h has now been widened by the Mississippi to a width of
200 feet. Along Canal street and all over downtown New Orleans the flood
has reached a level of ten feet above the streets as evacuation
continues. The government has concentrated every available piece of
equipment to close the breach. All normal activities have come to a
standstill; property damages are estimated at 50 million dollars; the
death toll has passed the 500 mark in this most catastrophic flood in
New Orleans' history."

* * * * *

New aerial pictures, similar to the results of a blockbuster bombing
attack flicked on the screen:

"New York: The bursting of the watermains at dawn this morning at seven
different points of Manhattan's downtown area which has already caused
the collapse of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and seven big apartment
buildings along Park Avenue now threatens Macy's and the Public Library
on 42nd Street.

"All subway traffic has stopped. Evacuation of panicky Metropolitans
from the Central Park district proceeds in an orderly manner. In the
Harlem district, however, disorders and plunderings have been reported.
An estimated seven million people are without drinking water. Trucks
carrying water from New Jersey are severely hampered by unprecedented
traffic snarl-ups, since owners of private automobiles are fleeing the
city with their families. Due to the flooding of sub-street levels in
both Grand Central and Penn Station, evacuation by rail can proceed only
from 163rd Street for the New York Central and from New Jersey for the
Pennsylvania Railroad system. Effectiveness of railroad transport is
reduced to less than 30% of normal capacity. I. C. Moriarty, Sanitary
Commissioner of New York, declared in his press conference that the
catastrophic bursting of the watermains was caused by failure of the
remote-controlled automatic mainstem valves. For reasons which still
puzzle city engineers these valves closed suddenly and completely at 5
a.m. this morning. Because of the failure of the alarm system,
high-pressure pumps in the powerhouses continued to work and to build up
pressure in the closed system of the watermains till almost
simultaneously, and with explosive force, the breaks occurred, the first
one right under the Columbus monument. In view of the extremely grave
situation which threatens the world's biggest city, Governor Charles
declared martial law this morning at 10 a.m.

"Chicago: The city-w