Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 18, 1950, Winnipeg, Manitoba Final edition leg Winnipeg clouding Over this evening. Scattered showers or Thunder storms during the night and Friday morning. Low tonight and High tomorrow 50 and 55. Vol. 58 no. 196 26 pages Price 5 cents with comics Loc Winnipeg thursday May 18, 1950 Sun Rise 5.39 Moon Rise 6.01 . Sun set 9.11 . Moon set 11.40 . Forecast Gamb Dike holds Aid too few workers on Job a thin line of sandbag about six Miles Long is now holding a 70-mile Muddy Lake from flowing into the Winnipeg residential areas of River Heights and Crescent Wood flood control head quarters claimed thursday. While High winds from the threatened to boost the water level Over the top of the Barrier there were not enough men to Man sandbags. Engineers in charge of the operation said thursday noon that a of the red River it 1 . Thursday As recorded at the James Avenue pumping station was still 30.2 feet above Datum. It has remained at this Peak now for almost 48 hours. Call for 250 volunteers had Only brought out 180 men. Flood control called the Situa Tion extremely bad and prepared to throw All resources into the fight to hold the Large body of water. In addition Lyndale Dike bastion Norwood would be seriously threatened if the vast quantities of water dammed at fort Garry broke Loose. Main concern thursday morn ing was for two Miles of the fort Garry Wall that stretched along Mcgillivray Boul i Evard. Water Here Rose six inches Over night As Strong South winds swept it against the Al ready waterlogged Dike. Wind was the enemy of the hundreds who have manned this Dike since the floods began. Officials in the municipal build ing taken Over 7 Long ago As flood if. A Headquarters cursed the complacency that was leading greater Winni Eggers into thinking floor danger no longer existed. The officials vere planning to blast the Canadian National rail ways line which parallels the item River and Bina Highway. One of the most serious effects of a breached fort Garry Dike would be the flooding of the Canadian National s Yards shops there. City engineering officials How see flood Page s today leve1 of1000 a Vij. Disaster needy cases assured substantial help the Manitoba government thursday pledged that substantial financial assistance will be forthcoming to owners of flooded Homes in greater Winnipeg on farms and in towns along the red River Valley. The government also promised that assistance would be extended to municipalities to compensate for damaged roads streets and Bridges within the financial competence f the rough winds buffeting the flood water against this thin line of sandbags at the fort Garry Dike crossing the i Dembina Highway was termed extremely hazardous Thui Ioway by army engineers. Feverish activity to build the Weald Section higher can be seen As men pile bag after bag against the crushing Wall of water. Exodus bogs Down keep More citizens were urged to eave Winnipeg by flood control authorities thursday As they scanned figures showing that the exodus had slowed considerably despite the threat of flood disaster still hanging Over the City. Wednesday was the slowest Day for the movement out of Winnipeg. Only persons departed Rais ing the total exodus. To thursday the evacuation total is expected to exceed the Mark. Situation unchanged Brig. R. E. A. Morton flood control commander was asked at his daily press conference thursday if the authorities were still anxious to have Winni Eggers leave the City. He replied very definitely we want More to go. The Situa Small talk it s grim but Well come Ion has not he was referring to warnings by engineers that the threat of a possible disaster in greater Winnieg would not end until the red River has dropped about five feet one Day s heavy rain could make the situation critical. Authorities Are worried on two counts 1. The decline in the number leaving the City indicates that the warmer weather and Sun Shine has lulled Winni Eggers into believing the danger is past. 2. There is a possibility some of the evacuees might want to return of the City the danger period s Over. Flood control Headquarters has had both railways wire their offices outside the inundated area asking that it be made quite Clear to evacuees that they cannot re enter heir Homes until sanitary conditions and electrical attachments Are n proper order. The word has been passed on to Vancouver Toronto and Montreal for relay and throughout the Prairie Region where refugees have seen taken in. It asks All rail representatives to warn passengers and Ous to return when flood wat a Start to recede of the exact Situa Ion which will prevail in rehabilitation. Evacuee figures wednesday evacuees left by bus 25 by . 