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diff --git a/20455.txt b/20455.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dd31e03 --- /dev/null +++ b/20455.txt @@ -0,0 +1,9740 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The True Story of Our National Calamity of +Flood, Fire and Tornado, by Logan Marshall + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The True Story of Our National Calamity of Flood, Fire and Tornado + +Author: Logan Marshall + +Release Date: January 27, 2007 [EBook #20455] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NATIONAL CALAMITY *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +[Illustration: STRICKEN] + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + + THE TRUE STORY OF + OUR NATIONAL CALAMITY + OF FLOOD, FIRE AND TORNADO + + + The appalling loss of life, the terrible suffering + of the homeless, the struggles for safety, and the + noble heroism of those who risked life to save loved + ones; the unprecedented loss of property, resulting + in the laying waste of flourishing cities and towns + + HOW THE WHOLE NATION JOINED + IN THE WORK OF RELIEF + + + By LOGAN MARSHALL + + Author of + "THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC," + "THE UNIVERSAL HANDBOOK," + "LIFE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT," + "THE STORY OF POLAR CONQUEST," + "MARSHALL'S HANDY MANUAL," Etc. + + + PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED WITH + AUTHENTIC PHOTOGRAPHS + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + + COPYRIGHT 1913, BY + L. T. MYERS + +The material in this work is fully protected under the copyright laws of +the United States. All persons are warned against making any use of it +without permission. + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + + Prayer by Bishop David H. Greer: + + O Merciful God and Heavenly Father, who hast taught us in Thy holy + word that Thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of + men, give ear to the prayers which we humbly offer to Thee in + behalf of our brethren who are suffering from the great water + floods. + + Cause them in their sorrow to experience the comfort of Thy + presence, and in their bewilderment the guidance of Thy wisdom. + Stir up, we beseech Thee, the wills of Thy people to minister with + generous aid to their present needs, and so overrule in Thy + providence this great and sore calamity that we may be brought + nearer to Thee and be knit more closely one to another in sympathy + and love. + + All which we humbly ask, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + +[Illustration: WHERE THE NATION'S SYMPATHIES ARE CENTERED] + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + + CONTENTS + +CHAPTER I +The Greatest Cataclysm in American History . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 + +CHAPTER II +The Death-Bearing Flood at Dayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 + +CHAPTER III +Dayton's Menace of Fire and Famine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 + +CHAPTER IV +Dayton in the Throes of Distress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 + +CHAPTER V +The Recuperation of Dayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 + +CHAPTER VI +Dayton: "The City of a Thousand Factories" . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 + +CHAPTER VII +The Devastation of Columbus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 + +CHAPTER VIII +Columbus: The Beautiful Capital of Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 + +CHAPTER IX +Cincinnati: A New Center of Peril . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 + +CHAPTER X +The Flood in Western Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 + +CHAPTER XI +The Flood in Northern Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 + +CHAPTER XII +The Flood in Eastern Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 + +CHAPTER XIII +The Flood in Eastern Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 + +CHAPTER XIV +The Desolation of Indianapolis and the Valley of the White River. . 184 + +CHAPTER XV +The Roaring Torrent of the Wabash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 + +CHAPTER XVI +The Plight of Peru: A Stricken City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 + +CHAPTER XVII +The Death-Dealing Tornado at Omaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 + +CHAPTER XVIII +Struggles of Stricken Omaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 + +CHAPTER XIX +Omaha: "The Gate City of the West" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 + +CHAPTER XX +Other Damage from the Nebraska Tornado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 + +CHAPTER XXI +The Tornado in Iowa and Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 + +CHAPTER XXII +The Tornado in Kansas and Arkansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 + +CHAPTER XXIII +The Tornado in Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 + +CHAPTER XXIV +The Tornado in Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 + +CHAPTER XXV +The Freak Tornado in Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 + +CHAPTER XXVI +The Flood in New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 + +CHAPTER XXVII +The Flood in Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 + +CHAPTER XXVIII +The Flood in the Ohio Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 + +CHAPTER XXIX +The Flood in the Mississippi Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 + +CHAPTER XXX +Damage to Transportation, Mail and Telegraph Facilities . . . . . . 277 + +CHAPTER XXXI +The Work of Relief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 + +CHAPTER XXXII +Previous Great Floods and Tornadoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294 + +CHAPTER XXXIII +Lessons of the Cataclysm and Precautionary Measures . . . . . . . . 308 + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + + + The Unleashed Gods + + By Percy Shaw + + + Iron and rock are our slaves; + We are liege to marble and steel; + We go our ways through our purse-proud days, + Lifting our voices in loud self-praise-- + Forgetting the God at the wheel. + + We build our bulwarks of stone, + Skyscraper and culvert and tower, + Till the God of Flood, keen-nosed for blood, + Drags our monuments into the mud + In the space of a red-eyed hour. + + Kings of the oceans are we, + With our liners of rocket speed, + Till the God of Ice, in mist-filled trice, + Calls to us harshly to pay his price + As we sink to the deep-sea weed. + + Muscle and brain are our slaves; + We are liege to iron and steel; + But who shall say, tomorrow, today, + That we shall not halt on our onward way + To bow to the God at the wheel? + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + +[Illustration: HELPING HANDS] + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE GREATEST CATACLYSM IN AMERICAN HISTORY + + THE UNCONTROLLABLE FORCES OF NATURE--THE DEVASTATION OF OMAHA--THE + TERROR OF THE FLOOD--A VIVID PICTURE OF THE FLOOD--THE TRAGEDY OF + DEATH AND SUFFERING--THE SYMPATHY OF NATIONS--THE COURAGE OF THE + STRICKEN--MEN THAT SHOWED THEMSELVES HEROES. + + +Man is still the plaything of Nature. He boasts loudly of conquering it; +the earth gives a little shiver and his cities collapse like the house +of cards a child sets up. A French panegyrist said of our own Franklin: +"He snatched the scepter from tyrants and the lightning from the skies," +but the lightning strikes man dead and consumes his home. He thinks he +has mastered the ocean, but the records of Lloyds refute him. He +declares his independence of the winds upon the ocean, and the winds +upon the land touch his proud constructions and they are wrecks. + +He imprisons the waters behind a dam and fetters the current of the +rivers with bridges; they bestir themselves and the fetters snap, his +towns are washed away and thousands of dead bodies float down the angry +torrents. He burrows into the skin of the earth for treasure, and a +thousand men find a living grave. Man has extorted many secrets from +Nature; he can make a little use of a few of its forces; but he is +impotent before its power. + +Thus we pause to reflect upon the most staggering and tragic cataclysm +of Nature that has been visited upon our country since first our +forefathers won it from the Indian--the unprecedented succession of +tornadoes, floods, storms and blizzards, which in March, 1913, +devastated vast areas of territory in Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska and a +dozen other states, and which were followed fast by the ravages of fire, +famine and disease. + + +THE DEVASTATION OF OMAHA + +The terrible suddenness and irresistible power of such catastrophes make +them an object of overwhelming fear. The evening of Easter Sunday in +Omaha was doubtless as placid and uneventful as a thousand predecessors, +until an appalling roar and increasing darkness announced to the +initiated the approach of a tornado, and in a few minutes forty-seven +city blocks were leveled to the ground. The fairest and best built part +of the city could no more withstand this awful force than the weakest +hovels. Twelve hundred buildings were destroyed, most of them homes, but +among them many churches and school houses. The just and the unjust +fared alike in this riot of destruction and then the tornado rushed on +to find other objects on which to wreck its force in Council Bluffs and +elsewhere. It left in its wake many fires, but fortunately also a heavy +rain, while later a deep fall of snow covered up the scene of its awful +destruction. + + +THE TERROR OF THE FLOOD + +With the rest of the country, fair Dayton sorrowed for Omaha. Two days +later Omaha, bowed and almost broken by her own misfortune, looked with +sympathy across to Dayton, whose woe was even greater. A thousand +communities in the United States read the story and in their own sense +of security sent eager proffers of assistance to the striken districts. +And not one of them has assurance that it may not be next. There is no +sure definition of the course of the earthquake, the path of the wind, +the time and place of the storm-cloud. Science has its limitations. Only +the Infinite is master of these forces. + +In the legal parlance of the practice of torts such occurrences as these +are known as "acts of God." Theologians who attempt to solve the +mysteries of Providence have found in such occasions the evidence of +Divine wrath and warning to the smitten people. But to seek the reason +and to know the purpose, if there be purpose in it, is not necessary. +The fact is enough. It challenges, staggers, calls a halt, compels men +and women to think--and even to pray. + +But the flood did not confine itself to Dayton. It laid its watery hand +of death and destruction over a whole tier of states from the Great +Lakes to New England, and over the vast area to the southward which is +veined by the Ohio River and its tributaries, and extending from the +Mississippi Valley almost to the Atlantic seaboard. And as this awful +deluge drained from the land into Nature's watercourses the demons of +death and devastation danced attendance on its mad rush that laid waste +the borderlands of the Mississippi River from Illinois to the Gulf of +Mexico. + + +A VIVID PICTURE OF THE FLOOD + +Those who have never seen a great flood do not know the meaning of the +Scriptural phrase, "the abomination of desolation." + +An explosion, a railroad wreck, even a fire--these are bad enough in +their pictorial effect of shattered ruins and confusion. But for giving +one an oppressive sense of death-like misery, there is nothing equal to +a flood. + +I do not speak now of the loss of life, which is unspeakably dreadful, +but of the scenic effect of the disaster. It just grips and benumbs you +with its awfulness. + +In the flat country of the Middle West there is less likelihood of +swift, complete destruction than in narrow valleys, like those of +Johnstown and Austin in Pennsylvania. But the effect is, if anything, +more gruesome. + +After the crest has passed there are miles and miles of inundated land, +with only trees and half-submerged buildings and floating wreckage to +break the monotony; just a vast lake of yellow, muddy water, swirling +and boiling as it seeks to find its level. + +[Illustration: THE CITIES AND TOWNS INCLOSED BY THE HEAVY BLACK DOTTED +LINES WERE THE CHIEF SUFFERERS BY THE SWEEP OF WATERS] + +The scene in a town is particularly ghastly. How ghastly it is, you +would have realized if you could have gone with the writer into the +flooded districts of Ohio and Indiana, traveling from point to point in +automobiles and motor boats, penetrating to the heart of the flood in +boats even before the waters receded, and afterwards on foot. The upper +floors of houses not torn from their foundations look all right, but it +fairly makes you sick to see the waves of turbid water lapping at second +floor sills, with tangled tree branches and broken furniture floating +about. It seems horrible--it is horrible--to think of that yellow flood +pouring into pleasant rooms where a few hours before the family sat in +peace and fancied security--roaring over the threshold, swirling higher +and higher against the walls, setting the cherished household treasures +astray, driving the furniture hither and thither, drowning out cheerful +rooms in darkness and death. + +If anything can be worse than this, it is the scenes when the waters +recede. The shade trees that stood in the streets so trim and beautiful +are all bedraggled and bent, their branches festooned with floating +wreckage and all manner of offensive things, their leaves sodden, their +trunks caked with mud. The streets are seas of yellow ooze. Garden +fences and hedges are twisted or torn away. Reeking heaps of +indescribable refuse lie moldering where there were smooth lawns and +bright flower beds. The houses that stand are all smeared with the dirt +that shows the height of the flood. + +But inside those houses--that is the dreadful thing. The rooms that the +water filled are like damp caves. Mud lies thick on the floors, the +walls are streaked with slime, and the paper hangs down in dismal +festoons. Some pictures may remain hanging, but they are all twisted and +tarnished. The furniture is a tumbled mass of confusion and filth. But +the worst is the reek of decay and death about the place. + + +THE TRAGEDY OF DEATH AND SUFFERING + +But there is something greater in its tragedy than all this--something +greater than a great region where splendid cities, towns and humble +villages alike are without resource--something greater than a region of +broken dams and embankments and of placid rivers gone mad in flood, +bridgeless, uncontrollable, widened into lakes, into seas. It is the +hundreds of dead who died a hideous death, and the hundreds of thousands +of living who are left helpless and homeless, and all but hopeless. + +Just for one moment think--we in our warm, comfortable houses, +comfortably clad, safe, smiling and happy--of the half million of our +fellow creatures out yonder shivering and trembling and dying, in the +grasp of the "destruction that wasteth at noonday," swiftly pursued by +"the pestilence which walketh in darkness." The leaping terror of the +flames climaxes the terror of the harrowing day and the helpless, +hopeless night of agony and sorrow and despair. + +Think of the men, women, children and the little babies crushed and +mangled amid the wreck of shattered homes--but yesterday as beautiful +and bright as ours--the pallid faces of hundreds floating as corpses in +the stately streets turned into rushing rivers by the relentless +floods--brothers and sisters of ours, freezing and starving in homes +turned suddenly into broken rafts and battered houseboats amid the muddy +deluge, while the pitying stars look down at night upon thousands, wet, +weeping, shivering, hungry, helpless and homeless, with the host of +their unrecognized and unburied dead, in this frightful holocaust of +fire and flood and pestilence. + +Think of the region where people are huddled shivering on hills or +housetops, watching the swelling waters; where practically every +convenience, means of communication, comfort, appliance of civilization +has been wiped out or stopped; where there is little to eat and no way +of getting food save from the country beyond the waters; where +millionaire and pauper, Orville Wright and humble scrub-woman, stand +shoulder to shoulder in the bread-line that winds towards the relief +stations, all alike dependent for once on charity for the barest +sustenance. + + +THE SYMPATHY OF NATIONS + +These are the tragedies that touch our hearts. These are the tragedies +that have brought messages of condolence from King George of England, +from the King of Italy, from the Shah of Persia and from other monarchs +of Europe. These are the tragedies that impelled a widow in a small town +in Massachusetts, in sending her mite for the relief of the unfortunate, +to write: "Just one year ago, when the ill-fated Titanic deprived me of +my all, the Red Cross Society lost not a moment in coming to my aid." + +These are tragedies, too, that have prompted wage-earners all over the +country to contribute to the relief of the flood sufferers a part of +their own means of support that could ill be spared--soiled and worn +bills and silver pieces laid down with unspoken sympathy by men and +women and children, too, who wanted nothing said about it and turned and +went out to face the struggle for existence again. These people did not +think twice about whether they should help those in greater necessity +than their own. They had been helping one another all their lives, and +it seemed not so much a duty as a natural thing to do to respond to the +call from the West, where people had lost their lives and others were +homeless and suffering. + + +THE COURAGE OF THE STRICKEN + +This spirit of helpfulness is a fine thing. But even finer was the +spirit of self-help. Secretary Garrison's telegram to President Wilson +from the flooded districts that the people in the towns and cities +affected had the situation well in hand and that very little emergency +assistance was needed, was a splendid testimonial to the courage and the +resourcefulness of the people of the Middle West and the admirable +cheerfulness which they exhibited during the trying days that followed +the beginning of the calamity. There was not a whimper, but on the +contrary there was a spirit of optimism that must prove to be most +stimulating to the rest of the country. + + +MEN THAT SHOWED THEMSELVES HEROES + +But perhaps the finest thing of all is the memory of the heroes that +showed themselves. When death and disaster, in the form of flood and +fire, swept Dayton, John H. Patterson arose with the tide to the level +of events. Patterson is the man, more than any other, who brought cosmos +out of chaos. When the flood was rising and nobody knew what the result +would be, John H. Patterson began to wire for motor boats. He did not +ask, he demanded. And the motor boats came. Patterson took all of the +carpenters from the National Cash Register--one hundred and fifty +skilled woodworkers--and set them to work making flat boats. The entire +force of the great institution was at the disposal of the people who +needed help. And not a man or a woman was docked or dropped from the +payroll. Everybody had time and a third. + +As for John H. Patterson himself, he worked in three shifts of eight +hours each; and for forty-eight hours he practically neither slept nor +ate. And then, by way of rest, he took a Turkish bath and a horseback +ride, and forty winks, and was again on the job--this man of seventy, +who has known how to breathe and how to think and who carries with him +the body of a wrestler and the lavish heart of youth! + +There were many other heroes--too many to mention here--but we cannot +forget John A. Bell, the telephone operator who was driven to the roof +of the building, where with emergency instruments he cut in on one of +the wires, and for two days and nights, in the driving rain, without +food or drink or dry clothing, kept the outside world informed as to +what was going on and the needs of the sufferers. What Bell endured +during those long hours was enough to kill the heart in a very strong +man. Yet his greeting to Governor Cox, over the crippled wire Thursday +morning, was: "Good morning, Governor. The sun is shining in Dayton." + +Could anything be finer! Men with such spirit are great men, and the +spirit that was in John H. Patterson and John A. Bell is the same spirit +that was in John Jacob Astor, and Archie Butt, and George B. Harris, and +Charles M. Hayes, and the band of musicians on the Titanic that played +in water waist deep. + +As I stood amid the slimy ruins of Dayton the day after the waters +receded, Brigadier-General Wood said to me, "There go Patterson and +Bell. Would you like to shake hands with them?" And I said, "Just now I +would rather shake hands with those two men than own the National Cash +Register Company." + +- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + +The Storms +By Chester Firkins + +And you are still the Master. We have reared + Cities and citadels of seeming might, + But in the passing of a single night +You rend them unto ruin. We who feared +Nor flood nor wind nor wreckage fire-seared, + We shudder helpless in the thunder-light; +The garners cherished and the souls endeared + Emptied and sudden-slaughtered in our sight. + +You, whom the Cave Man battled, whom we call + Nature, because we know no better name, + Goddess of gentleness and torture-flame, +Still are you despot; still are we the thrall; +Still we can only wait what Fate may fall + From your wild pinions that no man can tame. +Nor gold or gain, nor battlement or wall + Shall guard us from the primal flood and flame. + +Our castled cities tower to your skies. + 'Gainst wind and wave we pile our stone and