Evening star., 1950-01-18
Flood Dangers Mount
In Midwest as Storm
Lashes Great Plains
BY the Assoeioted Press

BY the Assoeoied Press
More thousands fled their homes
as flood dangers mounted today
over some critical areas of the
Midwest and Southern watershed
The Mississippi. Ohio and other
rain-swollen streams in the lower
Mississippi and Ohio River VAL
leys continued to rise at several
points.
There was mass exodus-about
5000 farmers and sharecroppers-.
in Southeast Missouri as the Ma
tion's biggest river surged to its
highest mark since 1897. Ap-
proxmiately 1000 other residents
in the Birds Point-New Madrid
f1oodway remained in the area.
Army Engineers kept close watch
on the Situation along the main
danger points of the flooding
rivers. They had not yet decided
on whether the f1oodway barrier
near Charleston, Mo-, on the Mis-
lssippi would be preached to ease
the pressure of rising flood waters
on Cairo, ILL.,, and other river
towns. However, Army Engineers
had warned the $4,000 residents
that the 139,000-acre foodway
may be dynamited open.
Vincennes Threatened.
The food peril appeared more
critical in Vincennes, Ind. a city
OF 10000. The surging Wabash
River crept toward the top of the
f1oodwall. About 400 volunteer
workers remained on duty during
the night filling and placing sand
bags at danger points. ::
= Besides the 5000 persons forced
from their homes in Southeast
Missouri, other thousands have
been made homeless temporarily
in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ar
kansas and Tennessee by the flood
waters from rivers in the Lower
Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.
In Arkansas the st. Francis,
the Ouachita, White and Little
Red Rivers spilled water over parts
of Is counties, driving out at least
$50 families. Other foodwaters
have forced 450 families to leave
their homes in West Tennessee.
More than 1000 persons have left
their homes in Illinois and Indiana.
The hoodwaters have caused
widespread damage to crops, live
stock and property.
While floods harassed wide areas
IN the Midwest and South, a new,
fast-moving storm roared through
the Central Great Plains and
howled across the Northern Great
Lakes region. It headed for the
North Central States.
The storm brought strong winds
and snow. There was considerable
drifting and blowing in Minnesota,
Northern Wisconsin and Upper
Michigan. The blanket at Calu-
met, Mich, measured 80 inches,
Temperatures over the storm belt
dropped sharply.
Tenneraturac naoI;r.
The mercury plunged to AZ de-
grees below zero at Bismarck,
N. Dak., today and it was SO below
at Havre, Mont, and "a at In
ternational Falls, MINI. The cold
air covered an area from the Pa
ciffc Northwest eastward over the
Upper Great Lakes and southwark
over the Central Plains States. The
low at Spokane, Wash, was 10.
The Charleston levee was dyna-
mited only once, in. 1887, to re-
lieve water pressure in more vital
areas along that stretch of the
Mississippi. The Army has set
up communications along the big
river from a point 80 miles above
Cairo to 142'@ miles downstream.
An Army engineer official at
Memphis said flood conditions
along the Mississippi parallel
those Of 1887, but that all main
levees are in good condition.
At Cairo, where the Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers meet, the Ohio
has risen to 55.19 feet, a rise of
IL of a foot in six hours, and 1t
was still rising. Light rain fell in
the area. Weather bureau fore
casters said the Ohio would crest
tomorrow at 55.5 feet, more than
4 feet below the city's sea wall,
II there was no heavy rain.
The Ohio had passed the 1916
food stage of STA feet at Rosi-
clare. Ill. Some of the towns
1000 residents are homeless.
The Wabash, 1ndiana's biggest
river, rising .03 of a foot an hour
was expected to level off today
and crest tomorrow at 20 feet, IL
feet above flood stage. It reached