Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 25 January 1937 — Page 1

The Indianapolis T

increased cloudiness, possibly unsettled.

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FORECAST—Fair and much colder tonight with lowering temperature; tomorrow

PRICE THREE CENTS

Entered as Second-Cl:ss Matter at Pastoffice, Indian: polis, Ind.

N RISING

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500,000 FLEEING:

VOLUME 48—NUMBER 274 MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 1937

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RECORD FLOOD KEEPS

ORDER EVACUATION [SUMMARY OF STATE ;

Indiana Co-ordinates Its

OF JEFFERSONVILLE;

NAYLOR IN SECTOR

General Confers With ~ Louisville Mayor On Problem.

By NOBLE REED Times Staff Writer

WITH U. S. ARMY HEAD“QUARTERS, JEFFERSON-VILLE-LOUISVILLE SECTOR, Jan. 25.—Brig. Gen. _ William K. Naylor, directing relief work in four flooded Ohio Valley States, arrived in Louisville this afternoon after a rapid survey of Jeffersonville and the surrounding in-

undated Indiana area. ~ He is conferring with Mayor Neville Miller and other 5th Corps Area Army officers. Since the Army can not take charge until orders are rec ived from Washington, Gen. Naylor is expected to aid in drawing up recommendations for local relief leaders. Meanwhile, Indiana's greatest peacetime mobilization is being carried out with dispatch. National Guardsmen, 3000 strong, already have answered the call for emergency work. Hundreds more are standing by. : Martial Law Martial law is in effect in 33 counties. Troopers had orders to “shoot to kill” to halt looting. They had orders to evacuate all marooned persons, forcibly if necessary. “The area under martial law is all of the state south,of State Roads ' 36, 45 and 54, the’ north line run-. ning from Sullivan through. Bloomington and Columbus, and includes all the corporations limits of cities and towns bordering on these roads. Total population of the area 1s about 680,000. : Entire céunties (26) under martial law in southern Indiana are: Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Perry, Crawford, ‘Harrison, Floyd, Clark Jefferson Switzerland Ohio Dear‘born, Ripley, Jennings, Scott, Jackson, Washington, Orange, Lawrence, Dubois, Martin, Pike, Daviess, Gibson, Knox and Spencer, The southern half of these seven counties are under martial law: Sullivan, Greene, Monroe, Brown, Bartholomew, Decatur and Franklin. su “This Is Terrible” “This is terrible,” Gen. Naylor said on his first glimpse of the debris-littered water, estimated 25 feet deep in downtown Jeffersonville. = I made the trip from Jeffersonvill to Louisville with Gen. Naylor and his aids, changing boats four times and winding up in a Red Cross ambulance. It took us two hours to make the four-mile trip. We were (Turn to Page Six)

TELL CITY DAMAGE DESCRIBED BY NURSE

Red Cross Official Grateful For Indianapolis Aid.

By MISS JANET KOVALCHEK Red Cross Representative TELL CITY, Jan. 25.—The 4500 gallons of drinking water which arrived here last night from Indianapolis relieved an acute situation, but half the people in this town of 5000 are homeless. Refugees are being cared for in public buildings and business blocks, but the 5-inch rise, which is expected, would flood the entire town. In some places the water now is up to second-story levels. A few cases of pneumonia have been reported, but there are no large dis= ease outbreaks. Many of the refugees are to be evacuated out of this zone if conditions become worse. I am going to make a trip to other smaller communities in this area if I can. They still need food here. | |

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

Bob Burns ...18 BOOKS +.0ce.. 9 Bridge ....... 6 Broun .......10 Comics Crossword ....16 Curious World 17 Editorials ....10 Fashions ..... Financial Fishbein

Mrs. Roosevelt 9 Music Obituaries ...12 Pegler ....... 10 Pyle Questions .. Radio Scherrer Serial Story . Short Story .

..16

Grin, Bear It.16 Jane Jordan.. 6| State Deaths.12 Sullivan

Wiggam ......

Balanced Meals. Charley's Restaurant, 144 E. Ohio St. Adv, ie : i

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Troopers Ordered to Remove Residents By Nightfall.

By HEZE CLARK Times Staff Writer

IN JEFFERSONVILLE SECTOR, Jan. 25.—Only 50 houses are high and dry here today. Troopers and relief workers have been ordered to evacuate every home by nightfall. Water is reported 13 feet deeper in downtown Jeffersonville than in 1913.