mold. + Powered of genius, panoplied of gold, +We build the bastions of our high emprise. +But yet, but let the plunging torrent rise, + The winds awake on glutted rivers rolled-- +We die as the reft robin fledgeling dies-- + We perish as the beast in jungles old. + +We dream that we are conquerors of Earth; + We think that we are mighty, that we dare + Scorn your grim power--till we glimpse the flare +Of burning Death 'mid holiness of Birth. +What is our godliness and wisdom worth + Against your strength embattled unaware? +You are the Master, ever, everywhere, + Deadly and gentle o'er the wide World's girth. + +- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE DEATH-BEARING FLOOD AT DAYTON + + EXTENT OF THE FLOOD--THE RESERVOIR BREAKS--BUSINESS SECTION + FLOODED--THOUSANDS MAROONED--MANY CREEP TO SAFETY BY CABLE--JOHN H. + PATTERSON, CASH REGISTER HEAD, LEADS RELIEF--EMPLOYEES ASSIST IN + RELIEF--SCENES OF HORROR--APPEALS FOR AID. + + +It remained for two telephone operators to be the real factors in giving +to the world the news of the first day of the flood which inundated +Dayton, Ohio, and the whole of the Miami Valley on Tuesday, March 25th. +One, in the main exchange at Dayton, flashed the last tidings that came +out of the stricken city by telephone, and delivered to Governor Cox +news which enabled him to grasp the situation and start the rescue work. +The other was the operator at Phoneton, who served as a relay operator +for the man in Dayton. They stood to their posts as long as the wires +held, and worked all day and night. + + +EXTENT OF THE FLOOD + +A seething flood of water from eight to twenty feet deep covered all but +the outlying sections of the city by the evening of the 25th. + +Beneath the waters and within the ruined buildings lay the unnumbered +dead. The flooded districts comprised practically a circle with a radius +of a mile and a half, and in no place was the water less than six feet +deep. In Main Street, in the downtown section, the water was twenty feet +deep. + +The horror of the flooded district was heightened by more than a dozen +fires which could be seen in the flooded district, but out of reach of +fire fighters. + +Most of the business houses and nearly all residences had occupants. +Downtown the offices were filled with men, fathers unable to get home, +and the upper floors and on some of the roofs of the residences were +helpless women and children. Hundreds of houses, substantial buildings +in the residence districts, many of them with helpless occupants, were +washed away. + +The water in the Miami River began rising Monday afternoon at the rate +of six inches an hour and continued to rise throughout the night. The +first break in the levee at Dayton came at four o'clock Tuesday morning +at Stratford Avenue. This was followed by other breaks at East Second +Street and Fifth. + + +THE RESERVOIR BREAKS + +But the severity of the flood that hit Dayton was due to the collapse of +the Loramie reservoir in Shelby County about seven o'clock on Tuesday +morning, hurling millions of gallons of water into the swollen Miami. +Rushing down the Miami Valley, the water carried everything before it +at Piqua, Troy, Sidney, Dayton, Carrollton, Miamisburg and Hamilton. + +Three rivers, the Miami, Stillwater and Mad, and Wolf Creek conjoin in +the heart of Dayton. As the city, particularly North Dayton, and a north +section called Riverside, lies almost on a level with the four streams, +it is protected from high water by levees twenty-five feet high, which +guide the streams through the city from its northern to its southern +end. + +[Illustration: NORTHERN PART OF DAYTON, AND WATER COURSES WHICH +OVERWHELMED THE CITY] + +North Dayton is a manufacturing and residence district. Riverdale is a +residence district. In the southern part of the city, on fairly high +ground, is the great plant of the National Cash Register Company + +Wolf Creek, flowing into the Miami from the northwest, early got out of +its banks and added to the flood flowing over the floors of the Williams +Street and Edgewater Avenue bridges. + +Mad River, in the northern section, also got over its banks early. All +of North Dayton, save the extreme uplands, was inundated. The Miami was +more than a mile wide below the city, and thousands of acres were +inundated. + + +BUSINESS SECTION FLOODED + +At Third and Ludlow Streets, where were located the great Algonquin +Hotel, a magnificent church, the great Y. M. C. A. building and the +Hotel Atlas, were many feet of water. The central portion of the city +was flooded, and the beautiful residence district, lying east of the +exclusive boulevard district, was a Venice. + +Hundreds of homes were filled with floating furniture. The citizens, +used to the slow-creeping floods of other years, were entirely mystified +and distracted by this sudden, hurtling, seething flood that seemed to +spring by night from the clouds that hovered low over the city and +plunged their seas of water into the rivers that converge in the very +heart of Dayton. + +Railroad and wagon bridges over the Miami River were swept away. The +telephone operator at Phoneton said that from his window in the station +he had seen a bridge one mile north of Dayton collapse and another +bridge crossing the river at Tadmor, eleven miles north of Dayton, was +expected to give way at any moment. + +Communication between Phoneton and Dayton, the operator said, was only +intermittent, as the only available wire was being used by the linemen +in their efforts to restore service. + +Troy and Tippecanoe City, north of Dayton, were both flooded and many +people took refuge on the roofs of their homes. + +Below Dayton vast acreages were seas of yellow. Farms were lakes, roads +were raceways through which raced the swollen streams. Telegraph service +was maimed, and all sorts of communication was well-nigh impossible. + + +THOUSANDS MAROONED + +Crowded in the upper stories of tall office buildings and residences, +two miles each way from the center of the town, were thousands of +persons whom it was impossible to approach. At Wyoming Street, three +miles beyond what has heretofore been considered the danger line, water +was running eight feet deep. + +The Western Union operator at Dodson, Ohio, said the office was filled +with foreigners who had fled from Dayton. Looters were shooting people +down in the streets, according to these refugees. They also reported +that the Fifth Street bridge at Dayton had washed down against the +railroad bridge and arrangements were being made to dynamite both +structures. This bridge was dynamited in the afternoon, but the effect +was not felt to any marked degree. + +The foreigners who sought refuge in the Dodson telegraph office were +panic-stricken and told wild stories of the flood, saying nearly every +part of the town was under water and the conditions becoming more +serious. + +The breaking of the Tarleton reservoir, which supplies the drinking +water, left the city without water and added great danger of typhoid in +the use of flood water. + +Frank Purviance, an employee of the Terre Haute, Indianapolis and +Eastern Traction Company, at Dayton, over the long-distance telephone +said scores had been drowned there. + +"They're dying like rats in their homes; bodies are washing around the +streets and there's no relief in sight," Purviance said. + + +MANY CREEP TO SAFETY BY CABLE + +At Wyoming Station, on the South Side, where the National Cash Register +Company centered its efforts at rescue, many saved their lives by +creeping on a telephone cable, a hundred feet above the flood. + +At first linemen crept along the cables, carrying tow ropes to which +flat-bottomed boats were attached. When the flood became so fierce that +the boats no longer were able to make way against it, men and women +crept along the cables to safety. Others, less daring, saw darkness fall +and gave up hope of rescue. + +Those willing to risk their lives in the attempt to rescue found +themselves helpless in the face of the water. + +The first to seek safety by sliding along the telegraph conduits was a +man. Then came four women. The first of the women was Mrs. Luella Meyer. +She was a widow with one son, a boy in knee-breeches. + +He got out on the wire and with the agility of a cat was soon across. +But Mrs. Meyers, when over the boiling torrent, swayed as though faint, +slipped and the crowd stood with bated breath. + +By a lucky chance her senses came back to her so that she could grasp +one of the wires. Hand over hand she was able to pull herself slowly to +the nearest pole, where she rested before again making the trial. This +time she did not falter, but when she was picked up by the rescuers at +the farthest pole toward safety she was limp from nervous and physical +exhaustion. + +Four companies of the Third Regiment, Ohio National Guard, spent the +night aiding the city officials in rescuing families in the +flood-stricken districts. Telephone and railroad service was interrupted +in every direction. + +John Hadkins and James Hosay, privates of the Ohio National Guard, were +drowned while in acts of rescue. The body of an elderly woman floated +down near Wyoming Street in the afternoon, but the current was so swift +that it could not be recovered. + +The National Cash Register Company's plant, on a high hill, offered the +only haven in the South End. Three women became mothers in the halls of +its office buildings during the night. + +In the woodworking department of the National Cash Register Company +boats were being turned out at the rate of ten an hour, and these were +rushed to where the waters had crossed Main Street in a sort of gully. + +But the waters crept up and the strength of the current was far too +strong for the crude punts, though they were the best that could be made +in a hurry. + +Trip after trip was made and hundreds of the refugees were taken from +this stretch of houses. + + +JOHN H. PATTERSON, CASH REGISTER HEAD, LEADS RELIEF + +Although John H. Patterson, president of the National Cash Register +Company of Dayton, which employs more than 7,100 persons, is nearly +sixty-nine years old, and has led a life of unusual activity, he was out +in a rowboat tugging at the oars and personally helping in the work of +rescue. His two children, Frederick and Miss Dorothy, both in their +early twenties, likewise were so engaged. + +When despatches came from Dayton late at night saying "the only +organized relief movement is that which is being conducted by the +National Cash Register Company," those who knew the fighting +characteristics of the head of the big corporation were not surprised to +receive the additional information that Mr. Patterson as usual was +conducting the business of rescue and relief in person. + +The Dayton despatches in relating that young Frederick Patterson "is +leading rescue parties" and that Miss Dorothy, "dressed in old clothes +and her hair streaming with water, stood in the rain for hours receiving +refugees," gave a notion that the children are one with the sire. + + +EMPLOYEES ASSIST IN RELIEF + +The Cash Register plant is outside the flood zone. As soon as the waters +rushed upon the city John Henry Patterson turned his entire force into a +relief organization. Every wheel was stopped in the Cash Register plant +early on Tuesday morning and the employees were set to work by Mr. +Patterson to help the sufferers. + +Mr. Patterson bought up all the available food and had it carted to his +plant to feed the homeless. Straw was quickly strewn on the factory +floors, thus affording dry sleeping places for more than one thousand at +night. Every employee of the corporation capable of working on boats was +put to work at boat building. + +Mr. Patterson is said to have made a promise long ago to his wife, who +was Katherine Beck, a school teacher of Brookline, Mass., when she was +dying, that he would give special care to the comfort and welfare of his +women and girl employees. The dining rooms in the big plant, the rest +and recreation rooms and other architectural comforts provided for the +women employees as a result of this promise came in very well in the +rescue work. The dining rooms and the rest and recreation rooms all were +used as eating halls in helping the sufferers. + +While Mr. Patterson was out pulling at the oars of one of his boats +thirty-one of his company's automobiles were meeting the craft to hurry +the refugees to the Cash Register plant and to dry clothing, food and +beds. + +Mr. Patterson sent out an appeal for immediate food supplies and for +doctors and medicine. By night three thousand homeless were housed in +improvised quarters in the Cash Register offices. + + +GIRL IN MAN'S CLOTHING + +"What is your name?" asked the registrars who received the refugees at +the National Cash Register plant of a slender young person in men's +clothes. + +"Nora Thuma," was the reply. + +"Nora?" they asked. + +"Yes, I'm a girl," was the answer. + +She had put on a man's suit in order to cross the perilous span of wires +unhampered by skirts. + +She came in with Ralph Myers, his wife and their little baby. Myers had +climbed a telephone wire pole first. He let down a rope to his wife, who +tied to it a meal sack which contained their baby, three months old. + +Myers pulled the rope with its precious burden up and then let it down +again to aid his wife to ascend from her perilous position. + +With the meal sack over his shoulder and his wife holding on to the two +wires he walked along the cable a full block before he reached safety. + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood. +A typical scene on the outskirts of Dayton. Here scores of houses were +completely washed from their foundations and many of the inhabitants +were drowned] + +[Illustration: Copyright by the International News Service. +A view taken at Ludlow and Second Streets, Dayton, after the water had +receded, showing one phase of the devastation resulting from the flood] + + +SCENES OF HORROR + +Scenes of indescribable horror were reported by the rescuers under +Brigadier-General George H. Wood. Among those who perished were said to +have been ten members of the Ohio National Guard who were guarding a +bridge. + +One man marooned with his family on the roof of his home shot and killed +his wife and three children and then himself rather than suffer death in +the flames, according to a report received by J. J. Munsell, employment +superintendent of the National Cash Register Company, from a man who +actually saw the occurrence. The bodies floated away on the flood. + +Rescuers tried to get to a raft that bore a man and four women that +whirled like a spool in the rapid waters. Then suddenly the raft was +sucked down in the water and another chapter was added to the tragedy. + + +WOMAN LEAPS WITH BABY + +George H. Schaefer, a rescuer who went out into the flood with a skiff +and saved a woman and baby, told of his perilous trip. + +"A house that had been torn from its foundation came floating up behind +us," said Schaefer. "The woman was frightened. I told her there was no +danger. + +"Suddenly she stood up and jumped over with her baby in her arms. She +went straight down and never came up again." + +Then there was the horror that William Riley, a salesman for the +National Cash Register Company, saw. + +"We saw a very old woman standing at the window of a house waiting for +rescue," said Riley. "We rowed up to her. Suddenly the house parted and +the woman was engulfed. It was the last we saw of her." + +There was the man who was nearly rescued. He had stepped into the skiff +and then walked back into his home, which a short time later floated +away with him. Incidents of this sort were multiplied. + +John Scott ascended a telegraph pole and guided across the cable to +places of safety men, women and children rescued from flooded houses. + +Scott had guided a dozen persons across the swaying bridges of wire when +an explosion that started a fire occurred. The shock knocked Scott from +the pole and he fell into a tree. + +"The last I saw of him he was trying to get into the window of an +abandoned house by way of one of the branches of the tree," said Frank +Stevens, a fellow employee of Scott. "The house was in the path of the +fire." + + +APPEALS FOR AID + +Thousands of those who were fortunate enough to escape the first rush of +the waters were fed on short rations, and appeals for help were sent out +by many of the leading men of the city. + +Three carloads of foodstuffs arrived from Xenia, but there was no chance +to deliver them to the victims of the flood until the following day. + + +CRUEL NEED FOR AN ARK + +Frank Brandon, vice-president of the Dayton, Lebanon and Cincinnati +Railroad, succeeded during the night in getting communication for a +short time from Dayton to Lebanon. He said that the situation was +appalling and beyond all control. + +"According to my advices, the situation beggars description," said Mr. +Brandon. "What the people need most of all is boats. The water is high +in every street and assistance late this afternoon was simply out of the +question. My superintendent at Dayton told me that at least sixty had +perished and probably a great many more, at the same time assuring me +that unless something that closely approached a miracle happened the +death list would run considerably higher. We are now rigging up several +special trains and will make every effort possible to get into Dayton +tonight." + +It was on these scenes of indescribable horror that the shades of night +closed down. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +DAYTON'S MENACE OF FIRE AND FAMINE + + FIRE BREAKS OUT--HUNDREDS IMPERILED BY FLAMES--THE CITY + THREATENED--70,000 IMPRISONED BY THE WATER--"SEND US + FOOD!"--PATTERSON CONTINUES RESCUE WORK--PHONE OPERATOR BELL A + HERO--EXPERIENCES OF THE SUFFERERS--INSTANCES OF + SELF-SACRIFICE--LOOTERS AT WORK. + + +Scarcely had the appalling horror of the flood impressed itself on the +stricken people of Dayton before a new danger arose to strike terror to +their hearts--fire that could not be fought because there was no way to +reach it and because the usual means for fire-fighting were paralyzed. + + +FIRE BREAKS OUT + +One fire started from the explosion of an oil tank containing hundreds +of gallons which bumped into a submerged building. + +The fire started in a row of buildings on Third Street near Jefferson, +right in the heart of the business section, and not far from the +Algonquin Hotel, the Y. M. C. A., and other large buildings. + +The report of the fire was sent out by Wire Chief Green, of the Bell +Telephone Company, who said the fire was then within a block of the +telephone exchange in which was located John A. Bell, who for more than +twenty-four hours had kept the outside world informed as best he could +of the catastrophe in Dayton. + +A. J. Seattle, owner of the house in which the fire started after a gas +explosion, was blown into the air and killed instantly. + +Mrs. Shunk, a neighbor, was blown out of her home into the flood. After +clinging to a telegraph pole for half an hour, she finally succumbed and +was sucked under the waters. + +The explosion blew a stable filled with hay into the middle of the +flooded street and this carried the flames to the opposite side. + +The next house to burn was Harry Lindsay's. Then Mary Kreidler's and +then the home of Theodore C. Lindsay and other houses that had been +carried away from their foundations floated into the flames and soon +were on fire. + +The floating fires burned without restraint and communicated flames to +many other buildings where families awaited help. + +The Beckel House was threatened and Jefferson Street was on fire on its +east side from Third Street as far down as the Western Union office. +Refugees driven from their places where they had sought safety from the +floods were leaping from roof to roof to escape the new terror. The fire +was rapidly approaching the Home Telephone plant. + + +HUNDREDS IMPERILED BY FLAMES + +Another fire which started from an explosion in the Meyers Ice Cream +Company place, near Wyoming Street, spread and burned the block on South +Park, a block from Wyoming. + +Flames, starting at Vine and Main Streets, jumped Main Street and the +houses on the other side were soon aflame. In the middle of the street +were a few frame houses that had been washed from their foundations. +These were swirled about for a time, and, as though to aid in the +passing of the section by fire, they were cast into the path of the +flames. Persons hurried from their roof tops, where they had been driven +by the flood, to the roof tops of adjoining houses. + +A fire that appeared to threaten the entire business section was +confined to the block bounded by Second and Third Streets and Jefferson +and St. Clair Streets. In the block were the Fourth National Bank, +Lattiman Drug Company, Evans' Wholesale Drug Company and several +commission houses. This fire subsided somewhat by evening. + +Fire broke out in the buildings on Broad Street and many who had taken +refuge in the upper floors were threatened with death in the smoke and +flames. + +Sixteen persons were housed in the Home Telephone Building with a block +and tackle rigged as a means of egress if the fire pressed them. + + +GOVERNOR COX AIDS + +It was reported to Governor Cox that some had leaped from the buildings +into the flood. The Governor received word via Springfield that 10,000 +to 12,000 persons were in the burning buildings, fighting the fire by +water lifted in buckets from the flood. + +Governor Cox asked the Associated Press to notify its West Virginia +correspondents to get in touch with natural gas companies supplying +Dayton with gas and ask them to shut off the supply of gas in Dayton, as +the gas was feeding the conflagration there. + +Pleading that troops be sent to Dayton to relieve the flood sufferers, +saying that their need was imperative, and that the town was at the +mercy of looters and