129 by trans Lanada air lines one by Canadian Pacific air lines by Canadian National railways 825 by Canadian Pacific railway and 600 by private car. The greatest movement in one Day was last Friday when persons left the City. Other totals were saturday sunday monday tuesday five Jettra sleeping cars have been added by the Canadian Pacific railway to transcontinental trains having Winnipeg for the East and West thursday. Transfer of old persons from Deer Lodge to Shilo has been postponed or. Athol Gordon reported wednesday. The Canadian Pacific rail Way has announced its special morning train to Lake Winni Peg resorts will not saturday and sunday of this hut will run thursday and Friday As scheduled at 11 . Daylight time. There will be week end service on the Beach line As far As Gimli saturday through the regular summer special which leaves Here at 1.45 . Daylight time. Sunday service will be Given right through to Riverton on a train leaving at 9.30 Daylight time. United College announced thurs Day its students who have been evacuated from their Homes will set exodus Page 6 text of statement Here is the Complete text of the statement issued thursday morning by Premier Campbell in which substantial financial help to flood victims the flooding of the red River Valley this year has resulted in losses Public and private far greater in extent than has Ever been experienced in the history of Canada. The full extent of the disaster is not yet known and cannot be known until the danger has passed but it is evident that the losses already involved Are far beyond the financial resources of Many citizens municipalities and the provincial government. The provincial government has already taken Steps to Lay before the Federal government the fact that the present flood situation creates a disaster that is a National emergency which has so been recognized by the Federal and provincial governments. A commission has already been set up to ascertain the total damage caused by the flood and the amount the Federal government should contribute for the Relief of those affected by flood damage. As however it is recognized that it will be some Lime before this commission can report i wish to make the following statement to those whose Homes in greater Winnipeg in Small towns and on farms have been seriously damaged by the flood the provincial government gives its pledge that in cases of need substantial financial help will be forthcoming in rehabilitating such houses. Also damaged Public property such As roads streets and Bridges must be repaired or replaced and government assistance to the municipalities concerned will be dealt with on a similar basis of need within the financial competence of the government " Fraser flood Aid formula the Federal government in 1943 paid the bulk of the costs arising out of the Fraser Valley flood. Prime minister Louis St. Laurent has promised to apply the British Columbia formula to Manitoba. Leslie Fox of the British Columbia legislature s press gallery in Victoria sets out in the following despatch the amounts paid by the Federal government under thai formula. Victoria b.c., May is special total Cost of the Fraser Valley flood including Dike rebuilding to prevent a recurrence of the disaster was of that total the Federal government paid and the province s share was Only that is the Federal government paid is per cent and British Columbia 19 per cent. The municipalities paid nothing for flood fighting and Relief except to Supply any machinery or equipment that was useful at the time. The however paid in part for reconstruction of highways. For fighting flood Ottawa agreed to pay 75 per cent. Ottawa paid 5 province paid total Cost. 5 for Relief and rehabilitation Ottawa provided outright gift of s rehabilitation costs were 5 balance remaining in hands of province Relief costs were. Province paid full amount out of remaining from Federal Grant. Thus Federal gift spent As follows emergency flood fighting emergency Relief rehabilitation costs Lloyd Vezey final blast to lie work total still remaining in hands of province from Grant 5 restoration of flood damaged roads and Bridges Cost province offset against this was the left Over from Grant. Actual Cost to province for rebuilding roads and Bridges s rebuilding Fraser Valley dikes total Cost Ottawa share 75 per cent. Province s share 25 per final Cost to Federal government. Final Cost to provincial government. S Canada s generosity pin Points on pee Manitoba s Learned they flood sick residents came in from cities in the uni were not standing wiped out and he was. Lloyd Vezey s House its contents and All his dreams were in danger of being blown sky High thursday morning. In flooded fort Garry the Home that Vezey had built him self was a Hazard to Elm Park and Norwood Bridge. Torn Loose from its foundations by the still unpredictable Waters of the bed it was due to float downstream any moment. Army engineers were set to blow it up. All they wanted was Vezey s per Mission and he gave it willingly. I Don t want it to be a he said. At. 48 years of age he was ready to watch the outcome of his life s work go up in smoke. Flooded out flooded out three weeks ago he has been unable to Salvage even one Possession from his Home. The used drive with no ideas of recompense from anywhere he was planning for the future. Guess i la borrow to be lot 18 Crescent Middle the red River see Ruix Page 6 experts feel Lyndale Dike up Tor keeps civilian engineers thursday told a volunteers meeting in Norwood that the Lyndale drive Dike should be Safe from any danger of water pressure. They said the Dike was so solidly backed and had been started on such a firm foundation that it could probably be left up after water receded and used As a alone in their disastrous hour As donations poured in from All sections of Canada