Evening star., 1954-10-16
Boat Sunk, People
|Marooned as Potomac
Floods in Storm

hurricane Hazel. flooded it's
banks last night, wreaking havoc
along its entire length.
The wind whipped up white
capped waves on the Potomac
and pushed water over the sea-
wall at Hains Point.
Alexandria had flood waters
of the Potomac River to contend
with after the storm passed.
Water rose two blocks up King
street, flooding Easements. and
street level floors Of numerous
business establishments along
the waterfront.
! With all but one of its sewer
hoodgates closing automatically
to keep the Potomac River out
of the Capitals sewer system,
the District closed the last one
manually about 3 pm.
Two Highways Closed.
| Mount Vernon boulevard and
U. S. Highway No. ! were closed
to traffic at 9 pm. when the
Potomac rose across the cause
ways, at Hunting Greek. Traffic
was rerouted through Hunting
ton to Telegraph road and into
Alexandria. The two roads were
reopened around midnight.
In Alexandria, the Old Do
minion Boat Club was hard hit.
Two cruisers, one 32-feet long.
the other a 28-footer, sank at
their slips. Another pleasure
boat was seriously damaged.
Several docks were washed away.
Water at the foot of King
street in Alexandria, adjacent
to the boat club, was reported to
be nearly shoulder high at dock
side. The Quantico Marine Base
reported losing most of its dock
facilities. ....
Alexandria Inn Flooded.
The Seaport Inn at the foot
of King street in Alexandra
had about 4 feet of water on the
first floor. Proprietor Alber1
Schmutzer stayed on the secone
floor throughout the flood. Alex
andria police said he left a mes
sage with them to tell his wife
he couldn't call her-the tele.
phone was under water. Wher
the water receded, it left the inr
knee deep in mud and slime.
At least a dozen small craft
moored at the Bell Haven Yacht
Basin just below Alexandra
were swamped and sunk wher
the rising Potomac flooded the
entire area around the pier.
there. One sailboat was re.
ported missing from the clut
this morning. Many others were
damaged there.
Water a foot deep surrounded
some of the Belle View Apart.
ments in Fairfax County alons
Mount Vernon boulevard, police
reported. but no one had to be
rescued. Three homes in New
Alexandria near the boulevard
also were marooned briefly BY
the river. Police said they knew
of no automobiles stranded by
the high water because they hac
plenty of advance warning about
the affected roads near the
waterfront.
Heavy Damage at Marina.
! The Washington Sailing Ma
rina suffered considerable dam
age. At least ii sailboats were
reported capsized and the club
house was isolated from it's &C
cess road off Mount Vernon bou-
levard by rising waters. About
ITO feet of a catwalk used by sail
enthusiasts was wrecked.
At the Corinthian Yacht Club
Second and v streets S.W., little
damage was done, although fol
a time the water was waist deer
at the slips.
| Col. Roy Adams of the United
States Army Corps Of Engineers
placed the official height Of the
river at 8 feet 8 inches above
mean low water.
/ He said his men were alertec
in case they were needed. hut
they did not have to respond
for emergency sandbagging.
The Army Engineers received
distress call from an unidenti-
fed "radio ham" who called tc
say the Point Lookout Md
area, where the Potomac enters
Chesapeake Bay, was without
communications. The radio op-
orator said high water had also
marooned several persons there
A Coast Guard beacon light
on the Potomac at Morgantowr
was toppled by the wind and the
old ferry wharfs were carried
I away.