fires, George B. Smith, president of the chamber of +commerce of Dayton, who escaped from the flooded city, wired Governor +Cox from Arcanum. + +Governor Cox, following the information that Dayton was on fire and that +those who had sought refuge in the upper stories of buildings were in +danger, determined at six o'clock to reach Dayton with troops and +assistance. + + +THE CITY THREATENED + +It was impossible to get within two miles of the fire, and from that +distance it appeared that explosions, probably of drugs, made the fire +seem of larger proportions than it was. It appeared to have about burned +itself out, and it was not believed it would spread to other blocks. + +It was impossible to ascertain, even approximately, the number of +persons who might have been marooned in this section and who died after +being trapped by flood and fire. + +The flames at night cast a red weird glow over the flood-stricken city +that added to the fears of thousands of refugees and marooned persons, +and led to apprehension that there might have been many of the water's +prisoners in the burned buildings. + +Fire started anew at nine o'clock at night and burned fiercely. + +The men, women and children marooned in the Beckel Hotel were terror +stricken when fire threatened the building for the second time at night. +Since Tuesday morning two hundred and fifty persons had been in the +place. + +Crowded in the upper stories of tall office buildings and residences in +Dayton, two miles each way from the center of the town, were hundreds of +persons whom it was impossible to approach. Hundreds of fires which it +was impossible to fight were burning. The rescue boats were unable to +get farther from the shore than the throw line would permit. They could +not live in the current. + +At midnight residents of Dayton watching the course of the flames from +across the wide stretch of flood waters believed the fire got its new +start in the afternoon in the store of the Patterson Tool and Supply +Company, on Third Street, just east of Jefferson, whence it ate its way +west, apparently aided by escaping gas and exploding chemicals in two +wholesale drug establishments. + +Throughout the night fires lighted the sky and illuminated the rushing +waters. Fifty thousand people were jammed in the upper floors of their +homes, with no gas, no drinking water, no light, no heat, no food. + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +The flood at Watervliet, New York, showing buildings torn from their +foundations and floating down the stream. Great damage and untold +suffering resulted] + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +Rescuer leaving one of the houses in the flooded district and removing a +family to safety] + + +THE CREST OF THE FLOOD + +The crest of the Dayton flood passed about midnight, but the next few +hours allowed no appreciable lowering in the water. Wednesday morning +brought little hope of immediate relief to those who spent the night in +horror, however, and it was feared that the number of drowned had been +greatly increased during the twelve hours of darkness. + +Cloudy skies and a cold drizzling rain added to the dismal aspect of the +city in the morning. The temperature fell steadily all night, and when +daylight came the thermometers showed that it was only three degrees +above freezing. The condition was welcomed, because it was expected that +a hard freeze would aid materially in holding back the innumerable +tributaries of the flooded streams and assist the earth in retaining the +moisture that had been soaked into it steadily for the last five days. + +By ten-thirty the water depth had lessened about two feet. All stores +and factories in the main part of the town were flooded to a depth of +from eight to ten feet. Numerous residences and smaller buildings +collapsed, but any estimate of the property loss was impossible. + +A morgue was established on the west side of the city, and efforts to +recover the bodies and aid the suffering were pushed as rapidly as +conditions permitted. Relief trains began to arrive in the stricken +towns. + +Adjutant-General Speaks, with a small detachment of troops and a squad +of linemen and operators, left Columbus early Wednesday in an effort to +reach Dayton. The attempt was made by means of motor boats and +automobiles in the hope to establish adequate telegraph or telephone +communication with Dayton. + + +MARTIAL LAW ESTABLISHED + +A message from Governor Cox ordered the entire Ohio National Guard to +hold itself in readiness to proceed to Dayton as soon as it was possible +to enter the city. + +"I understand the importance of having the militia there," he +telegraphed. + +Soon afterward notice was posted in headquarters of the emergency +committee announcing that the city was under martial law, and several +companies of soldiers arrived from neighboring Ohio cities. + +The soldiers were employed to patrol edges of the burned district, and +prevent looting of homes freed from the floods. + +The hundreds of refugees in the Y. M. C. A. building and in the +Algonquin Hotel were facing possible short rations. Their food supplies +were becoming limited and drinking water was at a premium. + +Forty boats were requisitioned by the city authorities and were +patroling the city in an effort to save life and property. These craft +were manned by volunteers. + +In front of the Central Union Telegraph office the water was still +running so swiftly that horses could not go through it without swimming. +One boat went by with two men in it, rowing desperately, trying to keep +the bow to the waves. The boat overturned, but both men escaped drowning +by swimming to a lamp post. They clung to the post for half an hour +before a rope could be thrown to them. After repeated casts the line +fell near enough to them to be caught, and the men were drawn into the +second story window of the building. + +The telephone employees in the building fished chairs, dry goods boxes +and a quantity of other floating property from the flood. The debris +swept down the main business street with such force that every plate +glass window was smashed. + +Only one sizable building had collapsed up to noon so far as the +watchers in the telephone office could learn. This structure, an old +one, was a three-story affair, near Ludlow Street, occupied by a harness +manufacturing concern. + + +70,000 IMPRISONED BY THE WATER + +More than 70,000 persons either were unable to reach their homes or, +held in their waterlocked houses, were unable to reach land. + +While those marooned in the offices and hotels were in no immediate +danger of drowning there was no way food or drinking water could reach +them until the flood receded. Those in the residences, however, were in +constant danger both by flood and fire. First the frailer buildings were +swept into the stream, many showing the faces of women and children +peering from the windows. These were followed by more substantial brick +buildings, until it became evident that no house in the flood zone was +safe. + +The houses as a rule lasted but a few blocks before disintegrating. + +Incidents without number were narrated of persons in the flooded +districts waving handkerchiefs and otherwise signaling for aid, being +swept away before the eyes of the watchers on the margin of the waters. +Many of the rescue boats were swept by the current against what had been +fire plugs, trees and houses. They were crushed. Canoes and rowboats +shared the same fate. What life existed in the district which the water +covered was in constant danger and helpless until the flood subsided. + +Bodies were found as far out as Wayne Avenue, which is more than a mile +from the river. At Fifth and Brown Streets the water reached a height of +ten feet. At least one of those drowned met death in the Algonquin +Hotel. + +The rumor that the St. Elizabeth Hospital with 600 patients had been +swept away, which gained circulation Tuesday night, proved to have been +false. + +Although it was impossible to reach the hospital, field glasses showed +that the building was still standing. The water was not thought to be +much above the first floor of the building, and it was hoped that the +patients had not suffered. + +Dayton was practically cut off from wire communication until late in the +afternoon. Then two wires into Cincinnati were obtained and operators +plunged into great piles of telegrams from Dayton citizens, almost +frantic in their desire to assure friends outside of their safety. +Operators at opposite ends of the wires reported that thousands of +telegrams were piled up at relay offices. These were from people anxious +over the fate of Dayton kinsmen. + +Two oarsmen who braved the current that swirled through the business +section of the city reported that the water at the Algonquin Hotel, at +the southwest corner of Third and Ludlow Streets, was fifteen feet deep. +From windows in the hotels and business buildings hundreds of the +marooned begged piteously for rescue and food. The oarsmen said they saw +no bodies floating on the flood tide, but declared that many persons +must have perished in the waters' sudden rush through the streets. + +Oarsmen who worked into the outskirts of the business section at night +reported that two hundred and fifty persons marooned in the Arcade +building and two hundred imprisoned in the Y. M. C. A. building were +begging for water. + + +"SEND US FOOD!" + +Before the terror of fire had dwindled, gaunt hunger thrust its wolfish +head on the scene. Famine became an immediate possibility. All of the +supply and grocery houses were in the submerged district and there was +not enough bread to last the survivors another day. Every grocer in the +city was "sold out" before noon. + +The flood came with such suddenness that food supplies in homes were +whisked away by the torrent that reached to second floors in almost the +flash of an eye. Skiffs skirted the edge of the flooded districts +attempting to take food to those whom it was impossible to carry off, +but the fierce current discouragingly retarded this work. + +"Food, food, food," was the appeal that reached the outside world from +the portions of Dayton north of the rivers. The plea came from a relief +committee which started out in boats and met an employee of the American +Telegraph and Telephone Company, who attempted to drive to Dayton. The +telephone man immediately "cut in" on a line and transmitted the appeal. + +The relief committee had progressed less than two miles from Dayton when +they met the telephone employee. They told him that any and all kinds of +provisions were needed and could be distributed, but the relief must +come soon if indescribable suffering was to be avoided. + +Police officers of Dayton who were able to get about at all were +swearing in all available men as deputies, commandeering provisions and +charging the expense to the State of Ohio. The available supplies were +so slender, however, that thousands of persons on the north side of the +river were already destitute. Efforts to learn the condition of the +2,500 inmates of the old soldiers' home on the west side brought a +report that the institution was in no danger because of its location on +a high hill. + +Leon A. Smith, one of the relief committee in North Dayton, was sworn in +as a deputy justice of the peace with power to enlist other deputies to +preserve order, guard against crimes and relieve distress. + +"What we need most," said Mr. Smith over the telephone, "is food for the +living and assistance in recovering and burying the dead before an +epidemic sets in." + +Farmers in the vicinity offered their teams to haul towards Dayton any +supplies that could be gotten together, and the housewives of the +countryside denuded their pantries. + +Relief committees issued the following statement: + +"An awful catastrophe has overtaken Dayton. The centers of Dayton and +the residence district from the fair grounds hill to the high ground +north of the city are under water. + +"Bring potatoes, rice, beans, vegetables, meat and bread and any other +edibles that will sustain life. + +"We have cooking arrangements for several thousand. We are sending +trucks to nearby towns, but ask that you haul to us, as far as +possible." + +The first trainload of provisions from Cincinnati, with a detail of +policemen to help in the rescue work, reached Dayton after being twelve +hours on the road. This, with two cars from Springfield, relieved the +immediate suffering. Word also was received that a carload of supplies +was on the way from Detroit. + +Encouragement was received in a message from the Mayor of Springfield, +who said he was sending six big trucks loaded with provisions that +should reach Dayton early Thursday. With the arrival of motor boats +Wednesday night it was hoped to begin to distribute provisions among the +marooned early next morning. + +Messages from the flood's prisoners in the business section said +children were crying for milk, while their elders suffered from thirst +that grew hourly. Volunteers were called for to man boats and brave the +dangerous currents in an attempt to get food to the suffering. + + +PATTERSON CONTINUES RESCUE WORK + +Rescue work efficiently managed, in which John H. Patterson was a +leading spirit, proceeded smoothly throughout the day. A boat, which was +engaged in rescue work, capsized, and all of the crew but Frederick +Patterson, son of John H. Patterson, were drowned. Young Patterson acted +as captain of the crew. + +Missing members of families were restored to their loved ones through +human clearing houses established at several points in the fringe of the +flood district. Great ledgers filled with names presided over by +volunteer bank clerks were at the disposal of persons seeking missing +kinsmen. If these had registered in the clearing house their addresses +were quickly given to the inquirer. + +Up to seven o'clock in the evening three thousand of the homeless were +housed in different places of refuge, most of them being cared for at +the plant of the National Cash Register Company. Scores of the waters' +victims were being carried from their places of imprisonment late in the +evening, and leaders of the rescuing parties were arranging for relays +of torch bearers to light the work during the night. + +The powerful current on each cross street made it impossible for those +manning the rowboats to pass a street crossing without the aid of tow +ropes. Lines were stretched in many places and trolley boat paths +brought many victims out. Every automobile in the city was pressed into +service and used to meet paths and take the refugees at once to the +hospitals. + +"Our greatest need is a dozen motor boats and men to run them," was the +message contained in an appeal sent out by Mr. Patterson. Skiffs and +rowboats could not live in torrents rushing through the city's principal +streets. + +The big plant of the National Cash Register Company was made relief +headquarters. As persons were rescued they were taken to a relief +sub-station, where their names were recorded and they received first +aid. At frequent intervals these lists were sent to relief headquarters +and announced to crowds who waited in the rain for hours. + +Two expert oarsmen, Fred Patterson and Nelson Talbott, conquered the +current for a short distance on Main Street late in the afternoon. + +"We penetrated to almost the center of the city," said Mr. Patterson. +"Everywhere people yelled to us to rescue them, but it was impossible, +for we were barely able to keep afloat. Large sums of money were offered +us to take persons from perilous positions. The windows of the Algonquin +Hotel seemed filled with faces, and the same conditions prevailed at +most of the buildings we passed. We did not see any bodies, but the loss +of life must have been great." + +At Xenia a relief committee was organized to send supplies to Dayton. +All the churches were made ready for Dayton refugees. + + +PHONE OPERATOR BELL A HERO + +Two employees of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, John A. +Bell, wire chief at Dayton, and C. D. Williamson, wire chief at +Phoneton, Ohio, by unprecedented devotion to duty kept Dayton in touch +with the world. + +At midnight they had been on duty continuously for forty-eight hours, +and, although there was no prospect of their being relieved, they gave +not the slightest indication of any inclination to leave their posts. + +Bell reached the Dayton office before the flood broke on Tuesday +morning. The water came with such suddenness that all batteries and +power were out of commission before any measure could be taken to +protect them. This left the wires without current and effectually cut +off Dayton. Bell rummaged around and found a lineman's "test set." With +this he made his way to the roof of the building, "cut in" on the line +to Phoneton and reported to Williamson, whose batteries were still in +condition. Over this meagre equipment messages were exchanged by means +of the underground wires of the company, which held up until after the +noon hour Tuesday before the cable in which they were incased gave way. +The break, however, was south of Dayton, and Phoneton was still in touch +with the flood-stricken city. + +Except for brief intervals, Bell remained on the roof of the building +suffering the discomforts of pouring rain and low temperature, in order +that the waiting world might have some word from Dayton. + + +EXPERIENCES OF THE SUFFERERS + +Late in the afternoon several refugees told stories that gave an insight +into conditions in East Dayton, hitherto unexplored. The flood victims +declared they knew of no loss of life in this section, because a great +number of people had availed themselves of warnings and fled. + +A Mrs. Van Denberg, who remained until the flood enveloped her home, +when rescued declared she had seen no bodies in the flood. + +Sixty-five persons were marooned in the central police station. Nothing +had been heard from Mayor Phillips, of Dayton, or from Brigadier-General +Wood, marooned, it was believed, in North Dayton. + +The whole story of the Dayton disaster probably never will be told--the +heroism of men; the martyrdom of women; the mad hysteria that seized +some and caused them to jump into the flood and death; the torture of +despair that gripped those who, imprisoned in their homes by the water, +waited in vain for help until the advancing flames came and destroyed +them. The most heartrending feature of the situation was the pitiable +terror of the women and children. Many of them sat up and sobbed through +the night refusing to believe that their fathers had been drowned in the +satanic waters. + +Mrs. James Cassidy and her three children were brought from the flood +last night. Mrs. Cassidy was grief-stricken over the report of the death +of her husband by drowning. Even as she was being registered there was +brought into rescue headquarters a drenched man who had to be carried. + +"Jim! Jim!" suddenly shrieked the woman. "That's you, Jim, isn't it? You +aren't dead, Jim. Say you aren't dead." + +Jim had been rescued from drowning. The return of James Cassidy was the +one bit of joy in the awful gloom at the rescue headquarters, where +gathered the victims of flood, fire and famine. + + +CRAZED BY HER EXPERIENCE + +A woman, maddened by the horrors of the day, fought with Bill Riley and +his companion, Charles Wagner, who had rescued her in a boat. + +She bit Riley in the hand and choked Wagner, who sought to restrain her. +The little boat swayed and was on the point of capsizing when the woman +suddenly became calm and began to pray. + +A big sturdy man cried like a child in the offices of the National Cash +Register Company. He had been to the hospitals, the schools where +refugees are housed and to the churches--but in none of these was his +family. + +In many similar cases relatives of the supposed dead were uncertain as +to the fate of the missing. The money loss was heavy, but nobody cared +about money loss, though it ran into the millions. + +In this hour of Dayton's woe money apparently was the most useless thing +in the world. + +A graphic story was told by Edsy Vincent, a member of the Dayton fire +department. His engine house was within a few doors of Taylor Street, +where the break of the levee occurred. + +The department watchers, fearing being flood-bound, sounded the fire +call simultaneously with the break in the levee. + +"When the horses, which were hitched in record time, reached the +street," said Vincent, "we were met by a wall of water which must have +been ten feet high. The driver was forced to turn and flee in the +opposite direction to save the team and the apparatus." + + +INSTANCES OF SELF-SACRIFICE + +The dark colors in these incidents were lightened here and there by +stories of bravery exhibited by many of the flood prisoners. + +A woman with three children marooned in the upper floor of her home on +the edge of the business district called to the oarsmen: + +"I know you can't take me off!" she cried, "but for the love of humanity +take this loaf of bread and jug of molasses to Sarah Pruyn down the +street; I know she's starving." + +Twice the boatmen attempted to take the food, but waves that eddied +about the submerged house hurled them back. + + +LOOTERS AT WORK + +Numerous stories of looting were told, and many prisoners were locked +up. In most cases these had entered houses and had been searching for +valuables. A gang of roughs went through the southern part of the city +late at night instructing the people to extinguish all lights for fear +of a gas explosion and then began raiding. The police dispersed them. + +All day and all night strings of automobiles were going back and forth. +Those coming to Dayton were seeking friends or relatives. Those going +back had people to take back with them. + +At night the temperature dropped suddenly. A blinding snowstorm and high +winds followed close upon the fall of the thermometer. The blizzard +weather caused added suffering. Survivors who escaped the horrors of a +flood and fire stricken city at night were huddled roofless in an arctic +storm. Countless men, women and children were marooned in the storm who +had had no warm food or clothing since Tuesday morning. