Employes:, In
Fhodid Area
SeekPayments
^ Test Cases Heard'Here About
+ Chums of Person Thrown
Out Of Work
(
! A hearing wa^ held he»'e Frl-
‘ day afternoon to determine whe
ther or not over 1,000 people in
' North Wllkesboro thrown ou* of
* work 'because of flood and fires
are ellgiible for unemployment
comipensation benefits.
Attorney Zeb GambiJl, of Win-
ston-^alem, claims deputy assign
ed as a special commissioner, con
ducted the hearing in the offices
. of the employment service and
-the evidence taken w'aa sent to
the Unemployment commission in
Raleigh for an early ruling in
i-order to expedite matters, he
said.
Present at the hearing were a
numbisr of executives of indus
tries closed here because of the
flood and fires and one employe
from each firm who had filed
claim for unemployment bene
fits.
Gambill stated in the outset of
^ the hearing that it was for the
purpose of ascertaining whether
or not the employes were eligible
for benefits and ?aid it was the
( first case in the state under the
law relative to catastrophes. He
read from section 5 of the act as
follows: “An individual shall he
disqualified for benefits—if un
employment is due to fire, where
found by the commission to con-
atilnte a catastrophe, a flood, a
cyclone, h tornado or other ca
tastrophe.’^
Present at the heavjig were ,T.
D. Moore, president of Home
Chair coinrany. which was de
stroyed by fire in Wednesday’s
flood waters of the Yadkin;
Frank E. Johnson, -.".nerintendent
of Intern?tion..I Shoe company
tannery, which was a.so destroj-
ed by’fire inJ flood Wednesday:
J. B. Carter, secretary-irea.surer
of Oak Furniture contpany. wh’ch
has suspended operations be
cause of vsater dui..a J- Iv
Hix. secretary of American hui-
nlture company, which has sus-
^ ponded operations because of
-'.flood damage: and Cec.l Adam-
Wn, office manager of Wilkes
T^'bich closed be
cause of the water supply being
disrupted.
The evidence taken in the hear
ing from the employers and one
claimant from each establish
ment was for the purpo.-e of get
ting a complete survey of the
flood and fires in order that the
fomniission might make a rul.ng
in the light of conditions as erJsi-
ed here as they related to the law
-A J. D. Moore, of Home Chair
Iw company, and Boyd E. Stout.
' plant superintendent who had
filed claim for benefits, were the
. first witnessed. They described in
% ‘detail the flood and the fire
which destroyed the large fac
tory in the midst of the highest
waters on record on the Yadkin
here. The opinion was expressed
that the fire originated from a
transformer and damage w'as es
timated at S200.000. The pli-ut
employs 27n normally.
Allie McOlariiery's claim was
the te.st case for Wilkes Hosiery
Mills, which is located on grounds
above the flooded region but
which has not been operating be
cause of th« city’s water s>"»em
being out of commission follow
ing the flood.
William H. Bryant was the
Claimant from Oak Furniture
company examined. J. B. Carter,
secretary-treasurer of the com
pany and who is also a member
of the city council, descriibed the
flood and estimated damage
the plant of flOO.OUO.
damage to materials and equip-
mept was so great, he said, that
it will not be able to resume ope
rations for an indefinite period.
175 of that company’s employes
are out of work.
J. R. Hix, secretary of Ameri-
^can Furniture company and who
Tls also president of the Bank of
North Wllkesboro. said his com
pany’s loss was about $100,000 |
and that 300 employes are out of
■jrork until the plant can be put
into operation again, which may
be a few weeks. Paul Huffman,
an employe, was used as' the test
claim.
Frank E Johnson, tannery sup-
erintendent, told of the lose by
lire and flood of the Internation
al Shoe company’s large plant
» here. 145 regular employes were
thrown out of wori. Company of-
ficials declined to make an esti-
mate oi damage, which outsiders
^ say will run between $500,000
a million dollars. The claim of
iBhomas E. Clonch, leather roller
14 years, was used as a test
ca se*
All wltneases said the flood
was the worst ever to visit this
A ftectlon and general estimates of
total damage In North Wllkes-
a>oro by the Industrialists was
between two and three million
to
blood
Flood Stricken Residents
. .r>',.
? 'V. ^
Stricken
Get Attention
Help People
gency Period
-V-
With reports coming in steadily
from all sections of North Caro
lina telling of tremenduous losses
in the flood last Tuesday night
and Wednesday, North Wllkes-
boro people were about the task
of rehabilitation today with grim
determination.
As casualties and flood losses
were reported, it became more
evident that only one person in
Wilkes was killed in the flood,
that being Miss Opaline Smith,
of Angler, who was drowned on
Cub Creek bridge east of Wilkes-
boro. J
The eight persons killed near
Deep Gap on the headwaters of
Stony Fork Creek were residents
of Watauga county.
