Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-28
Northeast Stotes Diq
Woy From Flood Havoc
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press
Broken but not beaten, the
Northeastern States fought Their
way today up the comeback trail
1t was a strenuous climb
against the crushing blows dealt
by floods. But slowly, steadily
the region was rising from the
ruin. Order came where chaos
had been.
"We1l build anew-better than
before" was the rallying cry Of
townspeople and governors.
But the long process Of rebirtf
meant travail, especially at the
beginning. Lives and fortune,
had been lost. Years of work
were swept away in one wilc
spasm of nature.
Like a. giant rake. the flood
had clawed across an industrial
segment of America. gashins
whole cities, topping homes anc
stores, ripping through factories
and carrying its terrible cargo
toward the sea.
Not Since Noah
Behind, it left a pock-marke6
earth, a checkerboard of NOV
ing contrasts-of placid Pennsyl-
vania uplandS beside Quilted val
leys, of green Connecticut hill
tops overlooking mud-blackened
hedraggled towns.
/ 1t was one Of the most de-
structive floods, said 1t. Gen
Samuel Sturgis. chief of Army
engineers, since the biblical til les
Of Noah and his ark. Noah was
lnarooned for AZ days. even after
the water started going down.
One week has now passed
since the Northeastern floods
abated. The water is gone, but
the depredations remain. The
pangs of reconstruction, and
even survival. continue severe.
About $1,000 people still are
living and eating In shelters run
by the Red Cross.
Despite intense efforts to brace
up the riddled ranks Of the
regions industries. economic re-
percussions seemed likely to
linger.
Indefinite" is the word on
when some plants will reopen.
Others were vigorously bailing
themselves out of the slush and
the wreckage. Workers streamed
in and out, pushing wheelbar-
rows of mud, bringing in new
parts, hosing down buildings.
Golf Course for Drying
From the air, some disabled
factories looked like un-colored,
sWarming beehives. One Mon
son. Mass, textile mill blanketed
a golf course with soaked yard
goods to dry.
In comparison with some past
foods in America, the north
eastern deluge took a relatively
small toll of life-17l known
dead. 70 still missing. 500 in
jured-but property damage APP
peared the worst in history.
State-by-State estimates put
the total at about 20 billion
Army engineers. their forces
summoned from throughout the
Nation to help. put the costs
tentatively at SIG billion.
Latest surveys show nearly
1000 homes in six States de-
rnolished. about 10000 others
damaged. Close to 200 large
manufacturing plants are i'm
modified or crippled. Thou
sands of small businesses and
merchants were wiped out.
Uncounted miles of railroads
and highways were chewed up
and hundreds of bridges splin-
tered like toothpicks. The Army's
temporary Bailey Bridge" has
become a familiar part Of the
landscape.
None of this included the
millions of acres of farmlands-
and crops Of corn, tobacco
vegetables and fruit-laid waste
No Quick Cure Possible
Although Federal and State
Governments were throwing all
legally possible resources into
the breach+-grants to rebuilc
public facilities and low-cost
loans to businesses and farmers
this promised no quick cure.
1t takes time to mend 9
crumbled business, or just tt
figure what's left, what can be
salvaged, what financial risk
it takes to try. and even with 6
Government loan, it takes some.
thing else, too-courage.
In this atmosphere, the STALLED
commercial cogs were turning
again. falteringly, but turning
just the same. About $4,000 in
dustrial workers remained idle
their jobs and incomes out off b!
dashed plants.
With their families. they rep
resent about quarter million
people deprived-for the tim,
being-of their normal means o.
livelihood.
But the number had been NOR,
than twice that at the start AMI
1t still dWindled, little by little
By grit and sweat. companies
big and small-Were swabbinI
out and getting production goin,
again.
Connecticut Gov. Abraham A
Ribicof declared that out Of thu
rubble. with fortitude and fore
sight, I'VE will build a finer anc
greater Connecticut"
Digging With Panied Arms
All across the pummeled re-
gion, the same logged spiri
showed itself-in Massachusetts
Rhode Island, New Jersey, Penn
sylvania, Connecticut and tn,
dashed southern tip of New York
They are digging themselve
ot,t ~ enid DarnculvooIa Gnu