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +DAYTON IN THE THROES OF DISTRESS + + PITIABLE CONDITION OF MAROONED--FALSE REPORT CAUSES PANIC--THE + FLOOD RECEDES--A SURVEY OF THE FLOOD'S DAMAGE--MARTIAL LAW + ENFORCED--RESTORING SANITATION--FEEDING THE HOMELESS--PATTERSON + CONTINUES NOBLE WORK--STORIES OF SURVIVORS. + + +When Thursday morning dawned on stricken Dayton the food situation which +had threatened to become serious was relieved temporarily by the arrival +of a special train from Richmond, Indiana, bringing seven cars of +provisions. Quartermaster Logan also received word from the United +States Army quartermaster general that 300,000 rations had been ordered +shipped from Chicago, 100 ranges and one complete quartermaster depot +from Columbus, 3,300 tents, 100 hospitals tents and 400 stoves from +Philadelphia, and 300,000 blankets and 500 bedsacks from St. Louis or +Cincinnati. Quartermaster Logan was authorized to purchase in open +market all rations needed. + +[Illustration: MAP SHOWING THE RIVERS AND CREEKS WHICH RUN THROUGH +DAYTON, AND THE PRINCIPAL SECTIONS OF THE CITY] + +[Illustration: Showing the difficulties experienced by the rescuers in +getting to the hundreds of people whose lives were imperiled by being +caught in the flooded buildings] + +[Illustration: Copyright by George Grantham Bain. +Mayor of Cleveland getting motor boats ready for relief work in Northern +Ohio. For days after the flood reached its height, even strong boats +could reach many of the marooned people only with great difficulty and +risk] + +The thing that made the situation most difficult for concerted rescue +work was the peculiar geographical situation of the town. It is divided +into six sections: central Dayton, comprising the down-town business +district; West Dayton, the territory extending several miles west of the +big Miami; Riverdale, the northeast, across the river from the central +district; Dayton View, the extreme northeast; Southern Dayton, the +manufacturing district in which the National Cash Register Company's +plant is located and separated from the central district by lowlands +which were deep in flood water, and North Dayton, northwest of the +business district, across the river from the business section. + + +PITIABLE CONDITION OF MAROONED + +The river forms a horseshoe around the business district, making it +impossible to reach that part until the torrents that poured down the +valley should recede. + +Dayton View, West Dayton and Riverdale were the only sections between +which communication was possible. + +The suburb of Riverdale up to Helena Street was penetrated by the +down-town relief commission and conditions found much similar to those +in the southern suburbs. Everyone was crowded to the second floors or +roofs of their homes, but few of the more stable dwellings were washed +away. + +North of Burns Avenue as far as Fourth Street the water was found to be +from three to six feet deep. Beyond Fourth Street the water had receded +to make it possible in many places to proceed on foot. + +Nothing was known of the foreign settlement in North Dayton close to the +Miami River. It was this part of the city where the flood first made its +way and where the occupants of the houses had ignored warnings to +leave. It was here also that it was feared most of the deaths would +occur. The only body found on Thursday was that of Charles Parker, a +livery man, discovered in the court house yard. + +Captain of Police H. E. Lackhart declared that water in North Dayton, +Miami City and East Dayton reached the housetops. His estimate of the +number of dead in that district was three hundred. + +The bodies of a woman and a baby were seen floating down Jefferson +Street, one of Dayton's main thoroughfares. It was thought that they +came from the district north of the river. + +A report which had been current in the water district south of Main +Street that Brigadier-General Wood had been fatally injured by falling +plate glass, proved to be untrue. He continued in full charge of the +relief work, although his arm had been badly cut. + +Parts of Main Street were impassable because of debris. At several +points it comprised outbuildings that had struck more stable buildings +and been dashed to pieces. + +Hourly apprehension for the appalling sights to be uncovered when the +waters return to normal was growing. + + +PLANS FOR FIGHTING PESTILENCE + +Pestilence was feared and sanitary and health officials mapped out their +work. Sewers were burst by the flood, manholes were simply blown from +the earth, and it was realized that many days must elapse before the +water service could be restored and before street car companies could +operate. + +Because of the lack of electric lights, and as a precaution against +looting, military notices were posted, forbidding citizens to be on the +streets between the hours of 6 P. M. and 5 A. M. + +Word was received that a number of motor boats with men to operate them +were on the way from Cleveland and Cincinnati. + +The water receded rapidly during the day. An occasional snow flurry and +biting gusts of wind added to the discomfort of the rescue crews, but +they remained steadily at work. + +The Emergency Committee began publication of an official newspaper from +the plant of the National Cash Register Company. It was a one-sheet +poster designed for free circulation in all accessible parts of the +city. Its leading article warned the people to beware of thieves and +burglars. + +A thief was caught robbing homes of flood victims who had been taken to +refuge stations. He was shot to death by state guardsmen. + +The progress of the first canoe into the water-bound district was +greeted by appeals for bread and water. In nearly every house left +standing wistful faces were to be seen pressed against window panes. All +of these were asked whether there had been any deaths and with only a +few exceptions all replied that there had not. + +Temporary morgues were established in the United Brethren Church and +also at Fifth and Eagle Streets. At these points many bodies were cared +for, chiefly those of women and children. + + +FALSE REPORT CAUSES PANIC + +Needless suffering was caused during the day by an announcement of the +breaking of the Lewistown reservoir. Men rushed through the uptown +streets shouting: + +"Run for your lives! The reservoir has broken!" + +There was really no danger. The reservoir contained 17,000 acres of +water space, but it was pointed out that the flood extended over several +million acres and the worst possible effect of the breaking of the +reservoir would be to retard the rescues and could not cause a rise of +more than a foot. The waters at the time were seven feet lower than the +high water of Tuesday night. + +The alarm was spread by a policeman who was posted on the edge of the +flood district. Others were quick to take up the cry. + +Soon thousands of men and women crowded the streets. Many of them fled +for the hills, but hundreds hurled themselves past guards and into the +main office building of the National Cash Register Building, which was +already crowded. + +Not until John H. Patterson, president of the company, had addressed the +throng was any semblance of order restored. + +Mr. Patterson was appointed military aide in the southeast district of +the city, with full control under martial law. He at once ordered every +available motor car and truck to scour the farmhouses south of the city +and confiscate all available food supplies. + +Colonel H. G. Catrow arrived with his military aides from Columbus in +the afternoon and took charge of the militiamen. + + +SIGHTSEERS BARRED FROM CITY + +Sightseers of Springfield who sought to visit Dayton received a rude +shock. On the first train to the stricken city from Springfield were +fifty linemen and three coaches full of people on a sightseeing tour. + +The Governor learned of this and on his orders when the train reached +Dayton two soldiers were stationed at each car door and none but linemen +were permitted to alight. The train was then run back to Springfield +with its disappointed passengers. + +The Governor then ordered guardsmen at Springfield to let none board +trains for Dayton who did not have a military pass. The purpose in this +was to prevent idle visitors draining the limited food resources of +Dayton. + + +DYNAMITE AND LIME SENT + +Dynamite, gasoline and lime were sent from Springfield as supplies for +the sanitary corps ordered there to prevent the spread of disease and a +feared epidemic. The dynamite was needed to blow up dangerous +obstructions, the gasoline to burn rubbish and the lime for disinfecting +purposes. + +Mutiny broke out in the city workhouse, where one hundred prisoners were +confined. Terror-stricken by the flood and fire, the prisoners were +demanding freedom. + +They beat at their cell doors and shouted imprecations at their keepers. +Superintendent Johnson applied to the militia for help. One workhouse +prisoner was released because he knew how to run the water-works pumps. + +The two hundred and fifty guests of the Algonquin Hotel were kept +comfortable except for the continuous dread that the fire would spread +to them. The water reached the second floor, but all the supplies had +been moved to places of safety, and those in the hotel experienced +little discomfort. + +From Fourth Street to the Miami River, relief work was taken up by a +committee headed by Chief of Police Allaback. All of the grocery stores +were commandeered and, although in most cases the goods were covered +with water, yet sufficient supplies were found to prevent great +suffering among those in the interior dry strip. + + +SUFFERERS CHEERFUL + +One of the remarkable features was the cheerful spirit with which flood +victims viewed their plight. This was Dayton's first big flood in many +years. Much of the submerged area had been considered safe, but as the +majority of residents of these sections looked out on all sides upon a +great sweep of muddy, swiftly moving water, they seemed undisturbed. + +In some of the poorer sections the attitude of the marooned was not so +cheerful. As a motor boat passed beneath the second floor at one partly +submerged house, a man leaned out and threatened to shoot the boat's +occupants unless they rescued his wife and a baby that had been born the +day before. The woman, almost dying, was let from the window by a rope +and taken to a place of refuge. + +Further on, members of a motor boat party were startled by shots in the +second floor of a house, about which five feet of water swirled. The +boat was stopped and a man peered from a window. + +"Why are you shooting?" he was asked. + +"Oh, just amusing myself, shooting at rats that come upstairs. When are +you going to take me out of here?" he replied. + +Three babies were born in one church during the afternoon. One was born +in a boat while its mother was being conveyed to safety. Such scenes +were common. + + +WOMEN BECAME HYSTERICAL + +At the rescue stations the scenes enacted were heartrending and the most +pitiful were witnessed at the temporary morgues. At the West Dayton +morgue frantic crowds all day and night watched every body brought in, +hoping against hope it was not that of some loved one. + +Women became hysterical at times when searching for missing members of +their families whom they had failed to find at the relief stations. + +With the coming of nightfall Thursday the efforts to rescue more persons +were slackened, and all of Dayton not in the central flood districts +waited in dread for the nightly fires which had added horrors to the +already terrible situation. + +The flood situation at night appeared brighter than in the morning. The +water had fallen from three to five feet, the currents of the river and +creek had slackened, and there was food enough left for the town's +breakfast and dinner. + +As Galveston and San Francisco pulled themselves together after calamity +so Dayton began pulling itself together on Friday of the week of the +flood. Emerging from the waters and privation, citizens began +co-operating with those who rushed to the rescue from outside. +Considerable progress was made toward the restoration of order and in +giving relief to those in the worst distress. + +Much cheer was taken from the fact that so far as loss of life was +concerned it was not so great as had been feared, though no exact +estimates were yet calculable. + +Financially the citizens had a great burden to bear. Investigators on +Friday put the figures of the losses at double that of the previous day, +making it $50,000,000. + + +THE FLOOD RECEDES + +The down-town district was practically free of water. Fire engines +pumped out the basement of the Algonquin Hotel, that the Algonquin's +artesian well supply might be pumped into the empty city water mains for +fire protection. + +Water was still from ten to fifteen feet deep in certain districts of +the west side. A mile of residences on Linwood Avenue had been swept +clear and nothing remained to indicate that the street had existed. + + +A SURVEY OF THE FLOOD'S DAMAGE + +In a tour of the business sections it was found that the high stage of +the flood had been nine feet at Third and Main Streets, the heart of the +city. + +The tower of Steele High School was levelled and the Leonard Building on +Main Street was undermined so that it collapsed. Other buildings stood +up. + +The following buildings were found to have withstood the flood, +furnishing shelter to about 7,000 people who were marooned in them since +Tuesday: Conover Building, Kuhns Building, The Arcade, two Cappel +Buildings, Callahan Bank Building, Schwind Building, Commercial +Building, Mendenhall Building, Rike Kumler Building, Reibold Building, +Elder & Johnson's building and United Brethren Publishing Company's +building. + + +NO PUBLIC BUILDINGS GONE + +None of the public buildings was destroyed. Among these buildings were +the Dayton Club, Victoria, National and Colonial theatres, city hall, +court house, Beckel, Phillips, Algonquin and Atlas hotels, Masonic +temple, post office, Y. M. C. A. and various churches. + +The Log Cabin, 115 years old, the first house built in Dayton, still +stood, although it is on the south bank of the Miami, right in the path +of the flood. + +The electric light and gas plants were safe from the high water. The +city's water comes from a reservoir high above the river. + +In Dayton less than one hundred bodies had been recovered by Friday +night, though thousands were missing. The fire was out, however, and the +flood had so receded that relief boats were able to get to practically +all parts of the city. + + +MOST HOUSES WRECKED + +Every house in the flooded district was practically ruined. Streets were +so clogged with wreckage that it was almost impossible to get through +them. + +"Strange to say, there was not much suffering in our particular +neighborhood," declared George Armstrong, who had been marooned in the +Capell furniture store building. "There was one woman with a +three-weeks-old baby. We took excellent care of her. And did we pray? +There never were such prayers in church. We had a case of whiskey and +offered to send it off to persons who seemed exhausted. They refused to +take it, although ordinarily they are not teetotallers." + + +BOATMEN TOUR DISTRICTS + +Members of the United States life-saving crew of Louisville navigated +sections of flooded Dayton heretofore unexplored, reporting conditions +in North Dayton and Riverdale quite as deplorable as the first estimates +concerning suffering were concerned. + +Cruising the southern end of Riverdale, where it was feared there would +be found a big death list, Captain Gillooly, in charge of the crew from +the United States life saving station at Louisville, Ky., reported +conditions paralleling those in other sections of the stricken city, but +only two bodies were reported as having been recovered. The flooded +territory in Riverdale, which is a section of substantial home owners, +was approximately seventeen blocks long and seven blocks wide. + +After having descended the Miami River, Captain Gillooly reported that +in the south central section of Dayton, where the flood flowed wildest +on Tuesday night and Wednesday, thousands of persons still were +imprisoned in upper floors of their homes. He stated that from numerous +inquiries among people whose residences had been inundated it appeared +the life loss would not be nearly so large as it was placed by first +reports. + +This section still was flooded, although the water rapidly was receding, +and while a few corpses eddied out from the flood's edge, yet in the +center of the area it was stated that only two bodies had been seen. + + +DRINKING WATER DISTRIBUTED + +Captain Gillooly and his men distributed food and quantities of drinking +water to a large number of the flood's prisoners. Arrangements also were +made to provide the needy ones with the necessary supplies from time to +time until the flood waters receded. + +At many different points along the route stops were made and the crew +detoured away from the rivers. It was found that many of these detours +could be made afoot, the water having rapidly fallen since the night. At +no place was the water behind the levees deeper than four feet. + +The Louisville men took relief to several hundred families in the low +district in the vicinity of Ludlow and Franklin Streets. Here the water +had reached the roofs of all two-story buildings. Only a few of the most +desperate cases were brought out, the first move being to leave bread +and water in as many places as possible. + +Sixty Catholic sisters at the Academy of the Sisters of Notre Dame and +eighteen persons for whom they had provided refuge were found to have +been without food or water since Tuesday. There were several cases of +illness, and the suffering had been intense. The life savers left bread +and water and planned to take further help. + +Meanwhile Capt. H. A. Hansen and the crew from Cleveland were operating +several boats in North Dayton. There many of the poorer class live, and +few of the buildings were substantial. Dozens of them were swept away, +upturned and shattered. + +Mayor Phillips was still marooned in his house, and G. B. Smith, +president of the Chamber of Commerce, continued in active aid of relief +operations. + +The Fourth National Bank Building, which was reported several times to +have been destroyed by fire, was found untouched by the flames, although +a building immediately adjoining was burned. The newspaper offices, the +_News_ and _Herald_ and _Journal_ buildings, were safe, but none was +issuing papers. + +The Cleveland battalion of engineers were the first of a horde of troops +which began to pour into Dayton in the morning. They were immediately +put at work distilling the water. The fifteen men of the Dayton Ohio +National Guard companies, who had been on duty since midnight Tuesday, +frankly had been unable to cope with the situation. The police force +was also depleted by the fact that many of its members had been marooned +by high water. The looter had been in high glee. + + +MARTIAL LAW ENFORCED + +Strict martial law was put into force. With headquarters at Bamberger +Park, Col. Zimmerman of the Fifth Ohio Regiment organized the forces of +protection, and by noon every accessible section was under strict guard. +Frequent fights and skirmishes were held with the pillagers, who sought +to steal under the cover of darkness. Orders to shoot to kill looters on +the third shot were issued to the militiamen. The pillaging of abandoned +homes and stores and the slugging and robbing of men and women in the +streets after nightfall had reached a desperate stage when the troops +arrived, and drastic orders were necessary. + +"Shoot at the legs first, and then shoot to kill," was the way the +soldiers were instructed to act. + +Colonel Zimmerman listened to thousands who sought passes to go through +the flood area to reach marooned friends and kinsmen. Only a few were +allowed to go, and these were compelled to prove special causes. To +those who asserted they had starving friends, Colonel Zimmerman rejoined +that provisions and medicines constantly were going into the inundated +district. + +"Be satisfied you're not dead yet," was the Colonel's disposition of +many of the applicants. + +All during the night and until dawn revolver and rifle shots had +sounded. Most of the shooting was in the bottoms near the river, but +about midnight there was a lively volley of shots, evidently an exchange +of bullets, believed to have been between soldiers and pillagers. + +A robbery was thwarted when the police arrested a man who was escaping +from the city with a satchel containing $50,000 in diamonds and jewelry +which he had stolen from downtown jewelry shops. + +"Beware of thieves and burglars," said an official bulletin given wide +circulation. "Don't leave your houses without protection. It was thieves +who scared you about the reservoir and natural gas explosion. The +natural gas has been turned off and there is no danger of explosions." + + +REFUGEES IN FIGHTS + +At three o'clock Friday morning it was unofficially announced that three +pillagers had been shot to death in various parts of the city during the +night. + +Over in North Dayton, when the lowlands were inundated by the rush of +the waters of the Mad River, the foreign population, which practically +occupies that section, was driven to the upper floors and the housetops. +With the extinguishing of the city's lights bedlam broke loose in +various portions of North Dayton. Men in the frenzy of their trouble +fell to desperate quarreling among themselves, and shots were heard at +all