...eanwhile, many highways in
northwestern North Carolina re
main closed because of flood dam
age. The only highway leading
out of Wilkes on the north side
of the river now open is number
IS to Sparta. Highway 421 is
closed to Boone and will be for
at least two months. Route 268
to Elkin has been opened and IS
is open as far as Glendale Springs.
Highway officials indicated it
will be opened to Jefferson as
soon as a temporary bridge can
be laid across New River. High
ways 421, 115, 16 and 18, which
lead out of Wilkes on the south
side of the Yadkin, are open.
Boone can^ be reached^ooly
Where a slide killed three
and swept away three houses
and a big section of highway
421 only IlOO yards eaist of
Debp Gap, this picture gives
some idea of the tremendous
pow’er of the slides In moun
tains west and north of this
city. Many such^iicenei as the
above w'ere vfcdted by a Jpum-
al-Patriot reporter in tl»e
mountains yesterday. The a-
l;ove. picture was taken for the
Win^on-Halem Journal by Paul
Westen, of Boone.
'' sc V « •' .,4s ^
• •s*. *^V * • v ... ^
-i 4:.■ ••’•4 "
West Jefferson.
Highway Commissioner J. 0.
Hackett said today that highway
forces are doing all In their pow
er to open the main highways and
forces have 'been at work con
tinuously since the flood waters
receded. The head of the bridge
department of the state highway
commission on a visit here said
that three weeks will make a big
difference in the bridge situation
and that bridges on im;portant
routes will be replaced as rapidly
as possible. Meanwhile, tempor
ary bridges are being laid where
practical.
'"Vp :^T$^prir'$Ti Red Cros*’ tbp
kl The Capital
Representatives Burdin And
Doughton Confer Relative
To Flood Aid
Washington, Aug. 17.—North
Carolina House members in the
storm and flood stricken area of
western North Carolina moved
quickly today to get relief to vic
tims of the area affected.
At a meeting held today, Rep
resentatives Burgin, Bulwinkle,
Weaver, and Doughton outlined a
program that had been followed
by which relief will be received.
Acting as dean of the delegation.
Representative Doughton issued a
statement outlining action that
had teen taken and what persona
affected should do to get relief.
The main point is that the WPA
and the CCC will co-operate with
other agencies. The statement of
Mr. Doughton follows:
How To Get Aid
“As soon as first reports reach
ed Washington of the appalling’
conditions in ouV state, and es
pecially the western section, re
sulting from the recent devastat
ing floods, each of the represen
tatives named became active ia
an effort to secure promptly ev©-
T7 posaU>U
tlbn, the Civilian Conservation
Corps through the War depart
ment, the Farm Credit Adminis
tration, the Reconstruction Fi
nance corporation, the Federal
Surplus Commoditlfes corporation,
state welfare people and every
agency we thought could possibly
render assistance. These different
agencies have been instructed
from Washington to give all th©
relief possible aud also to ascer
tain the facts and keep Washing
ton informed as to the needs and
what assistance is being render
ed.
Assisting
“The WPA states that their
, V.,' ■
^ V?'
v.'r-Xv v"* 4
• •'V/yo'
t ^ ' *• ^ J, ,
* C vi'’ ^ A,
>' t' ''i
4^*1 4^ ' vv. V
Welfare department with the aid forces are now being augmented,
oi iiu: i^i.rplus Cummoaitir Co! j furnished with additional funds
r4oration and the WP\. ami the land instructed to transfer from
C. C. Camps have aided greatly in ! the work in which they have been.,
alleviating the situation
V
Vvl V • ■ ' % •- v. X
'■V' ,v.y-4x-4J:x:^.y -.* c v
’4¥’i '
it,-y jyv-A>..’- *• f-.Vft. ■ s
:V
' I
I'J, ^
te : ... c .V.T*-
here
t Red Cross activities outlined in
another' krtlcle in this news
paper).
Charles McNeill. Wilkes county
welfare officer, said Saturday
that over 50 families who lost
previously engaged and devote
every p'OS'ible effort to relief
work in the flood-stricken sec
tions. They are to assist ?ii repair
ing roads, bridges, water snpply
faciliiiee. and in any and every
other way they can render the
( \ h *** ^
A graphic view' which shows
.50n>ethi’ *; . ' « c . I t ie
Yadkin flood waters here Wed
nesday. The box car in the a-
I'ove picture was swept from
tiie tracks on the local railroad
yartls by sheer force of tlie tor
rent. \ Vee lb" eern, wliich
Wits laid flat on the ground by
flood waters.— (Winstou-BaJem
Journal photo).
