Cumberland, MD--History

W. P. A. Workers Aid In Flood

Blanket Orders By President Being Carried Out In This Section.

Acting under blanket authority given today by President Roosevelt for the use of WPA workers where ever they are needed in flood zones, S. C. Cromwell, WPA director for this area at Frederick, authorized the use of WPA men at Williamsport, Hancock and other places in this section.

Red Cross Aids In Flood Region

Representatives Come Here To Visit Towns Along Potomac.

Representatives of the American Red Cross from Washington arrived here this morning to extend relief to persons in the towns beleaguered by the Potomac flood. Local Red Cross workers co-operated with the representatives, who endeavored to reach Cumberland as one of the first points of contact, but owing to conditions in that section it was doubtful if they could get to the stricken town.

WILLIAMSPORT, HANCOCK AREA IN FLOOD PATH

Potomac River Also Leaps Banks At Harper's Ferry—No Trains Running

CREST LATE TODAY

Potomac-Edison Power Plant Shut. Down— High Water Blocks Highways

Williamsport, Md., Mar. 18. The rising Potomac river swept away several small buildings here today and forced the Potomac-Edison power plant to shut down.

The closing of the plant left Williamsport without electric current and caused the pumping plant of the Hagerstown water system to

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BUILDINGS FLOATING IN RIVER; HANCOCK BRIDGE MAY GO OUT

River Reaches 38 Feet At Williamsport And Still Rising; Scores Of Club houses Swept into Swirling Waters; Most Of Hancock Is Under Water.

The Potomac River Valley today is experiencing its worst flood since the days of the memorable Johnstown flood of 1889. The swirling waters had passed the Johnstown flood peak at Hancock, in which section a number of houses on the West Virginia side of the river were carried away into the river and the bridge across the Potomac there threatened to collapse momentarily.

The Hancock News

Hancock, MD 21750
Volume 98, Number 11

The 1936 Flood: Oceans of Water

(from The Hancock News, March 20,1936)

Hancock visited by the worst deluge in its history. West Main St., covered by 25 feet of water. Span of Potomac River Bridge washed out. Damage to Hancock real estate and personal property will run up into thousands of dollars. Some homes washed entirely away. Many autoists marooned here.

OAKLAND ONLY SLIGHTLY TOUCHED BY FLOOD WATER

Garrett County Lowlands Covered, But Not Much Damage Reported—Snow Covers Earth

TRAIN SERVICE HAMPERED

With flood waters covering more than fifteen states of the East, Garrett county was only slightly touched, although the streams and rivers did overflow their banks and threatened considerable damage for a time.

Lonaconing Clean-up Halted by WPA Strike

Demand Town Rate of 40 cents an hour instead of WPA Rate of Pay.

Lonaconing March 23. Clearing up flood debris and repair work was practically at a standstill today following the strike of Works Progress Administration laborers. They are paid 23 1/3 cents an hour, under the WPA security wage ruling, but demand 40 cents the same as paid a few laborers by the Mayor and City Council of Lonaconing.

SPANS SWEPT AWAY BY SURGING WATER; SECTIONS HARD HIT

Hancock and Shepherdstown Bridges Are Wrecked— Williamsport Section Suffers Heavy Damage in Record Flood

WILLIAMSPORT—The Potomac river was believed to have reached its peak at midnight after rising to a new high of 49.6 feet above normal or four feet above the Johnstown flood stage in 1889. Town in darkness. Scores of families were homeless and the Red Cross and Salvation Army set up temporary rehabilitation headquarters. Hagerstown pumping station above Williamsport believed flooded.

The newspaper printed in Hagerstown three days after the March 17 1936 flood.

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The newspaper printed in Hagerstown two days after the March 17 1936 flood.

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