hours of the day and night Wednesday and Thursday. + +There were unconfirmed reports that more than a dozen murders had been +committed. Troops were ordered into this district to stop the conflicts. + + +RESTORING SANITATION + +Problems of sanitation, the water supply and the reconstruction of the +wrecked sewer system were resumed by engineers. Citizens were ordered to +dig cesspools in their yards and to get rid of all garbage. Members of +the State Board of Health, bringing carloads of lime and other +disinfectants, reached here to ward off disease. + +A report was circulated that an epidemic of typhoid fever and pneumonia +had developed in Riverdale and West Dayton. It was ascertained, however, +that not a single well-developed case of either disease was known in the +sections mentioned, although there was considerable sickness among the +refugees, particularly women and children, due to privation. + +Three deaths from diphtheria in other sections were reported by +Secretary of Health Board Miller. + + +FEEDING THE HOMELESS + +The food situation was much brighter. The trucks sent from the Cash +Register Company, manned by men with military orders to confiscate +potatoes and food from the farmers, brought back a good supply of +vegetables and several relief trains reached the city. + +The problem of providing for refugees was bravely faced by an army of +workers, many of whom came from neighboring cities equipped with car +loads and train loads of food. + +"We can't tell how much we need," said John M. Patterson "and we don't +know yet in just what shape we want some of the supplies. For instance, +there came a carload of flour. We can use it later, but if that flour +had been made into bread it would have been immediately available for +the persons imprisoned in their homes whom it has been impossible to +remove. We could take bread to them, but flour is not serviceable." + +Many motor boats went into the flooded district taking food and water +and bringing out persons who needed medical attention. Many of them were +so weak from deprivation and suffering as to be scarcely able to move. +Hundreds were taken to the Cash Register Hospital and other places where +they could be aided. + +Among those taken out of the Algonquin Hotel were Stephen Patterson and +his wife. Mr. Patterson is a brother of John H. Patterson, the cash +register manufacturer. Great anxiety had been felt for their safety and +also for Mrs. Frank Patterson, a sister-in-law. The latter was found in +her home on West Fifth Street. + + +HUNDREDS STAND BY HOMES + +In that section on the east side of the Miami River and north of the Mad +River rescue work went forward with the two United States life-saving +crews in charge. Hundreds of people living in upper stories and +practically without food or water since Tuesday morning refused to leave +their homes, believing they would have a better chance for safety there +than elsewhere. Water and food were supplied them. Hundreds of others +had left their homes, in some instances effecting exits by chopping +holes through the roofs. Very few of these were accounted for. + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +While the flood was raging, hundreds of fires which started throughout +the flooded States were left to consume millions of dollars worth of +property, and to destroy many lives, because of the inability of the +fire-fighters to get near the burning buildings] + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +President John H. Patterson, of the National Cash Register Company, +third man from the right, directing the work of rescue at Dayton, Ohio. +Through his magnificent skill as an organizer, and his coolness of mind, +scores of lives were saved that would otherwise have been lost, and a +great deal of suffering was alleviated by his prompt measures of relief] + +A central morgue was established at the Probate Court building, and as +fast as possible identifications were made. Many of the bodies thus far +recovered, however, presented difficulties in the way of identification. + +Colonel Zimmerman reported that boatloads of provisions continuously +were going into the still inundated districts. Milk for babies and +medicine for invalids were not forgotten by the rescue squads. Governor +Cox solved the problem of getting milk for Dayton's babies by +confiscating in the name of the State the entire output of the +Marysville dairies, and having it sent to the stricken city. The state +also seized two cars of eggs at Springfield found in a railroad yard and +sent them to Dayton. + + +PATTERSON CONTINUES NOBLE WORK + +The dead bodies were placed in coffins as soon as they were identified. +These coffins and decent burial for the victims were paid for by the +President of the National Cash Register Company, who footed most of the +bills in the tremendous and efficient work of relief. + +The weather was bitter cold, but the rain ceased to fall. Thousands of +survivors who spent two nights marooned in buildings without light, heat +or food on Friday night slept in warm beds. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE RECUPERATION OF DAYTON + + SPIRITS GO UP--SECRETARY OF WAR GARRISON ON THE SCENE--CLEARING + AWAY THE DEBRIS--BOAT CREWS SAVE 979--RELIEF ON BUSINESS + BASIS--STRICT SANITARY MEASURES--TALES OF THE RESCUED--A SUMMARY OF + WORK ACCOMPLISHED--RAILROADS AGAIN WORKING--COMMISSION GOVERNMENT + ESTABLISHED--A HOME OF TENTS--MILLIONAIRES IN THE + BREAD-LINE--ORVILLE WRIGHT'S ESCAPE--DEATH AND PROPERTY LOSS--THE + TASK OF REBUILDING. + + +Dayton passed Friday night in terror because of constant shooting by the +militiamen. Just how many looters were killed was unknown, as +information was refused. The facts figure only in military reports. + +Fifty shots were fired between midnight and three o'clock Saturday +morning within hearing of the main hospital quarters in the National +Cash Register Building. Civil workers in the center of the town, where +efforts were being made to clear away debris, reported that five looters +were shot after midnight. + +One of these was a negro who had succeeded in entering a Madison Street +house where he was seen by a militiaman and shot in the act of looting. +It is declared that only one of the five men shot was killed. + +Orders were issued to the soldiers to inflict summary execution on +corpse robbers--ghouls who sneaked through the business and residence +streets like hyenas after a battle. + +Dayton came out in force on Saturday to look around and judge for itself +the extent of the tragedy that confronted its people. Business men with +forces of assistants penetrated the business section and set about the +task of learning whether they had been stripped of their possessions +completely. + +Haggard faces, worn out with sleepless nights and days of weary struggle +and apprehension for the future, brightened with the flush of new-born +hope as some of the searchers found that the flood had not proved +completely disastrous for them. + +Scores of business interests, not alone in the central section, but as +well in the outlying manufacturing districts, faced ruin. The work of +reconstruction, already in the forming, meant for them going back to the +beginning for a fresh start, but on every hand one heard in spite of +this words of hope and cheerfulness that the disaster was no greater. + + +SPIRITS GO UP + +The bitter cold gave way to a day of sunshine and comparative warmth. +The military authorities lifted the ban on uninterrupted travel about +the city. This privilege and the brightness of the day brought most of +the people out of their discouragement and great throngs appeared on the +streets. They found the death toll smaller than they had expected and +the property damage, while almost crushing in the size of the figures it +represented, not so utterly annihilating as was generally feared. + +Military engineering experts began the work of extricating Dayton from +its covering of debris, and its menace to general public health. H. E. +Talbot, of Dayton, who built the Soo Locks, was placed in charge and the +Pennsylvania Railroad sent in seventy-five engineers to assist him. +While fifty additional experts appeared from other points, the Ohio +National Guard Battalion of Engineers from Cleveland became a part of +the organization to "sweep up" the city. + +Relief from the suffering because of the closing down of the public +utilities bade fair to be accomplished by Sunday. The city lived up to +its motto "Dayton does" with the amendment that if it cannot find a way +it will make one. + +With real philosophy and high courage its people set about the arduous +task of retrieving the ground and the fortunes they lost. The lives that +were taken by the disaster were not sacrificed in vain. The Citizens' +Committee, headed by John H. Patterson, the relief agency, and H. E. +Talbot, determined to find a way to protect the city against a +repetition of the horrors of the week. + +Things looked brighter. It was announced that on Sunday the water would +be turned on in all the mains that were not broken, in order to give +pure drinking water to practically the entire city, something the +sanitary and engineering experts were working for as imperative if +epidemics were to be avoided. Until such time as the city mains could +be used, water was distributed from artesian wells by water carts and in +kegs, which were carried to the various districts by the "flying +squadron" of the auto relief corps. + + +SECRETARY OF WAR GARRISON ON THE SCENE + +Secretary of War Garrison and his staff arrived at Dayton at noon, and +immediately went into conference with John H. Patterson, chairman of the +committee of fifteen, in charge of the relief work. + +Soon after Mr. Garrison arrived the relief committee began to call local +physicians to consult with him to determine whether to place the city +under federal control. It was said Dayton's sanitary condition appeared +to warrant the presence of federal troops and government health experts. + +It was later decided to leave the city in control of the state militia +and the local committee, except that sanitary experts from the federal +health service should be brought to Dayton. Mr. Garrison stated that +Major Thomas Rhoades, in co-operation with Major James C. Normoyle, +would have charge in Dayton. Major Normoyle had experience in furthering +relief in the Mississippi flood district last year. + + +GARRISON'S REPORT + +Secretary Garrison gave out the substance of his telegram to President +Wilson as follows: + +"I find the situation at Dayton to be as follows: + +"The flood has subsided so that they have communication with all parts +of the city, no one being now in any position of peril or without food +or shelter. The National Cash Register plant has been turned into a +supply depot and lodging place for those who have no other present +place. + +"Surgeon General Blue and some of his officers are here, as are also +some naval surgeons. We are all working in concert. The Governor, the +Mayor, the local committees and the citizens have all expressed much +gratitude for the action of the National Government, and have welcomed +us warmly, all of them stating that the fact that a direct +representative has been sent to their community has been of the greatest +benefit to the morale of the situation. + +"I find a competent force is already organized to clean up the streets, +remove the debris and do general work of that description and has agreed +to work under the direction of the army surgeon I leave in charge of +sanitation. The National Guards have their Brigadier-General, George H. +Wood, here in command of the military situation and he has cordially +offered to co-operate in every way with our work of sanitation. + +"I think that the situation here is very satisfactory and that this +community will find itself in a reassured position within a very short +time and facing only then the problem of repair, restoration and +rehabilitation. + +"I will go back to Cincinnati tonight to get into touch with matters +left unfinished there and will go to Columbus at the earliest moment. +Governor Cox tells me that he thinks matters are in a satisfactory +condition at Columbus; that he has ample immediate supply of medicines +and other necessities; and that much of each is on the way. The weather +is very fine and there does not seem to be any cause for apprehension of +further floods in the vicinity of Dayton." + + +CLEARING AWAY THE DEBRIS + +Efforts were made to clear away debris in sections where the flood water +had run off, and it was feared bodies might be found in these masses of +wreckage. With well organized crews doing this work, others took food to +persons still marooned in Riverdale and North Dayton. + +The two hundred and fifty persons marooned in the Algonquin Hotel, in +the heart of the flood district, moved from their prison after the +waters had receded. Most of them said there was a general scare at the +fire which burned along Jefferson and Third Streets, on Wednesday night. +There was one death in the hotel, Johnny Flynn, a bell boy. Several of +the guests organized the majority after the flood waters had cut off +escape on Tuesday, and for three evenings programs of entertainments +were given in the hotel dining-room. It was decreed by a safety +committee that any person who declined to contribute to the +entertainment would be compelled figuratively to walk the plank. There +were no dissenters. + +Among those marooned in hotels were one hundred from New York, Chicago, +Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, +Detroit, Boston and St. Louis. All were safe. + +A brilliant sunshine threw an uncanny light over the distorted scenes in +the areas where the homes of 75,000 people were swept away or toppled +over. A view down almost any street revealed among the wreckage, +tumbled-over houses, pianos, household utensils and dead horses brushed +together in indescribable confusion. At two points the bodies of horses +were seen still caught in the tops of trees. + +Digging bodies out of the mud was the chief work of rescuing parties. +The water had drained off from almost all the flooded area. In some +instances the mud was several feet deep. + +The rush of the currents claimed the greatest toll of lives, judging +from how most of the bodies recovered were found. They were washed up +onto the ground from new-made rivers and many were found buried in the +wreckage. In moving this workmen moved carefully, fearing they might +tread upon bodies, but they were not found in groups. + +It was anticipated that the majority of the bodies of flood victims +would be found buried under the debris in the Miami Canal under great +piles of wreckage and far down the Miami River, at Miamisburg, +Middletown and Hamilton. Those who were drowned for the most part were +caught in the streets either while on their way to their places of +business and employment or while trying to get to places of safety when +forced to flee from their houses. Lieutenant Leatherman, surgeon of the +Third Regiment, O. N. G., who went through the flood in West Dayton, +said that he saw scores of dead bodies floating down the Miami River and +many people were swimming, but there was not one chance in ten thousand +that these were saved, he said. + +The policing of the city by the military was reorganized with +Brigadier-General George H. Wood commanding and Captain Tyrus G. Reed as +Adjutant General. The city was turned over into a military district of +five military zones, and rigid orders were laid down for the conduct of +its affairs. + +Chairmen of the various committees were unanimous in asking that word be +spread broadcast that mere sightseeing visitors were not wanted. The +railroads were informed of this attitude and conductors refused to +accept passengers who could not show that their presence here was +necessary. There were thousands of visitors in the city. Most of them +were from surrounding towns. + + +BOAT CREWS SAVE 979 + +The work of extending succor to the marooned inhabitants of the +districts which were still flooded continued during the day. In many +sections were to be seen rowboats, skiffs and canoes making their way +with extreme difficulty among the heaps of wreckage and overturned +houses among tangled meshes of telegraph, telephone and electric light +wires, seeking out possible victims who had been uncared for. + +Among the organizations engaged in rescue work was the company of naval +reserves from the United States ship Essex at Toledo, under command of +Captain A. F. Nicklett. The company reached Dayton on a special relief +train from Toledo Thursday and immediately launched a number of boats on +the raging torrents which were sweeping the city from end to end. Up to +six o'clock Saturday night the sailors had been constantly on duty and +had to their credit a total of 979 lives saved, and they were not +thinking of sleep when darkness fell. + +One crew in command of Ensign E. E. Diebald, with two boats, rescued 375 +persons from the business section and that district immediately east of +Main Street and west of Eagle Street. Many of the people were taken from +their homes only after the sailors had mounted to the tops of partially +overturned houses and chopped their way through to the attics where the +inmates were huddled together waiting for death to enter. + +Another crew under Junior Lieutenant Ross Willoh succeeded in saving +360, while three boats in command of Senior Lieutenant Theodore Schmidt +rescued 244 persons. The majority of these latter were taken from box +cars, warehouses, freight sheds and grain elevators in the railroad +yards. It was here that the water attained its greatest violence, +rushing in whirlpools between the irregular buildings on either side of +the tracks. Navigation was extremely perilous on account of many +submerged box cars, flat cars and overturned sheds. + +Several times the sailors were capsized, but managed to keep with their +boats and right them again. Not a single life was lost either among the +reserves or among the hundreds whom they attempted to rescue. + +While sailors worked incessantly to save lives, Lieutenant Walter +Gayhart, also of the ship's company, succeeded in establishing a supply +station on East Fifth Street, where many refugees congregated, and +issued rations to the suffering. He slept Saturday night after +seventy-one hours of continuous labor. + +With the additional military forces which arrived the city was +thoroughly policed. At night the city was in darkness again. It was +impossible to do much relief work at night and the curfew order was due +in part to the advisability of keeping the men where they could protect +their own households if necessary. + + +RELIEF ON BUSINESS BASIS + +The distribution of food supplies and clothing and relieving of distress +was put on a business basis. Supplies reached Dayton in large +quantities, and the relief stations were sufficiently organized to take +care of the incoming refugees from the flood districts. The problem of +caring for the homeless was still serious, but with all promise of warm +weather it was hoped there would be less suffering. Health officers +reported that there was only one car of lime in the city, and there was +great need of more. + +Fifteen thousand persons were subsisting on rations given out under +direction of the relief committee. Ten thousand of these, it was +estimated, were in their homes, and food was carried to them in boats +and automobiles. About five thousand were being cared for at the relief +stations. This showed a marked reduction in the number of persons being +publicly fed. + +There was plenty of food, and it was placed into baskets in lots to +serve five persons for two days. Over candles given out with the food +the people boiled coffee, but the other food was eaten cold. There was +no gas and little coal. + +Announcement was made by the relief committee that until conditions +became normal, no private messages to persons here would be delivered or +answered, as the wire capacity was taxed to the utmost to carry official +and public business. + +Major Dupuy stated that he feared an epidemic of some kind unless the +most rigid sanitary rules were enforced. + + +STRICT SANITARY MEASURES + +Major Dupuy stated that the city had been divided into six sanitary +districts, each district in charge of an officer of the sanitary corps +of the National Guard. Strict orders regarding the disposition of +garbage were issued and the people were advised, by means of bulletins +posted in conspicuous places in the streets, how best to preserve the +public health. + +Several cars of lime reached the city and many more were en route from +different points. A carload of ambulance supplies was on the way from +Cincinnati. + +Members of the Citizens' Relief Committee were apprehensive of a water +famine. It was believed there was little chance that the present supply +could be made to last until the water mains were in use again. R. H. +Grant, head of the Relief Supplies Committee, issued an appeal to all +cities in the country asking that as much bottled water as possible be +shipped to Dayton immediately. + +It was especially desired that this water be strictly pure, as it was +practically impossible to boil the water for drinking purposes. + +Considering the number of persons affected by this flood, there was +comparatively little sickness, the cold weather being responsible for +this to a great extent. The cold caused great suffering among those +marooned without food, water, or heat, but in the end it proved a +blessing. + +Dr. William Colby Rucker, Assistant Surgeon General of the United States +Public Health Service, who arrived from Washington at the direction of +the Secretary of the Treasury, with Surgeon General Rupert Blue, gave +the following outline of the sanitary conditions existing in the city: + +"A survey of conditions in Dayton today shows that the sanitary +situation is not so bad as