Borne by Flood, Huge Gasoline Tanks Are Threat to Hartford

HARTFORD, Conn., March 19 (UP). Evacuation was ordered Thursday along an eight mile strip on Connecticut River shores as flood waters rose beyond thirty-three feet and inundated vast areas.

Three thousand families were warned to move out of the danger zone extending from Windsor to Wethersfield, the entire eastern border of the entire eastern border of the city of Hartford.

An added menace to an already harassed city was the presence in the river of three huge gasoline storage tanks, ripped from their moorings and forced into the raging flood waters.

Their capacity is several million gallons and they were reported partly filled. Six coast guard cutters were ordered from New London to clear them from the river as a menace to life and property. As a last resort they will be sunk by gunfire.

There were 15,000 refugees in the Hartford-East Hartford flood region, hundreds of them hungry, poorly clothed and with only makeshift shelter. The situation was becoming more critical hourly.

The city proper was without street lights and only stores and homes in some sections were illuminated. A general power shutdown was threatened. All telephone communications with East Hartford were down.

Water in the heart of Hartford's business district was four feet deep and pumps worked feverishly to keep water from completely crippling telephone service.

The inundated area was spreading rapidly. The river rise was predicted to continue with the crest due before noon Friday.

Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX 20 Mar 1936
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!