Half-frozen men, women and children ‘are being, 6 loaded into

freight cars and started north. Railroad officials estimated 3600 left here yesterday. That many more were dispatched today. - Munching corned beef, his first food in 24 hours, Mike Higgins, Big Four yard clerk, told of the misery and suffering he had seen\in.the 60 (Turn to Page Six

LOUISVILLE CUTS OFF ALL POWER

Tiny Island in Center of City Only Spot Burning Lights.

®

By United Press LOUISVILLE, Ky, Jan. 25.—A hundred and fifty thousand men, women and children—almost half of this city’s population—were homeless or marooned in flood waters today, and the Ohio River surged higher by-the hour. The same misery, of lesser degree because it affected fewer .persons, prevailed in dozens of Kentucky towns and villages on the enraged Ohio from the West Virginia line on the East to Paducah on: the West. In the state as a whole 200,0 were homeless, but the flood waers mounteg steadily through city streets, threatening thousands more. Mayor Neville Miller of Louisville ordered the entire section of the city west of 15th St: evacuated. Power and lights were off everywhere except in a tiny island in the center of the city. The Courier-Journal and the Louisville Times, morning and afternoon newspapers, suspended publication sc that power for their presses could be diverted to hospitals. : Boats Needed Desperately There was a desperate shortage of boats to rescue marooned per- ’ (Turn to Page 14)

Fair and Colder

A drop in temperature, thus preventing thawing of snow and ice, and further . adding peril to floods, was predicted today by the weather bureau. Meanwhile, White River had dropped 1.3 feet over night. . The river’s reading early today was 7.9 feet. Prediction for today was fair and much colder tonight, with a 105 degree drop in temia The temperatures toay:

6 a. ... 28 10a. m.... 25 7 a. e.. 27" 11a.m.... 2 8 a. ... 26 12 (Noon).. 27 9 a

.m....2 1p.m.... 28

Three thousarid National Guard troops on flood duty under command of Maj. Gen. Robert H. Tyndall. Thousand of refugees brought upstate into concentration camps for food, medicine and shelter. Contributions to the American Red Cross clog mail to headquarters here. Governor Townsend and Adjt. Gen, Elmer Straub decide net to accept offer of Federal troops in Indiana. : Federal Communications Commission authorizes two emergency Indiana State Police radio stations in flood zone. Evansville prepares to evacuate 40,000 to 50,000 as crest of 55 feet is predicted. Finest homes under water. Southern third of State under martial law until further notice. Serum for typhoid, scarlet fever and pneumonia distributed by workers. Health situation good, Dr. Verne Harvey, State Health Director, says. ; ) Red Cross established in most flood sectors; WPA works under its direction. ; . Trains of boats head here from East; food convoys and trains head south from Indianapolis.

AURORA—ALt least 3000 of 4000 population reported homeless. Appeal made for 40 additidnal boats to evacuate people from homes. City cut off from outside fo® two days. River still rising. Food supply good. Medical aid requesteg.

BOONVILLE—NG flood in city itself, but transportation is cut off. * CANNELTON—Water three feet deep in center of town.

CHRISNEY—A National Guard supply center established. Relief is being sent to Hatfield, Richland City, Grand View and Rockport.

EVANSVILLE—Martial law proclaimed. Two-fifths of city under water. Gasoline station tanks explode under pressure and mix gasoline with- a heavy snow-slush. Firemen on emergency watches. Refugees pour into city. Scarlet fever reported, but believed in check. Street cars stopped, but water supply believed safe.

HENDERSON, Ky.—Large part of town under water. Moving families to higher part of city.

JEFFERSONVILLE—Refugees being evacuated by transport trains to cities out of flood zone.

LAWRENCEBURG—AIlcohol tanks floating in water menacing 350 refugees in distillery plant. Sanitation problem acute. At least six dead, 20 cases of pneumonia, two cases of scarlet fever. River over 77-foot mark.

MADISON—River rising about one inch an hour. Now eight feet higher than in 1884. Drinking water from emergency wells, All stranded persons, about 300, rescued.

MOUNT VERNON—AIl persons removed from flooded residential section, Situation under control. Water may be shut off tomorrow morning. Lights and telephone all right. £v

NEW HAR Y—Surrounded by water but has power and water.

NEWBURGH=Water still rising; last official reading 52.6 feet. Refugees arriving from Kentucky.

NORTH VERNON—Four hundred refugees here. given 170 injections against typhoid.

PATRONVILLE—High and dry.

