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Above, left to right: Water filled the railroad track beds and every home and property, including those in Newtown, which was thought to be safely on higher ground. Railroads ran special trains to carry flood refugees, and about 150 National Guardsmen were sent to help.
Mrs. Sophia Hunter was taken by boat from the second floor of her home after she had hung a sheet out the window in hopes of attracting attention.
There was a report that one resident had actually threatened to shoot his rescuers before they convinced him to allow them to evacuate him. And at least one other person had been taken from his home by force, despite the lack of heat, food or water, and the danger that more buildings would collapse under the strain of the flood.
Hospitals had been set up at Seagram’s and Schenley’s plants.
With telephone service gone, Lawrenceburg was cut off entirely from the outside world.
The furnaces at Seagram’s had been flooded, so the New York Central Railroad provided three locomotives, placed near the buildings and kept running 24 hours a day to provide heat.
The railroad also ran special trains to Greensburg and Shelbyville carrying flood refugees to safety.
An Indiana State Police radio transmitter and equipment were set up in the Seagram office to maintain emergency contact, and a special train and a fleet of National Guard trucks were sent from Indianapolis, with cots, bedding, clothing food, medical supplies and small boats. About 150 National Guardsmen were sent to help maintain order.
Red Cross relief teams were dispatched at the same time.
Heat and water were still available for the hospital
at Schenley’s Old Quaker distillery, which was now sheltering about 400 people in its hospital. Plant manager Robert Nanz ordered more than 750,000 gallons of half fermented materials called “beer,” to be dumped to save coal.
Eight registered nurses, 10 practical nurses, five local doctors, and a couple of Army surgeons staffed the hospital 24 hours a day.
The first patients were brought in on Thursday in the Fitch ambulance.