was at first thought. Citizens have been +warned to boil all drinking water and to bury refuse. City water is now +flowing under twenty-pound pressure. Sewers in some sections are again +in operation. The city expects to have others working tomorrow. + +"The city has been divided into six sanitary districts and tonight +physicians who have been sworn in as district sanitary officers are +being instructed as to their precise duties as heads of these +districts." + + +TALES OF THE RESCUED + +Pathetic scenes, so intense as to bring tears to the eyes of +undertakers, were witnessed when scores of fear-stricken parents and +children walked down the rows of dead lying upon slabs in the temporary +morgues. + +In Riverdale and North Dayton, where the flood waters attained the +greatest depth and degree of destructiveness, several thousand persons +waded knee-deep in slimy mud, rummaging their desolated homes for +clothing. All of this, of course, was soaked and plastered with mud, but +it was dried on the hillsides, where the populace had taken refuge. In +some places in these districts the water had so far receded as to render +possible the beginning of the work of cleaning the lower floors of the +mud and debris. + +The dead line around Riverdale, where the water remained about three +feet in depth around most of the houses, continued to be maintained in +order to guard against looting during the absence of residents. It was +estimated that not more than a week would be required to immunize all +homes requiring it outside of the Riverdale section, to free them from +water and prepare them for cleansing. + + +A SUMMARY OF WORK ACCOMPLISHED + +Following are some of the things accomplished since the flood broke over +the city Tuesday morning: + +The water-works pumping station was in operation, but the distribution +of water was greatly retarded by open pipes in wrecked houses. The +pressure was feeble, but growing stronger as leaks were checked. + +The main sanitary sewer was in operation, although many of the laterals +leading from houses were clogged with mud and backed-up water. + +The flood sewers, separate from the sanitary, were almost ready for +service. These sewers carry off the rainfall from the gutters, and were +needed to remove the water being pumped from basements. + +Sightseers in motor cars felt the heavy hand of public necessity when +General Wood began impressing machines. The sightseers were ordered from +their cars and the latter were pressed into public service. Protests +were unavailing. The more stubborn surrendered at the points of rifles, +and gave up their cars "until released by order of the chairman," as the +placards placed in them read. + +The militia also began impressing citizens into service as workers. Men +who had the appearance of being able-bodied, but idle, were questioned +by officers of the National Guard; if they had not good reason for being +in the streets, and no duties of a mandatory nature, they were pressed +into service. + +The Sixth regiment, O. N. G., from Toledo and northern Ohio towns, which +had been on duty in Dayton, commandeered a train when ordered to +Cincinnati and departed before nightfall. The naval reserves from Toledo +went on train. + +Coroner J. W. McKemy estimated that one hundred bodies had been +recovered, though there was record of only seventy-two. He said some had +been buried without usual official action and that in some cases he did +not expect to get records. + +The postoffice was put out of business on Tuesday and it was not until +Sunday that any sort of service was attempted. Telegraph and telephone +service was almost entirely crippled until Saturday night, when even +short messages were accepted only on condition that the sender assent to +indefinite delays. + +Telegrams were relayed through Cincinnati. The only long-distance +telephone wires in service were two private wires connecting with +Cincinnati. On those who succeeded in securing permission to use these +wires a time limit of three minutes conversation was imposed. + +No braver services were performed during the flood than those by the +telegraph and telephone linemen who made possible the dissemination of +news to hundreds of thousands of friends and relatives of Daytonians. +They waded and swam icy floods and entered tottering buildings +unhesitatingly in pursuit of their duty. Operators who had not removed +shoes or clothing since last Tuesday were found Saturday. + + +RAILROADS AGAIN WORKING + +Direct railroad communication was established Sunday night with +Springfield, Ohio, Cincinnati and Richmond, Indiana. The Cincinnati, +Hamilton and Dayton lines, on which Dayton passenger traffic depended +mostly, were not working. The tracks leading into the Union Station were +completely blocked and the few trains arriving discharged their +passengers on the outskirts of the city. + +H. E. Talbott, who was commissioned by Governor Cox, chief engineer of +the military zone, completed his plans for beginning the rehabilitation +of the city. He announced that four departments had been created, with +an assistant engineer in charge of each. One had charge of rebuilding +the streets and alleys; another the levees along the rivers; another the +sewerage system, and still another the bridges. + +[Illustration: Photograph by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +Life lines strung across one of the streets. The rescuers caught persons +carried down on wreckage in the raging flood and brought them to a place +of safety] + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +Man walking along the telephone cables after escaping from his house, +which was washed away by the flood. The houses in the center have been +washed from their foundations and are floating away] + +Hundreds of persons still looking for relatives passed along the lines +at the morgues, fearing they should find their loved ones there. Only a +few bodies had not been identified. + +Because of the city's financial condition, the problem of paying the +costs of rejuvenation caused great concern. The treasury was practically +empty, and the borrowing capacity would be exhausted when $900,000 was +raised. It was planned to seek immediate relief from the Legislature. + +By order of Governor Cox, the reign of martial law over Dayton was +extended to take in the whole county. The flood did more than sweep away +property, for it swept away the city administration, temporarily at +least, and brought in what amounted to a commission form of government. + +The extension of the area under martial law developed from action taken +by local dealers whose places were closed. They complained that saloons +on the outskirts were sending whiskey into the city, and that +considerable drunkenness had been observed. Brigadier-General Wood +reported the situation to the Governor, and his action was prompt and +decisive. + + +COMMISSION GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED + +As soon as martial law was proclaimed, the municipal administration was +eclipsed. Brigadier-General Wood for the moment became supreme under the +Governor. On the heels of this Mr. Patterson was appointed chairman of a +committee of five to administer the affairs of the city. The militia was +instructed to obey his orders and thus became a police force. + +Under martial law the city enjoyed the free services of the biggest +business men and the most expert professional men in Montgomery County. + +Citizens who ventured into the streets were impressed from the time they +left their doors that Dayton is steadied and perhaps somewhat depressed +by the absolute grip of martial law. Soldier government was maintained +inexorably. Owners of business places could not set foot on their +property without the permission of the khaki-clad militiamen, standing +at the curbs with loaded carbines. If a citizen found himself some +distance from his home when the curfew rang at 6 P. M. his return was +beset with much difficulty, because of the necessity of halting by the +many sentries he encountered. + +A citizen fearsome enough to venture from his threshold after 8 P. M. +literally took his life in his hands, because the fingers of the militia +rested on hair triggers. + +Nine colored men and one white man were added to the seven suspected +looters shot and killed since martial law was proclaimed. Absolute +secrecy concerning the deaths was maintained by the military +authorities. Citizens who heard repeated firing between midnight and +dawn in the business center of Dayton and near Ludlow Street, in which +were located many of the handsomest homes in Dayton, spread these +reports. The reports were confirmed in a non-committal way by militiamen +who were on duty in these sections, who admitted they had fired ball +cartridges as a "warning" to suspected looters. + +The most detailed account of the death of the white man had it that he +was halted near Main and Third Streets shortly after 2 A. M. He had one +hand behind his back, and when ordered to open it two watches fell to +the pavement. He was then searched and eighteen watches were found in +his pockets. The sentry called a corporal's squad of six militiamen and +reported the loot found on the prisoner. The prisoner was led to the +wall of a near-by building, faced toward the wall, and the squad, which +had received instruction from its commander, fired. A white band with a +red insignia, made apparently to simulate a Red Cross badge, was taken +from the man's arm, and the body was thrown into the canal. + + +EXECUTIONS DENIED + +The nine colored men reported as killed were discovered by sentries in +various parts of the city. A dozen militiamen on duty near Main and +Third Streets, about 2 A. M., said that they had heard firing at the +locality named, but attributed it to warning shots. One of the men said +that a sergeant in his company told of shooting and killing a colored +man Friday night, when the man tried to escape in a boat on the Miami +Erie Canal. + +Brigadier General George H. Wood, when asked about the reports of +squad-firing and the deaths of ten suspected looters, said: + +"There was some squad-firing after midnight by sentries posted in the +Ludlow section, where are located the homes of some of Dayton's +wealthiest citizens. But neither there nor in other sections of the city +where shots were fired was any one killed. The report that executions +followed the detection of militiamen caught looting are without +foundation. There have been no drumhead or other courtmartials and none +will take place while I am in command here in Dayton. + +"We have the situation well in hand. I have 1,400 doing sentry duty +throughout the city and I intend to guard homes and suppress all +lawlessness." + +In spite of the rigor of this military government of Dayton, praise of +General Wood's administration was heard on every side. Citizens +discredited the stories of executions of looters and were not +over-inquisitive of details, because they realized that drastic measures +were imperative under the existing conditions. + +In accordance with suggestions made Saturday by Secretary of War +Garrison and General Leonard Wood, chief of staff, Major Thomas L. +Rhoades, President Wilson's military aide, took charge of the sanitary +campaign and permanent relief organization. He had for his chief +lieutenant Eugene T. Lies, of Chicago, who was in command of the Red +Cross forces. Investigation of the financial standing of every +householder whose home has been damaged by the flood was begun. In +worthy cases money or materials with which to make repairs were +furnished from the Red Cross funds. + + +A HOME OF TENTS + +Major Rhoades took up plans for establishing a tented camp in North +Dayton in which to shelter residents of the flood districts. These +flooded homes were inspected and when found to be unsanitary the +occupants were invited to take up quarters in the tented camp. Where the +invitation was refused recalcitrants were escorted by a corporal's guard +to the camp and compelled to remain there until their homes were cleaned +and fumigated. Major Rhoades was supported by the militia in carrying +out a policy to immunize every home in Dayton if necessary, and thus +minimize the danger of epidemics. + +The medical authorities forbade the use of old clothing until after it +had been fumigated. It was urged upon the general public that old +clothing was not desirable for fear it might bring a pestilence in some +form to a city unable to cope with more disaster. + +Nothing to indicate the approach of an epidemic due to flood conditions +was reported, although the number of diphtheria cases was slightly above +normal. Eight persons suffering from diphtheria were at the Miami Valley +Hospital. Seven of them were caught in a house with a person who had +recently become ill with the disease. Four persons hemmed in with one +who had measles were suffering with that disease. Typhoid fever and +pneumonia were a little more prevalent than usual. Clear skies and warm +sunshine contributed to the comfort of the city and made possible good +progress in the work of redemption. + +Two hospitals in Dayton were flooded on the first floor, so all sick and +injured were taken either to the Great Miami Hospital or to the state +insane asylum. Eight persons whose minds temporarily became affected +because of hardships suffered in the flood were cared for at the latter +place. + +With warmer weather, the greatest problem was the removal of the +carcasses of dead horses. Every available automobile truck and all the +horse-drawn drays were impressed by the sanitary officials and hundreds +of men were engaged all day removing the carcasses to the different +incinerating plants and to vacant lots on the outskirts of the city, +where they were burned. + +George F. Burba, Governor Cox's private secretary, reported to the +state's executive that there were 40,000 persons in Dayton who must be +fed and sheltered for at least a week, and 10,000 who were destitute. +The latter were without either sufficient clothing or food, and until +business activities were restored, they had to be financed and +maintained in lodgings until they could become self-supporting. + +Theodore A. Burnett and T. H. Smith, government food inspectors, took +charge of the food supply, in so far as inspection was concerned, and +appointed twelve deputies. All shipments of supplies from other places +were carefully examined before being given to the refugees. Particular +attention was paid to meats and canned goods. + +Announcement was made that the particular need of the people was +drinking water, shoes, clothing, picks and shovels. Money also was +wanted, although a considerable amount had already been subscribed by +cities throughout the country. + +Food was on hand in ample quantities, free to all, but the variety was +limited to staples such as beans, potatoes, bread and canned vegetables. +Of fresh meat there was practically none and butter and eggs were +scarce. All food supplies were those contributed by the outside world +and distributed from the various relief depots on the requisition of +householders. Neither provision nor other stores received any +consignment of goods. + +Citizens and visitors alike were impressed with the facts that Dayton's +condition was distressing. A review of the streets from sunrise until +the curfew bell's toll furnished a practical illustration of this. +Except for the comparatively few householders who had supplies on hand +in considerable quantities, daily sustenance was secured by the market +basket method. This was as true of the fairly well-to-do families as of +the laboring classes. + + +HOW RATIONS WERE ISSUED + +The head of a family made out a requisition each morning stating his +needs for the day. This requisition was presented at any of the supply +depots, and on it were issued rations consisting of potatoes, canned +meats, prunes or preserves, beans, biscuits or bread. Men, women and +children with their baskets were seen in the streets throughout the day. + +Most of the absolutely destitute were cared for in one or another of the +buildings comprising the huge plant of the National Cash Register +Company, which is on high ground at the southern end of the city, +untouched by the flood. On the ninth floor of the administration +building, known as the office's club, and where there is a dining room +with a capacity for 1,000, more than 5,000 destitute persons were fed +daily. The menu for Sunday was a typical one, as follows: + + Breakfast--Oatmeal and milk, coffee and bread. + + Dinner--Vegetable soup, stewed canned meat, stewed corn, coffee and + bread. + + Supper--Bean soup, potatoes, coffee or tea and bread with butter. + +John F. Patterson, head of the plant, had his dinner in this general +dining room on Sunday. The only luxuries enjoyed by him and not provided +for the others were hard-boiled eggs and preserved peaches. Among the +most active of the uniformed waitresses was Mr. Patterson's +nineteen-year-old daughter. Volunteer waitresses helped out their paid +sisters during these days of hardship. + +Monday in Dayton was much like the days that immediately preceded it, +except that rapid progress was made toward the restoration of the city +to a habitable condition. Electric current was supplied Monday night in +a limited residential district and in a few downtown buildings, and the +narrow zone of street lighting was extended. Automobile fire engines +were brought overland from Cincinnati to assist in pumping out +basements. + +Ample telegraph equipment was installed in the Beckel House. Thousands +of telegrams remained undelivered, and it was still impossible for the +telegraph companies even to attempt delivery. The line of citizens +waiting in front of the Western Union's temporary office, to ask for +messages from friends, extended during the morning a full block. + +The Bell Telephone system promised partial restoration of service by +Tuesday. Its plant manager, John A. Bell, complained of his linemen +having been impeded by refusal of guardsmen to honor the military +passes. This was called to the attention of Brigadier General Wood, +commanding the Ohio Guard, and relief was given. + +Practically no newspapers had been received here since Tuesday and the +people of Dayton grew very anxious to learn of conditions in other +cities. News of the death of J. P. Morgan first reached the public +through a bulletin posted by a representative of the Associated Press. +Later the Dayton _News_, whose plant was inundated, put a two-page paper +on the street in which a few details of the death of the financier were +printed. + +Impressed and volunteer laborers were put to work Monday refilling the +broken levees. Removal of dead animals was the most pressing work of +sanitation. + +Major Thomas L. Rhoads, President Wilson's aide and personal +representative in charge of sanitary work, said that the situation was +quite encouraging; that hospital facilities so far were ample; no +epidemics of disease were in evidence and in two weeks there would be +substantial relief, although it would require two months to remove the +dirt and debris. + + +WOMEN SHOVEL IN STREETS + +Monday for the first time, offensive odors came from the mud and slime +that was shovelled into the streets by householders and storekeepers. In +this work men, women and children were engaged. Wives of prominent +citizens were seen with shovel and hoe, some of them wearing their +husbands' trousers and rubber boots, doing as best they could the work +of men. + +On Monday, John H. Patterson, chairman of the Citizens' Relief +Committee, issued the following statement: + +"Our committee has now at its disposal all the food and clothing +necessary. Money, however, is required to put our city in condition to +prevent the outbreak of diseases and to rehabilitate the thousands, many +of whom have lost their homes entirely and all of whom have lost their +household and personal effects. + +"The committee sends an urgent appeal to the citizens of the United +States for the necessary funds. All contributions should be sent direct +to W. F. Bippus, treasurer of the relief committee." + + +MILLIONAIRES IN THE BREAD-LINE + +In the bread-line on Monday was Eugene J. Parney, a multi-millionaire, +whose gifts to charity have been very large and who recently included +$25,000 to the Y. M. C. A. of this city. The day after the flood he was +offering $1,000 for enough wood alcohol to heat malted milk for his +infant grandchild. Monday he was no more successful in buying +provisions. He appeared with a basket on his arm, rubbed elbows with +those nearest in the motley line and apparently none was more grateful +than he when his basket was filled with beans, potatoes, canned +vegetables, rice and other staples. He was eager to pay for his +supplies, but money is refused at the supply depots. It was arranged to +change this system on Tuesday to enable those well able to pay to do +so. + +Fred B. Patterson, only son of John H. Patterson, stopped work in the +morgue at his father's factory long enough to tell for the first time of +the part he took in the rescue work. Like his sister Dorothy, who worked +as a waitress feeding refugees, young Patterson was doing the things +that many poor men had avoided. + + +ORVILLE WRIGHT'S ESCAPE + +Orville Wright, the aeroplane builder, and his family, who had been +marooned in the west side, reported to relief headquarters on Monday. +The flood stopped just short of wiping out of existence the priceless +models, records, plans and drawings--all in the original--of the Wright +brothers, who gave the airship to the world. + +Out in West Dayton live the Wrights--Orville, his father, Bishop Wright, +and Miss Katherine Wright, the sister, in a small, unpretentious frame +house. Orville Wright and his father and sister were in the old +homestead when the flood swept in. + +The aged father was placed in a boat, but instead of conveying him to a +place of safety, the boatman