| Show Cause of Record Floods Assigned to Topography Crowded Valleys Valley Helpless Victims of Rivers Rivera Washington Record floods causing enormous property damage In western Pennsylvania and western western west west- ern em Maryland call can attention to the peculiar topography of these regions re se- gions glons where the Industrial and commercial sections of the largest cities are crowded along steep river riverbanks riverbanks riverbanks banks In narrow v valleys says the National Geographic society When excessive rainfall and melting snow Enow raise the headwaters of the principal streams floods follow follow fol fol- fol low with terrifying suddenness in such closely walled waned rivers as the Monongahela Allegheny Allegheny Alle Alle- Beaver Bearer Conemaugh the Upper Upper Upper Up Up- per Ohio and the upper Potomac With no lowlands and almost no Islands to spread upon and lose force flood waters quickly attain NEW MOVIE HEAD BEAD y 0 rb b d' d ds s 4 I r x r 1 f is b cep a at t Portrait of B. B n. n II Cochrane Cocbrane former forr for mer vice president of Universal Pic Pla PIctures Pictures tures corporation who succeeds Carl Laemmle as president The latter sold his bis Interest In the company destructive velocities that sweep veep everything before them Bridges houses and even sized fair buildings often become water borne battering rams to knock down other bridges houses bouses and buildings Industries Near River In the Pittsburgh district In particular par par- floods are dreaded because most fit of It the light electric watt fog ing and gas plants are ate crow jd d se to the rivers and essential services often otten break down when rising waters flood basements extinguishing boilers or crippling machinery Nearly all aU the largest industries Including steel tin plate and aluminum alum alum- m um mills glass works packing fuel tue oil on and coal coat storage plants have their properties on the river riverbanks riverbanks riverbanks banks or very close to them Shutdowns Shutdowns Shut Shut- downs mean loss of employment and of ot Income to thousands of workers Experience has taught the railroads rail raU roads to raise their way of higher than valley volley floors but In a afew afew few tew places they are low enough tobe tobe to tobe be reached by such floods as that of recent occurrence In pioneer days the chief turnpikes of western Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Penn Penn- sylvania were built along the crest of ridges that mark the level of the original plateau but recently many Important roads have been built inthe In Inthe Inthe the valleys sandwiched Into a narrow nar- nar row tow ledge between railroads and steel plants or on an slag fills Us at the very very nry edge of the streams These fills have base further narrowed the rivers and Increased flood hazards While the newer ver residential distracts districts dis tracts of of such each cities titles as Pittsburgh Johnstown McKeesport Homestead l. l least East Pittsburgh Braddock Morgantown Morgan Morgan- town and Cumberland are In the hills the business districts and the crowded older residential districts are all within the reach of flood floodwaters floodwaters waters About once a decade basements base ments meats are lite flooded and river shipping ship ship- ping endangered The principal menace even In times of minor floods however Is to health because because be be- cause rising river waters back up the sewers and sometimes mate laate drinking water Thickly Settled Valleys During a flood about ten years ago a newspaper In McKeesport Pa ra had to put reporters linotype operators and other employees to work hurriedly removing huge rolls of newsprint stored In the basement base base- ment meat If f the rising water had reached this paper the rolls would have swelled and wrecked the build build- building ing One of the contributing factors to floods in western Pennsylvania anla Is the growth of towns and cities thus diminishing the number of trees and shrubs that help the soil to retain moisture Whole hillsides along the Monongahela also have bave been nearly near near- nearly ly Iy denuded of verdure by ting and by constant clouds of acrid fumes and smoke from Industries In Inthe Inthe inthe the valley The valleys are thickly settled and rainwater flows rapidly from roofs roots and paved streets into sewers and rivers Although there are a number of government dams In the Ohio Monongahela and the Allegheny they are low structures used principally principally prin prin- to provide a sufficient depth for the heavy barge traffic on these streams |
