Page Six
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Tuesday, June 8, 1976
Six dead, many safe in Idaho flood
IDAHO FAILS, Idaho (AP)-
Many of the missing began turn-
ing up alive yesterday as flood
waters spread as far as 60 miles
downstream from the collapsed
Teton Dan, a structure at least
two geologists had said might
leak because of poor soil con-
ditions.
Six people w re confirmed
dead in flooding from the Snake
River after the recently com-
pleted dam collapsed last Sat-
urday. More than 100 were treat-
ed for injitries.
THE RFED CROSS said at least
3,100 homes were destroyed.
Damage was estimated in the
hundreds of millions of dollars.
A Boy Scout troop of 80, list-
ed as missing for more than
a day, tirned up safe, said Bob
Howard, Red Cross spokesman.
This reduced the court of miss-
ing to about 60. He said 6,000
cattle were lost in the area of
Rexburg, a city of 10,000 hard-
est-hit by the flood.
The flood water spread yester-
day to the Blackfoot area, 60
miles downstream, flooding a
shopping center, a golf course
and a hundred homes.
BUT UPSTREAM, the water
was receding in Rexburg and
other cities where damage es-
timates reached $350 million. In
upstream areas, there was fear
of disease from animal carcas-
ses and water poisoned by farm
pesticides.
Some people started removing
their belongings from their wat-
erlogged homes, fearing that
thieves might take whatever lit-
tle was left.
Others had nothing to retrieve.
One of the destroyed farms be-
longed to Harvey Klein, who
said he spent 21 years building
the place, 13 miles from the
dam.
KLEIN SAID that when he
heard the flood was coming he
took his family away first, hop-
ing to return to salvage some-
thing.
"But then I looked about a
quarter of a mile and the wa-
ter was just rolling 10 feet deep,
trees in front of it, nothing but
just a big old cloud of dust
where the water was bringing
these trees through.
"I think it was going 15-20
miles an hour, the water coming
over that hill.
"WE JUST BARELY made it
out. Never saved a thing. Every-
thing's gone," said Klein.
His wife Irene said, "I feel
a lot of hard work gone. We
don't really have anything left.
We don't know what we're go-
ing to do. But we're glad we've
got our kids."
"There's no future here, I
don't think," said Mrs. Klein,
crying as she looked at shat-
tered buildings and broken farm
equipment.
THE 307-FOOT-HIGH, earth-
fill dam was being filled for
the first time when it gave way
at noon Saturday.
Fishermen and environmental-
ists had opposed it, but their
lawsuit was dismissed by a fed-
eral court. The 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals upheld the
lower court's dismissal.
Two government geologists
had questioned the stability of
the canyon around the dam.
IN 1973, a former Bureau of
Reclamation geologist, Shirley
Pytlak, warned that the dam
might leak because of the na-
ture of the soil in tre area.
Testifying in federal court, she
said 300 gallons of water a min-
ute poured into test holes where
the dam was to be built.
"It just soaked it up," she
said. "If this much water can
be absorbed by drill holes, bow
much would leak from the whole
reservoir?"
Clifford Okeson, a retired
reclamation geologist in Boise,
had testified that cracks in can-
yon walls and the riverbed would
leak water but that this could
be minimized by digging con-
crete-lined trenches, which was
done.
RECLAMATION officials have
said leakage was first noticed
on Thursday. But it was not con-
sidered serious until early Sat-
urday when larger leaks were
noticed.
Gilbert Stamm, secretary of
the Bureau of Reclamation,
Your Opportunity to Discuss
Water Quality and
Water Quality Standards
for Your Community
at a
TOWN HALL MEETING
You will see a presentation outlining current water quality standards.
You will hear how water quality standards are set and how they affect
the quality of water in your community.
You will hav e the opportunity to voice your concerns, ask questions and
make comments on matters relating to water quality in your area.
which had the $55-million dam
constructed, said Monday in
Boise that cause of the collapse
had not been determined but
speculation centered around wa-
ter seeping around the north
side.
Rumors also spread that rat-
tlesnakes were washing down
from Teton Canyon and posing
a danger. There was an uncon-
firmed report of two persons
being bitten, but hospital spokes-
men said they didn't consider
rattlesnakes a major problem.
THE FLOODING and threat-
ened flooding stretched over 100
miles of the Teton and Snake
rivers in eastern Idaho between
the dam site and the :O-year-
old American Falls Dam, itself
weakened by age and kept be-
low capacity pending replace-
ment.
Officials said they believed
the dam could handle the flow,
but there was concern debris
might clog its outlets.
There were relatively few peo-
ple in the area between Black-
foot and the dam. In th Black-
foot area, population 10,000,
about 400 people had been evac-
uated. About 100 homes were
damaged, mostly in nearby
Firth.
THE DOWNSTREAM flooding
came as water that had fanned
out over an 8-mile-wide area up-
stream began to funnel back
into the swollen river channel.
Ken Hill, a spokesman for
Mountain Bell Telephone Co.,
said all lines were restricted
only to outgoing calls in Idaho
Falls, population 35,000, where
motels along the river were
evacuated and canals were dug
to divert water from pounding
against a major downtown
bridge.
Roads remained closed along
portions of the river. Intersatie
15 between Idaho Falls and
Blackfoot was under water in
places. Travel north of Idaho
Falls was restricted.
Mount Pelee erupted May 8,
1902, wiping out the city of St.
Pierre, in the West Indies, kill-
ing 40,000.
(Paid Poitical Adv)
James A. Evans]
Candidate for President
of U of M UAW
Place
BOY SCOUT BUILDING
400 Cedar Street
Brighton, Michigan
Time
TUESDAY, JUNE 8
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Contact :
Dorinda Trouteaud
(313) 961-4266
I his meeting is part of a coitiniing series of forunis to keep you informed about the develop-
ment of the swatrc quality nanagement plan for Southeast Michigan. The plan is being
prepared by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments under provisions of the Federal
Water Polution Control Act Amendments of 1972.
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN COUNCIL
OF GOVERNMENTS
800 BOOK BUILDING DETROIT, Mi. 48226
Telephone: (313) 961-4266
The Southeast Michliga, CeCi t of Governments (sEtICOG;) is a voluniary association of over i00 governmental units in the seven counties
of Southeast aichigan. SEItICOG develops and coordinates regionwide planning for transportation, land use, recreation and open space, water
supply, sewage disposal, storm drainage, housing and criminal justice.
U of M CLERICAL
UNION MEMBERS-
HELLO, Looking for
Some Clues to Help
You Vote?
As your president I wilnco-
operate with you and UAw
International to achieve our
goals. UAw's experience and
expertise is invaluable to us
as a young union.
BE SURE TO VOTE
JUNE 8th, 9th, & 10th
FOR PRESIDENT
j JAMES A. EVANS
UAW LOCAL No. 2001
(Paid by James A. Evans)