PRINCETON—Need five outboard motors, 50 overcoats for refugees. Trucks returning to Indianapolis for aid.

ROCKPORT—Ohio River flood waters stretching to Newburgh; current increasing at Bullock. : SEYMOUR—City acting as mercy station for 1500 flood refugees, 125 hospital cases. Requests 300 cots. Physicians volunteer services, mer= chants contribute food.

SUNMAN—Three hundred cots, kit¢her( equipment needed.

TELL CITY—Half of town flooded Five-inch rise is expected. Four thousand five hundred gallons of water received from Indianapolis. Food

needed. TEXAS—Entire population of 200 evacuated.

Cincinnati Is Paralyzed; Alcohol Aurora Menace

By United Press “CINCINNATI, O., Jan. 25.—With all normal activity paralyzed and the one million flood-stricken residents of greater Cincinnati officially in a “state of emergency,” bedraggled refugees today gleaned a ray of hope from a forecast by U. S. Meteorologist W. C. Devereaux that the maddened Ohio River would reach a crest of 80 feet within the next 36 hours. The crest forecast was the first | Mr. Devereaux, veteran flood authority, had ventured since the early hours of the disaster. The predicted crest was 1.1 feet above the present stage. A Governor Martin L. Davey arrived here in midmorning to conduct, a personal investigation of flood conditions. Upon his urgent insistence, the Legislature at Columbus advanced the time of its meeting to consider passage of a bill to provide emergency flood appropriations. A joint warehouse to distribute food supplies to all grocers was established in Music Hall, in the downtown area.

Water Supply Drops

The biggest threat to the welfare of the refugees developed this morning when frantic residents seized upon an opportunity to secure drink(Turn to Page Four)

Medical unit has

By HERBERT LEWIS Times Staft Writer

IN LAWRENCEBURG-AURORA SECTOR, Jan. 25.—Martial law authorities indicated this morning they will try to evacuate everyone from Lawrenceburg and Aurora. Alcohol and gasoline tanks reported floating dowr: the river added a possible fire menace to the water and disease hazards of sufferers here. As the odor of gasoline grew stronger in Lawrenceburg and Aurora, authorities warned. everyone not to light matches. . National Guardsmen began this niorning rapid evacuation of 350 refugees from the Old Quaker distillery. : Thomas M. Kehoe, Red Cross official in charge, said this situation was “far worse than Pittsburgh last year, because then the water came and went. This keeps rising and the health menace is tenfold worse.”

Aurora Without Lights

“Conditions at Aurora are critical,” Col.. A. H. Whitecombe, commandant, sald. There are no lights. The food and water supplies are fair. Health is excellent. Will attempt to begin removing people by boats to Dillsboro today.” Red Cross, Naticnal Guard and (Turn to Page Six)

Cold, Dazed Refugees Tell of Days of Terror. -

By ARCH STEINEL

Into Indianapolis today came a thin stream of Ohio River Valley refugees, cold, some of them dazed, some

near exhaustion. They were detrained at the Union Station, carried by bus and street cars either to the homes of friends or relatives, or to the refugae center established by the Red Cross at the State Fair Grounds. And from their lips tumbled stories of terror, of privation, disease and the other ills that pervade the flood ‘area. So Earl Bottorff, deaf radio electrician, was,one of the flood heroes who stepped from the Jeflersonville train at 4:22 a. m. with his wife and daughter, Shirley Ann. Mrs. Bottorf told the story thus: “We live in the Hyde Park area of Jeffersonville: There are about 600 persons in the vicinity and they all depended for flood warnings for he last three days on Earl's battery set. “At first we had the set in our house. The water kept coming up and about the time it came in our front door we went out the back door to another house.

Huddle Around Radio

“We took the set with us. Twen-vy-four people huddled in that house listening to the radio warnings. The water kept on coming.” Ear] tried to rig up a short-wave set but he couldn't find batteries enough to get it to run.

ing into the second house. Earl decided he'd better leave with me and ihe baby. The others wouldn’t come with us.

‘You folks go on. I'll stay as long as I can’ : “We left with the battery set still opersiing and warning them to get out.” The Bottorfis are to stay with relatives at 3048 Newton St. A canary, “Sonny Boy,” was the main worry of Mrs. Isadore Anton and her mother, both of Evansville.

“House Floats Away”

“The house was floating away ‘when we left, with “Sonny Boy” in it but out of his cage. Maybe he’ll have a chance,” said Mrs. Anton.