carried him to a house nearby where he was +marooned until the waters subsided three days later. Orville Wright and +his sister escaped to safety on an auto truck, being carried through +four feet of water. + +In fleeing, however, the inventor of the aeroplane was compelled to +abandon the small factory adjoining the homestead in which were stored +all of the originals from which the plans for the air craft were +perfected. Had these gone, there would have remained nothing of the +priceless data save what exists in the brain of Orville Wright. + +At the height of the flood a house adjoining the factory took fire. +There were no means to fight the flames. For several hours the factory +was in peril, but a special providence protected it and it came out of +both flood and fire unscathed. + +"We were lucky," said Orville Wright, whimsically, on Monday. "It is the +irony of fate that at the critical moment I was not able to get away +with my folks on one of my own machines. However, we came through all +right and there doesn't seem to be anything more to be said." + +Just one week after the coming of the deluge Governor Cox entered his +home city for the first time, accompanied by several of the members of +the Ohio Flood Relief Committee. + +Governor Cox praised Mr. Patterson for his invaluable part in the relief +work. "Mr. Patterson is the one man who is in the eye of America more +than any one other man," said the Governor. + +Mr. Patterson, after he returned Tuesday night in company with H. E. +Talbott, chief engineer, from a tour of sections of Dayton that were +swept by the flood, issued a statement in which he said: + +"Dayton is facing one of the gravest problems that any city of the world +ever faced and we want the world to know we need money and food for our +stricken people." + +In speaking of a tentative plan to ask the Federal Government for a +loan of from $20,000,000 to $40,000,000 to be used in reconstruction +work, Mr. Patterson said: + +"At a meeting of bankers and officials of the building associations this +evening it was decided to make an appeal for Federal aid. The banks and +building associations have $60,000,000 worth of assets which they will +put up as collateral. It may be deemed advisable to ask the Government +to give us some financial assistance. We feel that the disaster is an +emergency which would justify extraordinary action on the part of +Congress." + +Since Sunday more than $750,000 in cash was received from banks in +Cincinnati to replace damaged money in local banks which remained closed +until April 8th. + + +DEATH AND PROPERTY LOSS + +Mr. Talbott estimated that the property loss in Montgomery County +totaled at least $150,000,000. He declared that one manufacturing +company alone had lost half a million dollars. + +Although several carloads of provisions were received on Tuesday, +officials in charge of relief work stated that the food situation was a +matter of grave concern. "We must have rations for more than 100,000 +people for an indefinite period," Mr. Patterson declared. + +A carload of automobile tires, contributed by an Akron rubber company +for use in relief work, arrived on Tuesday. + +One of the great losses sustained from the flood was that which befell +the public library. An inspection of the institution disclosed the fact +that the children's library, the medical library and the reference +library had been wiped out of existence. Included in the loss were all +the public and official accounts and copies of the newspapers dating +from the first issues, back in 1822, none of which could be replaced. + +County Coroner John McKemy, who in the week following the flood handled +nearly one hundred bodies, said that at least twenty-five bodies were +disposed of before he was released from his imprisonment by the flood. +He estimated that the number of lives lost from the flood in Dayton +exceeded two hundred. + + +THE TASK OF REBUILDING + +So day followed day in the recuperation of Dayton; but, looking ahead, +it was evident to the magnificent corps of expert men in charge of the +work that months must elapse before all Daytonians could again live in +their own homes. There were 15,000 residences to plaster and paper +before they could be occupied. There were 4,500 houses to build +foundations under, to straighten, re-roof, put in doors and windows, +rebuild chimneys and make other repairs before their owners could move +in again. There were 2,000 houses to raze and new structures to be +built. + +The Citizens' Relief Committee, on advices from engineers, decided that +this reconstruction work would require four months, even if building +material could be obtained promptly. + +So far as the business and industrial buildings were concerned, it was +estimated by architects who looked over the different premises that it +would require eight months before repair work and rebuilding could be +accomplished. In the interim business was done in whatever premises were +available. + +Thousands of men were employed, together with many teams of horses, and +work was pushed to the utmost in all departments. Surveys of the damage +done were made and large quantities of material were ordered by +telegraph, to be shipped immediately. + +Generations must come and go before the Dayton flood will be forgotten, +and standing out in bright contrast with all else there will perhaps +remain longest the inspiring picture of the energy and fortitude with +which the stricken residents set about the retrievement of their city +from the devastation of the angry waters. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +DAYTON: "THE CITY OF A THOUSAND FACTORIES" + + SURVIVOR OF SIX FLOODS--ESTABLISHED BY REVOLUTIONARY + SOLDIERS--PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS--OTHER OF DAYTON'S FEATURES OF + INTEREST--A CITY OF CIVIC PRIDE--"A THOUSAND FACTORIES"--ITS + SUCCESS. + +Dayton has stood in the shadow of disaster from flood ever since its +foundation. No less than six times previous to the present inundation +have the rivers which flow through it left their accustomed courses and +brought death and destruction of property upon the town. The first of +these floods occurred in 1805, the very year that Dayton was +incorporated as a town. The sixth was in 1898 and the others in the +years 1847, 1863, 1866 and 1886. + +The site of the present city was purchased in 1795 by a group of +Revolutionary soldiers and laid out as a town in the following year by +one of them, who named it after Jonathan Dayton, a Jerseyman who had +fought in the Revolution and who later served in Congress and the United +States Senate. It became the county seat of Montgomery County in 1803 +and received its city charter in 1841, something more than a score of +years after the opening of the Miami Canal gave a boom to its growth and +prosperity. + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +Crowds at the end of one of the streets which was turned into a racing +river. Many persons floating down on the debris were rescued by willing +hands as they neared this point] + +[Illustration: Copyright by George Grantham Bain. +Even before the flood reached its height, the wood-working department of +the National Cash Register Factory was busily putting together +improvised boats that were afterwards of great value in rescuing +marooned residents from their flooded homes] + + +PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS + +Within the city limits the waters of Wolf Creek, Stillwater and Mad +Rivers unite with those of the great Miami. The latter stream flows +through the city from north to south. As it reaches the corporation +limits at the north it sweeps to the westward and is joined by +Stillwater River a mile and a half from the court house. Then it takes +an easterly course for half a mile and is joined by the Mad River at a +point about half a mile from the court house. + +The river then bends again to the west for more than half a mile and is +joined by Wolf Creek. Its course lies thereafter to the southeast. Great +bridges, some of them of great architectural beauty, cross all of these +streams. The Miami Canal takes water from the Mad River about two miles +northeast of the court house, runs parallel with the Mad River to its +confluence with the Miami and then runs southward to the city limits. + +The city is regularly laid out, the street and house number plan being +arranged with arithmetical exactness. Main Street is the center of this +system and the house numbers begin from it or the point nearest it on +the streets that run east or west. For the streets running north and +south the house numbers begin on Third Street or the point nearest Third +Street. Main and Third Streets are respectively the dividing lines of +all streets crossing them. + + +SPLENDID PUBLIC BUILDINGS + +The court house stands at Main and West Third Streets. Distances are +measured from it, and it is at the center of the scheme according to +which streets are laid out. Its original portion was modeled after the +Greek Parthenon and is built of rough white marble taken from quarries +in the vicinity. It is only one of the many buildings of which the city +is proud. Among others are the Steele High School, St. Mary's College, +Notre Dame Academy, Memorial Building, Arcade Building, Reibold +Building, post office, Algonquin Hotel, public library and the Y. M. C. +A. building. + +There is also the Union Biblical Seminary and a publishing house +connected therewith. The Central Theological Seminary was established in +1908. Among charitable institutions are the Dayton State Hospital for +the Insane, Miami Valley and St. Elizabeth hospitals, the Christian +Deaconess', Widows' and Children's homes and the Door of Hope, a home +for girls. Just outside the city is the central branch of the National +Home for Disabled Soldiers. In addition to these buildings there are a +number of very handsome churches. + + +OTHER OF DAYTON'S FEATURES OF INTEREST + +Dayton is on the Erie, the Dayton and Union and the Pittsburgh, +Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroads. There are one hundred and +twenty-five trains entering the city daily. The Union Station was opened +to the public in July, 1900, and cost, including tracks, $900,000. The +city has an area of ten and three-quarter square miles. + +The Mayor, Treasurer, Auditor, Solicitor, and Board of Public Service, +of three members, are elected by popular election. The Board of Public +Safety, of two members, and the Board of Health, are appointed by the +Mayor and confirmed by Council. The City Council, composed of thirteen +members from ten wards, is elected by popular vote, for two years, each +member receiving an annual salary of $250. It is a legislative body +only. + +The supply of water for the city is almost inexhaustible in quantity and +of absolute purity. In 1904 there were one hundred and thirty-three +miles of street mains, 1,300 fire hydrants and 15,503 service taps. The +Fire Department has a force of ninety men, fourteen engine-houses, fifty +horses maintained at a cost of $86,728.48, and with property worth +$375,000. A complete system of surface and underground sewerage, both +storm and sanitary, is provided. In 1904 there were sixty-seven and +nine-tenths miles of storm sewerage. + +There are seven National Banks and two Savings and Trust Companies. +Dayton takes rank as foremost in building associations of any city of +its size in the country. A large number of the 20,000 or more homes in +the city have been built with the aid of these associations. + +A potent force in the development of the city has been the electric +traction lines, of which Dayton has more than any other city in Ohio. +There are nine lines, with a total mileage of three hundred and +eighty-five miles, which radiate in all directions through the populous +and rich country of which Dayton forms the center. The city railway +lines, three in number, have a total mileage of nearly one hundred miles +and render excellent service. + +The Dayton public school system has for many years enjoyed the +reputation of being one of the best school systems in the West. + +Dayton had the first library incorporated in the state, one having been +established in 1805. The Public Library was opened in 1855 and is +supported by public taxation, having an income of $18,000 per annum. +There are five daily newspapers, each with weekly editions, besides +seventeen church and other publications. There are also three large +church publication houses. + +The city hospitals include the St. Elizabeth Hospital, the Miami Valley +Hospital, and the Protestant Hospital, which has a large central +building known as the Frank Patterson Memorial of Operative Surgery, one +of the most complete buildings for its purpose in the United States. The +Dayton State Hospital for the Insane is maintained by the state. The +Hospital of the National Military Home which adjoins the city is the +largest military hospital in the world and has an average of 600 +patients, all of whom are veteran volunteer soldiers of the Civil and +Cuban Wars. + + +A CITY OF CIVIC PRIDE + +Dayton was early imbued with the spirit of civic pride and the results +are seen in a system of drives and parks. The streets are well built and +numerous good hard gravel roads radiate into the surrounding country, a +fertile farming region which abounds in limestone. The levee along the +Miami is made of hard gravel and is wide enough at the top to form a +foundation for a drive. + + +"A THOUSAND FACTORIES" + +Dayton is sometimes known as "the City of a Thousand Factories," and +some of its varied industries are known throughout the world. Leading +these is, of course, the National Cash Register Company, which employs +something more than 7,000 men. + +In addition to cash registers there are manufactured agricultural +machinery, clay-working machinery, cottonseed and linseed oil machinery, +railway cars, carriages and wagons, automobiles, flying machines, sewing +machines, paper, furniture, soap and tobacco. Almost every industrial +product finds a maker in this town. Barnum & Smith are the well known +manufacturers of street cars. There is the Davis Sewing Machine Company, +the Speedwell Automobile Company and many others. Water-power in +abundance is supplied from the Mad River. + +Dayton is the fifth largest city in Ohio. The final abstract of the +Federal census for 1910 placed the population at 116,577, as compared +with 85,333 in 1900 and 61,220 in 1890. + +With its industries so diversified, its banks and building associations +so strong and uniformly successful, and with its people so well +educated, it is one of the richest and most prosperous communities in +the Union. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE DEVASTATION OF COLUMBUS + + THE RISING FLOOD--MOST OF THE CITY DARK--GREAT AREAS UNDER + WATER--THE MILITIA IN CONTROL--THE RELIEF OF THE VICTIMS--THE + EXTENT OF THE DISASTER--STORIES OF THE HORROR--ORDERS TO SHOOT + LOOTERS--RECOVERING THE DEAD--GOVERNOR COX INDEFATIGABLE--HUNGRY + REFUGEES SEIZE FOOD--INCIDENTS OF HEROISM--SCENES OF PATHOS--LOSS + BY DEATH AND OF PROPERTY--THE WORK OF RECONSTRUCTION. + + +At Columbus, on Tuesday night, March 25th, darkness settled down on a +swirling flood that covered large areas of the city. Thousands of +persons were separated from members of their families and were frantic +because they were unable to get into communication with their homes. + + +THE RISING FLOOD + +Hundreds of fathers, sons, brothers, sisters and daughters had left +their homes on the west side of the city in the morning to go to work, +before the Scioto River had reached a flood stage. Rising suddenly, the +water cut them off from their homes and when night fell they only knew +that their homes were flooded and that the members of their families +were dependent for food and shelter on more fortunate neighbors. + +Because the city was in darkness, only meager details of the condition +of the flood-marooned inhabitants were obtainable. + +Wringing their hands, weeping and appealing vainly for help, scores of +girls crowded in as close to the water's edge in the darkness as state +troops and policemen on duty would allow them, but there was no chance +to cross the stream to their home district. + + +MOST OF THE CITY DARK + +Owing to the high water, electric lights in the flooded district and a +part of the business section of the city were out, and the water supply +was cut off. The supply of gas was also cut off, with a view to +preventing explosions. + +In Columbus the west side was practically wiped out, and the reported +loss of life ranged from a half dozen to 200. Houses were floating down +the river with people on their roofs. Several fires in the submerged +district added to the horrors. Refugees slept in public buildings, while +militia helped the police patrol the streets, which were in total +darkness. + +It was estimated that over 10,000 persons were homeless on the west side +as a result of the flood and that at least 15,000 were living on the +second floors of their homes. Only about ten per cent of the street cars +were able to operate and steam railroad and suburban lines were tied up. + +Damage amounting to $30,000 was done by fires in the west side during +the afternoon, which for a time threatened greater damage owing to the +water supply being cut off. Even had there been water, most of the +fire-fighting facilities were on the east side of the city and unable to +reach the section affected. + + +GREAT AREA UNDER WATER + +Bridges connecting the west side with the eastern portion of Columbus +were swept away shortly after noon. Dozens of smaller bridges went down. +Hundreds of men were marooned in factories on the west side, and police +and National Guardsmen were making rescues in boats where it was +possible. All street car traffic was abandoned. Fifteen hundred homes +were flooded. + +With a great roar the levee at the foot of Broad Street let go shortly +before eleven o'clock, sending down a deluge of water that swelled the +Scioto River and covered a great area. Several small buildings +collapsed. Just before the break the police ordered all persons in the +lowlands to leave their homes quickly and flee for high land. All fire +and police apparatus assisted in the work. The residents were told not +to stop for clothes or valuables. + +The Sandusky Street levee also collapsed, permitting the water to wash +out a railroad embankment and pour into all the low districts between +the river and Sandusky Street. With water to the hubs, a horse-drawn +wagon galloped out West Broad Street filled with police, who shouted as +they went a warning to all to fly to the hills. + +While being swept down the channel of the swollen Scioto River just as +darkness was gathering late in the day, a man, woman and child were +rescued from the roof of a house that had been torn from its foundation +by the flood. Two other children of the same family fell into the water +and were drowned. + + +THE MILITIA IN CONTROL + +State troops at the order of Governor Cox patrolled the streets in the +flooded sections of the city and scores of automobiles were busy +carrying the suffering to higher ground. + +Meantime, the rain which began Sunday night continued, at times +moderately and at other times in torrents. The fact that the water had +already destroyed several bridges and broken a levee gave cause for the +alarm that other levees might break and further damage result. + +Because of the proportions of the flood, which washed out nearly every +bridge of steam and electric roads leading out of Columbus, nearly all +train service was annulled. + +Floodgates were closed against all trains coming in or going out of +Columbus on all roads except the Norfolk and Western. A train on that +road practically swam into the Union Station at 9 P. M. after having +crept along through high waters for most of the run from Portsmouth to +Columbus. + +During the day several trains on roads from the East were detoured +through Columbus over the Norfolk and Western, but this was discontinued +because of washed-out bridges between Columbus and Pittsburgh and other +points. Norfolk and Western officials said they had no assurance that +they would be able to operate any trains from here. + +Ten solid miles of Pullman and other trains, including the Twentieth +Century Flyer, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, extended from Lima to +Lafayette, held up by a wash-out. Repairs allowed the trains to move on +about eleven o'clock. + +In taking charge of the relief work Governor Cox issued an order +directing Adjutant-General John C. Speaks to call out the entire +National Guard of the state for duty in the flooded districts. + + +BRIDGES SWEPT AWAY + +Bridges were swept away, barring those who would have fled to places of +safety. The rush of waters caught hundreds in their homes, and as the +darkness fell the scramble to escape became wild and foreboding. Those +who were able to do anything sent their appeals for aid to outlying +cities before the wires had absolutely failed. + +Added to the terrors of flood and darkness was that of fire. In the wild +rush for places of safety that followed the first warning of the danger +from the bursting levees, lamps were toppled over, electric wires were +crossed and soon flames were mounting high in many sections of the city. + +Representative H. S. Bigelow introduced a bill in the legislature to +appropriate $100,000 for the flood sufferers in Ohio, the money to be +handled under the direction of the Governor. + +With no change in the number of reported dead in this city, estimates on +Wednesday placed the probable dead at from one hundred to one hundred +and fifty. Columbus was still being drenched and torn by flood waters of +the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers. The scene of devastation on the west +side was partly made visible to residents of other sections of the city +for the first time in two days. The