Evening star., 1954-06-24
Des Moines Hopeful
As Leyees Hold Off
Highest Flood Crest
BY the Assoeio,sd Press

DES MONIES, June 24.-The
raging Des Moines River today
hit a historic crest of just over
80 feet-18 feet higher than its
normal flow. But flood defense
officials crossed their fingers and
said I'VE think we've got it
whipped"
A three-day battle, first to
raise the levees and then to hold
them against the pounding
waters, was in its climatic hours.
All major dikeS were holding. No
lives had been lost.
The crest was 31a feet higher
than the official peak reached in
the disastrous Des MoineS flood
when a major levee gave way and
flooded a riverside residential
area.
Hampered by Curious.
Levee workers continued to be
hampered by sight-seerS almost
as much as by the rushing waters.
Last night National GuardSmen
with bayonets shooed back zeal
Gus visitors who Swarmed into a
critical levee area near the City
Hall.
"They were crawling over
sandbags and ripping holes in
them and getting in the way of
trucks" said Police 1t. Alva
Glasscock. Col. Harold A. Hensler
of the Iowa National Guard
added:
People were coming down
here by the thousands. They
thought it was a sideshow."
But top guard officials stressed
there was no clash with the
sightseers. "They were just
quietly herded back to keep
them out of the road;" a guard
spokesman said.
24-HOur Crisis Seen.
Minor breaks in the miles of
1evee system, sand boils and
undermining occurred from time
to time today. Flood officials
said the situation would remain
serious for some "a hours.
The crest was of several hours
duration and fluctuating frac-
tionally around 30.1 feet. No
important drop in the stream
was due in Des MoineS until
tomorrow. A third successive
day of fair weather aided the
situation.
Downstream from DeS MoineS
the City of Ottumwa prepared
for a crest of 1872 to II feet
due there over the week end
Ottumwa was ravaged by a 20.2
crest in 1947 but this year lack
of rain in the valley below Des
Moines has created an easier
situation. Officials said they
were ready for water up to 1e
feet. .....
Level Falls Upstream.
Upstream from Des Moines
the river had fallen about 8 feet
from its crest near Boone anc
U. S. Highway 80 there was re-
opened to one-way traffic. U. S
Highway 6 at Des Moines still
required re-routing due to 9
flooded bridge.
In Des Moines many flooC
evacueeS already were making
plans to return home within tht
next "a hours.
Some $500 persons had left
their homes, mostly in a precau-
tionary move in case the softenec
leveeS gave way.
There was water in more thar
half the rs to 100 houses in ar
area north of Birdland Parl
where a secondary dixie breal
yesterday let the water through
But some residents refused tt
leave. They moved their furni.
ture into the second floor Of
onto the roof and prepared tt
wait out the flood.
President Acts.
Meanwhile, President EiSen.
hover named 10 Iowa countie;
disaster areas, thus qualifying
them for Federal aid. In a wire
to Gov. William S. Beardsley the
President expressed his utmost
sympathy" for Iowa flood vic
tins.
The counties designated dis
aster areas were Sioux, Plym-
outh, Cherokee, Woodbury.
Minona, Harrison, Ida, Clay
Calhoun, Kossuth, Humboldt
Webster, Boone, Hamilton. Han
cock, Cerro Gordo, Franklin
Hardin and Polk.