Rood Striclen People Are Being CaredJ^or
heavily In the flood Avere be;ng i greatest assistance. .
helped from food and clothing 1 “We have requested and urged
furnished by the surplus enmmo-! that those not hitherto on the-
ditiei corporation. The-warehouse ' WPA rolls and who now. as a.
of food stocks here was located j result of the flood conditions,
in the Scott Cheese factory build-; need relief or help Ue placed on
ing and was in the flood zone, j the rolls and given work in car
making It necessary that new sup-1 rying forward the program of re
plies 'be sent here 'by trucli. A. E. j lief.
Langston, of Ralci.gu. sir > li I "K has been requested that all
tor (f surplus commodities dis- the l ederal agencies who can la
tributlon, and Charles Wilson, of any way render assistance In this
Winston-Salem, came here to as- serious situation be co-ordinated
sist in distribution in cooperation and utilized where they can do
with the welfare department. jthe greatest good in the shortest
Garments made in the sowing time. We will leave no efforU
rooms of WPA under direction o. ; unemployed here to secure in
Miss Ila Holman, women’s dlvis- every possible way the help which
ion Siinervisor. are being user ' we realize from reports we have
for clothing those who lost eve- received, is so badly needed,
uy.niiii in che Hood. • j Thousands of people have lost
The numler of homes gone i their honves. their .property and
!from North Wllkesboro was 29 the means by which they earn a
entire ] living
Red Cross Is
Aiding Flood
Victims Here
1.
and the nunwber for the ^
county was estimated at more they are in no way responsible.
About 150 other fami-1 by what, according to reporU. i©
Every Reasonable Aid Will
Be Given Peop c Who Lost
Homes, h'umisniings
Wilkes County. Chapter of the
American Red Cross met Friday
night to’ review the flood sitn-
atioiL Assurance was' given that
the Red Cross and cooperating
ags^ciee would render every rea-
bonabie assistance to those who
suffered losses in the flood dis-
-*3ter,
■ cnanter presided and R, G.
i Finley, disaster relief chairman,
I described the situation .which
exists and outlined plans for as
sistance to the flood stricken peo
ple in this county. A disaster re
lief office has been set up on the
second floor of the Landis Tire
Score on C street in North Wll
kesboro. This location is across
the street from the post office.
It Is urged that all families in
the county who suffered flood
losses and who are unable to ful
ly meet their own needs register
promptly at the disaster relief
office for assistance. Some snffer-
ein in remote sections of the
county will probably . not have
opportunity to read this infoma-
raunUles.
Mr.s. Msrfl:arGt Cornell Leptes-|
tre, of the National Red Cross, is ‘I*® "““s may ,be.
do for themselves and flooded but not totally destroyed, fallen our section.
here to help the local chapter
during the period of this disaster
and for the present the office
will ‘be opt:' from eight o’clock
in the mornings until six in the
evenings.
Two additional workers from
the National Red Cross will ar
rive within the next day or so and
will aid in Invertlgatlng the needs
of the families affected by the
floods ^
Inv every insiruce assistance
will le given on the basis of In-
dtridw family need. It is ex-
psRQtda that the family wilt use
ticn, and hence the news should lU#all resources.
A crew of 36 C. C. Camp mem
In assisting with the repair bers from thfe
and rebnllding of homes and pur- ^V ®f!
chasing household furniture and »U the time
furnishings or ®l®thlng, ,dWm,TB-, h® J P®''®® ^
Ing orders will he Issued upon »o- ‘ to ^vlth rell '
cal stores whersver poeelble and Todv tb»»
at the choice of the person re- to 166 men ovho will be used In-
ceiring the dlihurstog order.
Prelimliiary estimate
ttofinib^y for clean-up work and
for helpiBg In rehahilltaklon.
Ifeairwhlle, Industrial plants in
the flood sons have crews hurity
tso and 306. Protebly 100 of VSj,Xla.^wfth *ht
her of families' In .Wilkes 'Who
may need asslstanoS to he^^^ t
this number lost their homes mu
all furnishings.
1^0 campaign for fanl8 will be
made local Red but d^
(Contfaned s^ papesicht) .
exception of IntemaUonal Shoe
Miiuiy^nr tannery and H»ne Chair
company* which were destroyed
by Are In the ftpod. tt to expeof-
. (Contmiud otf page ei|^t> ^
“If those In authority and
those who know conditions will
keep us Informed of the situatloa
and give us as fully in detail thw
relief needed, we will co-operate
to the fullest extent of our abil
ity in doing everything humanly
posdMe to speedily relieve or
ameliorate the tmihle oonditiona
now' existing throughout the
flood-stricken territory of oar
state.** ^
HATK*n
\
hat^tfiose lavromptm
meaaf^
t’^^r^Qoa.Tfw^jnake np
go afiMOg,” ^
'te ■