to swell the total of the Manitoba flood Relief fund to by. Wednesday night. Whether it was the sum of donated from Grain com Anies in the heart of greater Winnipeg or All the Money i Lave from a seven year old girl a St. Sauveur que All Dona ions were reassuring. Sympathy for. Manitoba flood victims and admiration for the struggle put up by so Many volunteers came in thursday from n French novelist and publisher. M. Maurice d Harty publisher of the Paris Magazine be pan Theon sent a letter dated May 10 to mayor Garnet Coulter of Winnipeg. He requested de tails of the tragedy which had found human beings ready to devote themselves to accomplish heroic actions in order to help those that Are in need and danger similar messages of encourage ment plus some offers assistance permanent Rampart against River. The crop report the first free press crop report of 1950 will be found on Pace 20 of . Ted states and Britain. Alexander message Viscount Alexander Tunis in a special statement issued shortly before noon thursday 3remier d. L. Campbell said the government recognized that flood Osses already suffered Are far beyond the financial resources of Many citizen municipalities and he provincial Steps had already been taken o seek Federal assistance Prem or Campbell said and a com Mission appointed to ascertain he total damage. Because the commission would not be Able to make its report or some time the Premier said 10 wished to assure Manitoban hat financial compensation in of need would be Forth coming. Premier Campbell is expected o elaborate on his statement in radio address Over All Winni Peg stations at 9.30 . Tonight. River balance says official d. M. Stephens provincial Deputy minister of mines and natural resources described the flood situation thursday As remaining in a state of precarious he said there had been a very slight drop in the red at Emer son of one and one half inches and a drop of .33 feet at Morris. Neither of these facts can be treated he said. Or. Stephens pointed out that in any Case any declines registered at Southern Points would take a Long time to reach Winnipeg. It would now take about two Days the Deputy minister said for a decline at Morris to show Here. Engineers explained that the 600-Square-mile Lake of water South of the City acts As a Reser voir draining into the flooded Winnipeg area. This is one reason Why even marked declines in River level to the South would make no appreciable difference for some time Here they say. Flood control is not concerned Over a possible flood threat from the Assiniboine River. Experts say the sour is River although in flood at present is not affecting Assiniboine Levels. Last of 147 truckloads of debris from the River at Norwood Bridge was removed at 1 . Thursday. Removal of this material which was jammed under the upstream Side of the Bridge should relieve some of the pressure engineers a the debris including furniture an sides of houses that have floated Down the River has been dumped at a Central Point in St. Boniface. Greater Winnipeg s Reserve Stock pile of sandbags thursday passed the million Mark for the first time army engineers announced. They now have bags. With the exception of planes being used in reconnaissance of flooded districts All . Air Craft have been returned to their Home bases. All Dakotas and Lan casters however will be on 24 hour standby notice until May 21, air Force officials stated. Emerson residents still in their town Are suffering no shortage of food supplies Glen Philips a sanitary inspector of the department of health and Public welfare said thursday. Or. Philips has just returned from the Border town after a Thiee week tour there. Three stores Are still operating Anada s governor general sent Telegram to flood Relief Headquarters through his Secretary maj. In. H. F. G. Letson. The message stated that it would see fund Page 9 wind not expected to harm dikes providing a 30 mile an hour wind thursday is not accompanied by forecast Thunder showers Joe Bibeau superintendent of St. Boni face Public works is not too worried about his seven mile Long dikes. Or. Bibeau told the free press that he thought the dikes were High enough to prevent the water from blowing Over into the streets but he added there is always a the superintendent said he was More concerned if the wind was accompanied b y a driving rain. He said the sewers were working Well and the pumps were Only working at half their capacity. N emergency quarters in Emerson. Volany families Are still living on the second floor of their Homes where they have been marooned Tor three and a half weeks or. Philips stated. At Wahpeton n.d., headwaters of the red River a decrease n the flood level was broken by a half Inch Rise Early thursday. Other Points South of. The Border and in Manitoba reported a regu a fall in the River level. Fargo had a two foot drop while Brand Forks reported the River Down seven inches. Craf ready for total evacuation All . Stations having Dakota and North Star aircraft have been ordered onto 24-hour stand by notice ready for any possible evacuation of Winnipeg the air Force reported thursday. The stand by order will hold Only in the event of flood Waters hitting a level of s2.5 feet. The Rem i warning effective until my 21, the ail form my ;