A soup-kettle full of milk, medicines and odds and ends for their baby, was included in the equipment of Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Bradford, Evansville, when they arrived here. Mr. Bradford, manager of the Commercial Investment Trust Co, Evansville, described how he and his family listened all night on the radio for flood warnings. When the radio urged them to leave their homes they could see (Turn to Page Four)

Efforts to Relieve Distress Of 40,000 Flood

“Finally, the water started com-

“I've got two sisters and a broth- | er-in-law down there. My brother-in-law is a city fireman. He said;

Victims

Legislators Are Ready to Appropriate Fuids. ~ For Sufferers.

By JOE COLLIE};

Indiana today converted itself into a vast em irgency relief organization tha moved troops and supplies to the Ohio Valley flood reg on and refugees away from i . The agencies of State Ga ‘ernment co-ordinated their activiiies with Federal officials, the Amer can Red Cross and the vast WPA jrganization. - They worked to r lieve as quickly as possible threai; to life and health of more then 40,000 homeless Hoosiers. : The southern third of he state was under martial law pi: oclaimed by Governor Townsend ¢nd none

but bearers of military pa ses were admitted in the flooded re; ions.

Legislature Ready to Aid

The Legislature was prepared to pass flood relief appropria ions but Governor Townsend reco amended delay until Thursday on su h action. Public school buildings i: the entire state were proclaimed’ buy Floyd I. McMurray, public irstruction superintendent, as receiving stations for donations of food ard clothing for refugees. I% The Indiana Bell Telephone Co. asked that no unnecessary calls be made to flood area communities in order to facilitate emergency relief calls. Four trains bearing refugees arrived in Indianapolis. Seymour and (Turn to Page

ROCKPORT REQUESTS STATE SEND TROOPS

Fear of Possible Looting Brings Demand.

By JERRY SHERIDAN Times Staff Wriler IN ROCKPORT FLOOD SECTOR, Jan. 25.—Four thousand persons in isolated Rockport, 1500 of them refugees from inundated nearby communities, « this| afternoon asked the Indiana National Guard for troops. il The request was ms Se of Maj. Ralf Paddock, who mad a five-mile

| water trip over the sngry Ohio

River to visit the plac:| as part of

a survey for Adj. Gen Elmer F.|

Straub. Maj. Paddock said, upon his return to Chrisney, dry land headquarters for relief activigies in this sector, that relief leaders in Rockport were afraid the glace would be looted. | Dale, out of the flood area, but served by power geneiated in a river town, was without lights. So (Turn to Page Fire)

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RED CROSS FLOOD DISASTER FUND. Please record my contribution of $........ | cesne

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Mail to AMERICAN RED CROSS, Second Floor Chamber of Commerce Building, : Indianapolis. |

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FIGHT

Swiftly Again;

At a Glance

Floods worst in history throughout 11 Midwestern states. Homeless—500,000. Dead—37 known. By states: ; PENNSYLVANIA—A 11 e gheny, Monongahela rising again at Pittsburgh; Wheeling Island ordered evacuated. OHIO—Fire, flood sweep Cincinnati; 56,000 homeless. - INDIANA—Martial law throughout southern Indiana; many towns evacuated. ; : ILLINOIS—Cairo residents flee for lives; Shawneetown evacuation starts. KENTUCKY — Louisville in danger as sewers back up; Federal aid sought; Paducah starts evacuation. TENNESSEE—1,000000 acres flooded; 2000 maroohed in Tipton County. : MISSOURI—Report 14 drowned in Caruthersville; Mississippi River at record high. . ARKANSAS—3000 evacuate Trumann; influenza epidemic feared at Rector. «MISSISSIPPI — Coldwater River rising; crest sweeps southward.

EVANSVILLE AWAITS CREST OF 55 FEET

Troop Officials Map Plans For Partial Evacuation.

