT at Macon. Ga. and 73 at At
lanta and Birmingham; rs at
Norfolk, Va, and "a at Phila-
delphia. The days high at Los
Angeles was SO and it was 81 at
San Diego.