By LEO DAUGHERTY Times Staff Writer

EVANSVILLE, Ind, Jan. 25.—Indiana National Guard officials this afternoon laid plans for partial evacuation of Evansville as Army

engineers revised upward to 55 feet their crest prediction. It was 51 feet at noon today. Nearly all the fashionable East Side is. under water. Reports are that the crest will force more than half of the 102,249 population out of their homes. There is much excitement in the city. A voluntary partial evacuation of the (ity began last night, Each train bound for high and dry land left with more and more persons who wanted to get out before the crest came. 3 The city went under martial law today with Col. L. L. Roberts, city attorney, in -command. His first order was that not more than five gallons of gasoline be sold to any but official cars. He also ordered that only those having official business enter the flooded area, and that no refugee families attempt to return to their homes. Fifty Indianapolis firemen arrived here to augment the Evans(Turn to Page Five)

Mary Frances Duitz looks after her baby Alice Joyce, at the Manufacturers’ Bldg. % ¥

YOUNG IN YEARS, OLD IN FLOOD EXPERIENCE . .

hours in the boat that brought them a slo their home to the depot in Ji

dois sister, They spent | blocks from th

A BED AT LAST

Fagged! What's a little matter of removing boo en haven't slept for days and . This

flooc vietim awaiting his turn for registering at the Jianufactoress’ Building.

TROOPS ON DUTY;

DISEASE

Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers Rising

Cincinnati - and

Louisville Badly Crippled.

By United Press The flood grew worse today as Pittsburgh reported the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers again rising rapidly. Additional thousands were driven from their homes as the nation’s greatest peacetime mobilization sought to prevent spread of death and disease. ®

Along an 1800-mile front, the torrent flowed higher than ever before. Thirtyseven were known dead. Hundreds were missing. Property damage mounted into uncounted millions.

Nearly 500,000 were homeless in 11 states. The entire populations of Paducah, Ky., Cairo, Ill, and a score of smallér communities fled for their lives to high ground. Troop trains and truck convoys moved . refugees. The Red. Cross doubled its appeal for funds. It asked for $4,000,000 immediately in a new appeal. It had set aside $1,000,000 earlier.

Roosevelt Takes Charge

President Roosevelt, in Washinge ton, took personal charge of the . emergency. A state of martial law was in force along the Ohio River from Cincinnati to Caire. All of

southern Indiana was patroled by troops.

The Federal Surplus Commodities Corp. ordered 72,000 dozen eggs and- 60,000 pounds of canned beef for refugees. Medical supplies were exhausted or nearly so as doctors and nurses worked desperately to halt spread of typhoid, dysentery, diphtheria, pneu= monia and influenza. Sewers backed up in Louisville, adding to the menace. A water shortage was imminent in Cincinenati. A crest of 80 feet—30 feet above flood stage—was predicted for Cincinnati within the next 36 hours. Engineers reported flood waters pouring through 15 breaks in the Mississippi River levee below Cairo, It was in this same area last night that residents, armed with shotguns, prevented engineers from deliberate= ly blasting the levee. Indiana Congressmen led move ments for a resolution to ape propriate $10,000,000 for emergency flood relief. Scnes of Desolation

From Memphis, Tenn. to Cine cinnati, O., there was desolation. Frantic appeals were broadcast for boats, men and dollars to fight disease, aid refugees and rescue those whose homes are in the path of the onrushing waters. Thirty-five thousand WPA workers were assigned to assist Coast Guardsmen, National Guardsmen and volunteer relief agencies. Hun dreds of American Red Cross worke ers were in the field. The organi--zation asked the nation to cone tribute $2,000,000 for relief. These states were stricken: Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Ar= kansas, Illinois, Mississippi and Pennsylvania. : Deaths by states: Ohio, 9; West Virginia, 6; Kentucky, 4; Illinois, 1; Indiana, 2; Pennsylvania, 1, and the Midsouth ern basin of Arkansas, Missour Tennessee and Missippi, 14. Looting broke out in flood-strick-en towns and cities. Police were powerless to aid refugees and maintain law and order. National Guardsmen were ordered to: “shoot to kill.” Deputy sheriffs rushed to a school= house in Portsmouth on reports rioting had broken out among flood refugees. Several buildings in the heart’ of ‘the business district were reported collapsing. At. noon, the stage was 72 feet and still rising.

Rain Adds to Suffering

Rain, snow and sleet added to suffering, and to the flood menace. Normal ° transportation systems were paralyzed in some cities and’ badly crippled in others. & Half of Louisville was under water. Its population of 330,000 was panic-stricken.’ Mayor Neville Miller said 150,000 were homeless or - marooned. Sewers backed up into the streets, bringing the threat of typhoid. *All citizens were ordered inoculated. Drug stores offered free vaccine to anyone who could make his way

through the water-filled streets.

(Turn to Page Five)

STARTING TODAY—

Today's Local Personality cesveerecse.Page "They Die by the Thousands” ..........Page 9 New Daily Food ColUMN, +sesseeeee.Page @ Income Tax Series. .Page 11