isolation of the western section +again became real when the last remaining bridge gave way before the +torrents. + +Numerous persons who were considered conservative asserted that they saw +scores of bodies float down stream and dozens of persons carried away in +their houses. + +Miss Esther Eis, rescued from her home on the west side, said she saw +the house with George Griffin, wife and seven children collapse and +disappear, and another house containing John Way, wife and five +children, break up in the flood. + +Besides the actual tragedies that were enacted in connection with the +flood the most exciting incident occurred at the announcement that the +storage dam, several miles north of the city, had broken, sending its +great flood to augment that of the Scioto River. + +The scene that followed was one of wild panic in all parts of the city. +Patrolmen, soldiers and citizens in automobiles, tooting horns, ringing +gongs and calling through megaphones a warning to every one to seek +safety in the higher parts of the east side, sent thousands in flight, +while many, stunned by the supposed impending disaster, collapsed from +fear or gave way to hysteria. + +It was more than an hour before the report was officially denied. Police +officials assert that the report was made to them by persons connected +with the military end of the patrols. + +City officials said that the storage dam was holding fast against the +millions of gallons of water that were being poured against it, and they +expressed confidence that it would continue to do so despite the great +pressure upon it. + +The Governor telegraphed the War Department at Washington, asking that +50,000 tents and 100,000 rations be made available for use and +distribution by the Ohio National Guard. + +Governor Cox also sent out appeals for aid to the Governors of all the +border States of Ohio, including Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, +Indiana and Kentucky. Tents and provisions were badly needed, according +to the Governor's appeal. + +After working all night in the Adjutant-General's office in the State +House, officers of the Ohio National Guard reported that they had +succeeded in assembling 3,500 militiamen, ready for service in the flood +districts. + +Mobilized at all points of the state, companies and regiments of the +Ohio military force started at daybreak on Wednesday for the stricken +cities and towns as soon as arrangements for their transportation, the +most serious problem confronting the militia headquarters, could be +arranged. The relief which they carried was held back by the lack of +railroad facilities everywhere. + + +THE RELIEF OF THE VICTIMS + +Howard Elting, president of the Chicago Association of Commerce, +telegraphed Governor Cox that citizens of Chicago were raising a relief +fund for flood sufferers. + +"I am pleased to state," the telegram said, "that $100,000 will be +placed at the disposal of Ohio through the American Red Cross Society." + +The Senate passed the Lowry Bill making appropriation for the relief of +the flood sufferers, but increased the amount to $500,000. + +The action was taken in response to the following message from the +Governor: + +"The flood disaster that has befallen our state is of such magnitude in +loss of life and human suffering that I respectfully urge upon your +honorable body the importance and propriety of making an appropriation +for the succor of those in distress. + +"May I further suggest that it be of such size and made with such +dispatch as to reflect the great heart and resource of our +commonwealth?" + + +THE EXTENT OF THE DISASTER + +On Thursday it was apparent that the part of the city between Central +and Sandusky Avenues was almost wiped out, and estimates of the death +toll of the flood in this city ran into the hundreds. + +It was not until Thursday when the waters began to recede, and after two +nights of horror, during which hundreds of people clung to the +housetops, while others sought safety in trees, that the fact dawned +upon the inhabitants that their city had been visited by as great a +calamity perhaps as that which had fallen upon the Miami Valley. + +The bodies of 200 persons lay huddled in the United Brethren Church on +Avondale Avenue, according to O. H. Ossman, an undertaker, who explored +the flood district in a rowboat. + +He said this report was made to him by a man who said he had been able +to reach the building and look through the windows. Police who sought to +confirm the story were unable to reach the church because of the +current. + +Ossman said nineteen bodies had been taken to his undertaking rooms and +that he has been asked to be prepared to care for sixty-nine other +bodies. He said he counted fully two hundred bodies in wreckage on West +Park Avenue. + +Members of searching parties who were able to explore the west side of +the city, south of Broad Street, for the first time reported that that +section was a scene of vast desolation for a great area, much of it +being still under water. + +The names of more than a half hundred persons were placed under the +caption "known dead," while the list of probable dead was too great to +be collated at that time. The number of missing and unaccounted for, it +was said, would reach far into the hundreds. + +An Associated Press operator, who was marooned for hours in the flood +after it broke early Tuesday, reached the Columbus office Thursday after +having traveled by a circuitous route covering more than forty-five +miles in order to get into the main portion of the city. + +He saw more than a score of bodies washed through the flood, and said +that house after house was carried away in the flood. Many of the small +frame cottages were wrenched to pieces by the currents and their +occupants thrown into the water to be seen no more. + +It was believed that many bodies would be found at the Sandusky Street +bridge or lodged against such part of it as was left in the river at +that point. Further exploration of that part of the west side was begun +Thursday afternoon. + +Because she had no home after she was rescued from the flood district, +Miss Florence P. Shaner and William G. Wahlenmaier were married. They +had intended being married in May. The girl was rescued by Wahlenmaier. +Her mother was drowned and their home swept away. + + +STORIES OF THE HORROR + +Other men who had ventured into the flood district told corresponding +stories of awful loss of life. To add to the horrors of the situation +reports reached the State House that the buildings in the flood-swept +district were being looted by men in rowboats. To meet this emergency +and to better patrol the west side, which is under martial law, Governor +Cox ordered Troop B of the National Guard to patrol the ruined section +of the city. It was believed the cavalrymen could cover more territory +than foot soldiers. + +As the waters receded the militia guarded the west side under +arrangements made between the Adjutant-General's department and Chairman +Nass of the Columbus Relief Committee. + +Hundreds of people were still marooned in flooded homes, their rescue up +to that time being impossible because of the swift current of the +river. Rescued people in dire straits were brought to the City Hall in a +stream all day, where people by the hundreds waited to obtain news of +missing relatives and friends. + +Families were separated, and men, women and children stood night and day +at the edge of the water waiting for the flood to subside that they +might reach abandoned homes. + +The body of a man was suspended in a tree near Glenwood Avenue, beyond +reach of the rescuing parties. Other bodies were among debris washed up +on the edge of the waters in the southwest end of the city. Near this +debris were two submerged street cars. + +Many of the refugees were in state institutions on the high ground at +the west end. The water fell several feet and some of the streets +inundated could be traversed, but in the lowlands, where it was feared +the greater number of dead would be found, it was several days before a +thorough search could be instituted. + +Many of the refugees were in a pitiable condition when rescued. They +were benumbed by the cold and suffering from hunger and exposure. + + +FOUR BORN AS OTHERS DIE + +Colonel D. N. Oyser, an attache of the city sanitary department, +reported that two truckloads of bodies were removed from one point on +the west side. + +The cold wave which struck the section Wednesday night caused many to +freeze, lose their grip, and drop into the water. + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +Part of the residential section of Fremont, Ohio, flooded. The water +reached to the second story of the houses] + +[Illustration: Copyright by George Grantham Bain. +Carrying on the work of rescuing Dayton flood sufferers from their +houses in the boats made for the purpose at the National Cash Register +Factory] + +With military glasses rescuers standing on the Baltimore and Ohio +Railroad near Center Avenue could see several dead forms lying on the +roof of a building to the east. + +Four babies were reported to have been born in a school house on the +hilltop. + +According to those who invaded the stricken district, the churches, big +state institutions and storerooms in the hilltop section were crowded +with refugees. They tell stories of indescribable horrors. + +Former Mayor George S. Marshall, who was in telephone communication with +Cecil Randall, his law partner, said that Mr. Randall estimated the +death toll at several hundreds. Throngs of excited groups of people from +the flood-stricken section of the city who were crowded into the +temporary rescue quarters asserted that the estimate of Mr. Randall was +not exaggerated. + +Neither the extent of the awful tragedies enacted during the sweeping +away of homes nor the exact death tolls could be known for days until +the mass of wreckage, houses and uprooted trees which were strewn on the +level lowlands south of the city were uncovered. This mass of debris was +under several feet of water, with swift currents running in many +directions. + +Many of those rescued told of escaping from their homes by fractions of +minutes, just before the rushing waters swept their homes away and +crushed them like eggshells against bridges. Scores of entire families, +these people assert, were swept down with their houses in the swift +current. + +Every available inch of space in the Columbus State Hospital for the +Insane and Mt. Carmel Hospital on the hilltop was occupied by refugees. + +Fire Chief Lauer, who was marooned on the hilltop beyond the flooded +section, reaching that point of safety in his automobile just before the +waters swept the lowlands, said that he saw scores of people standing on +their porches as the waters swept down and that he could not see how +scarcely any of them escaped. + +After two nights of horror, during which hundreds clung to housetops +calling for help until their voices gave way, while dozens perched in +the branches of trees, many were still beyond the reach of rescuers. + + +ORDERS TO SHOOT LOOTERS + +J. W. Gaver, Justice of the Peace at Briggsdale, swore in several +deputies and armed them, with instructions to shoot down all looters. + +Relief trains from Marysville and London, bearing food and clothing, +relieved the situation in the refugee quarters on the hilltop, where +hundreds of homeless were waiting news from relatives. + +Relief work was directed toward rescuing two hundred and fifty from the +marooned plant of the Sun Manufacturing Company, where they had been +imprisoned for two days without food or heat. One boat which got within +hailing distance before it was stopped by the swirling current was +informed that conditions were terrible. + +With a blinding snowstorm and the temperature falling, gnawed by hunger +and suffering from the cold, the thousands of flood sufferers of the +state faced the uncertainties which the freezing temperature was adding +to their plight. + +Although some of the early morning reports said flood waters were +receding slowly in some of the flooded sections there was scarcely a +perceptible change in the flood height. In other places, even though +receding, the water was still of such height as to maroon the sufferers, +many of whom were suffering from exposure which followed their clinging +throughout the night to some points of vantage above the murky waters. +All were facing the chilly winds, blinding rain, sleet and snow. + +Governor Cox issued a proclamation declaring a holiday in all districts +flooded in Ohio for the next ten days. This was done to protect +negotiable paper that might be subject to presentation. + +Hundreds of the refugees harbored in the various relief stations and in +private homes just outside of the flooded district were separated from +relatives, and many of them believed that lost sons or daughters, +fathers or mothers had perished. + +The authorities were fearful of looting in the flood district and the +militia, under strict orders, in several cases arrested rescue workers +and interfered with their work, suspecting them of looting. A large +quantity of supplies was transported to the flood district by automobile +and rail, and the refugees were made comfortable as fast as they could +be released from the grip of the waters. + + +RECOVERING THE DEAD + +Thursday's bodies were recovered from jams of driftwood that had piled +up along the shallow shores of the flood. All of them were badly +mutilated and in several cases identification was difficult. The +authorities organized a squad of men to cover the entire inundated area +in the search of bodies. Up to date fifty-one known dead had been +reported. + +Hundreds of those whose homes were in the flooded district, but who were +marooned in the business section of the city, away from their families, +were able to get to the flood section Thursday by a circuitous route +about twenty-five miles long. All manner of vehicles and pedestrians +crowded the road throughout the day, and at the end of the way pathetic +reunions of families separated since Tuesday took place in the muddy, +flood-swept streets. + +Daniel A. Poling, general secretary of the Ohio Christian Endeavor +Society, issued an appeal to the 160,000 Christian Endeavorers in the +state, urging them to forward contributions to state headquarters. + +West Columbus remained virtually under martial law. Militia companies on +duty were ordered to shoot looters on sight. Thousands of curious people +and those with friends and relatives in the flooded districts were kept +out of the west side by police and troopers. The city relief station, at +the city hall, and the newspapers maintained and compiled lists of the +rescued, as well as lists of the dead. + +By Friday order was being rapidly evolved out of chaos, and missing +loved ones were being accounted for by hundreds. Ample shelter and food +were being provided for the thousands of homeless. + +Flood waters drained off from the devastated districts, railroad service +was slowly resumed and telegraph and telephone wires were being +restrung. + +[Illustration: MAP SHOWING ONE OF THE CIRCUITOUS ROUTES BY WHICH NEWS OF +THE FLOOD WAS CARRIED TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD] + + +GOVERNOR COX INDEFATIGABLE + +For three days Governor Cox tirelessly accomplished the work of a dozen +men, laboring from daylight to long past midnight to aid the +unfortunates of Ohio. His hand guided everything done in the work of +rescue and on Friday he turned his attention to new problems of +preventing epidemics, safeguarding life and property, relieving the +sufferings of surviving flood victims and the care of the dead. + +The hero of the Dayton disaster, John A. Bell, the telephone official +who, marooned in a business block had been keeping Governor Cox informed +every half hour of conditions in the stricken city and delivering orders +through boatmen who rowed to his window, called the State House at +daybreak and greeted the Executive with a cheery "Good morning, +Governor. The sun is shining in Dayton." + +But sunshine gave way to a blizzard like a snowstorm later in the day +and the reports coming from Bell were less cheering as the day advanced. + +On Friday the Governor seized the railways to insure passage of relief +trains and to keep sightseers and looters away from the afflicted +municipalities. + +The entire military force of Ohio was on duty in the flooded districts, +which included practically the entire state. Because of the interrupted +communications headquarters had not been able to keep fully in touch +with the movements of all the troops. The officers in command in most +cases had to determine routes and procure their own transportation. +Under the most difficult conditions they uniformly showed both energy +and ingenuity in reaching their destination. + +Estimates of the flood death list in Columbus continued to range from +fifty to five hundred, although these figures represented largely +opinions of officials on duty in the flood zone. The efforts of the +authorities were directed almost entirely to relieving the suffering of +those marooned in houses in the territory under water, and until all of +these had been rescued the search for the dead did not begin in earnest. +The waters receded slowly on Friday and the swirling currents abated a +trifle, allowing the rescue boats a wider area of activity. + + +ORGANIZING RELIEF + +George F. Unmacht, civil service clerk, connected with the +quartermaster's department of the United States army, stationed at +Chicago, arrived in Columbus Friday to assist in directing the +distribution of supplies. Rations for 300,000 arrived together with +tents for 20,000 persons; 100 hospital tents, 400 stoves, 29,000 +blankets, 8,900 cots, 100 ranges. + +Officers at Columbus were ordered to report at Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, +Youngstown and Hamilton, while a hospital corps was sent to the Columbus +barracks. + +The Governor's attention on Friday was devoted largely to organization +of the work of relief. He received telegrams notifying him of +collections of more than $250,000. A New York newspaper had sent +$150,000 subscribed to a fund it raised. Word was received that the +Chicago Chamber of Commerce had raised $200,000, half of which had been +forwarded to Ohio. Judge Alton B. Parker subscribed $5,000 and James J. +Hill $5,000. A thousand dollars was sent from Walkerville, Ontario. + +Governor Dunne wired that a bill appropriating $100,000 for Ohio flood +sufferers had been introduced in the Illinois Legislature, while +Governor Osborne telegraphed that the Michigan Assembly had appropriated +$20,000. + +Colonel Myron T. Herrick, of Cleveland, Ambassador to France, cabled his +deep anxiety over the Ohio disaster, and Governor Cox in reply asked him +to call a meeting of the Ohio Society in Paris and wire funds, saying +the losses exceeded the San Francisco earthquake. + +The Ohio Society of Georgia wired the Governor it was sorry and it too +was invited to show how much it was sorry. + + +HUNGRY REFUGEES SEIZE FOOD + +The need for relief was indicated when a company of telephone linemen +working outside of Columbus had their supplies taken from them by hungry +flood refugees. + +Governor Cox recalled some of his former comments on the need of +expenditures for the National Guard. "The National Guard," he said, "has +saved itself. Its efficiency has been a revelation to me." In the +organization so promptly effected by the Governor the moment the floods +came, his most efficient aid came from Adjutant-General Speaks and the +National Guard officers, and with the Guard the work of rescue and of +maintaining order was made possible. The officers and men performed +every duty faithfully. + +Martial law prevailed in most of the stricken cities and the soldiers +prevented the looting of the abandoned houses and cared for the +refugees. + +Colonel Wilson, of the Paymaster's Department, was made financial +officer as well as treasurer of the relief funds. Under his direction +and the Governor's supervision the Ohio relief commission prepared for a +War Department audit, as is required by the Red Cross Society. The +Governor demanded that there should be but one relief committee in the +state, and to that end the local committees formed were subordinate to +the state commission. + + +INCIDENTS OF HEROISM + +The work of rescue brought out many striking incidents of personal +heroism. + +From two o'clock Tuesday afternoon until nearly nightfall Wednesday +Charles W. Underwood, a carpenter of this city, held two babes in his +arms while he clung to the branch of a tree near the Greenlawn Cemetery, +where he had been carried fully a mile by the current. One babe was his +own, the other belonged to a neighbor, and as he clung to them he saw +his own twelve-year-old daughter on another limb of the same tree weaken +from exposure and die, her frail body swaying limply as it hung over the +branch. He also saw a woman refugee in the same tree weaken and fall +into the swirling waters. Underwood and the babes were finally rescued. + +Two hundred and thirty-three souls marooned in the building of the Sun +Manufacturing Company succeeded in sending out a note by messenger, +praising the work of John Brady, who, with a skiff, after his home was +swept away, rescued two hundred men, women and children and brought them +to the Sun plant. + +"Track out at Columbus because of floods," was the message that Albert +E. Dutoit, a Hocking Valley Railway engineer, read when his train was +stopped Wednesday at Walbridge, near Toledo. His heart gave a bound, +for he knew his family must be threatened. He detached his engine from +the train and started on his race with death. Like mad he shot his +engine across the country between there and Columbus. All night +Wednesday he tried to get through the military lines and succeeded on +Thursday. He induced men in motor boats to rescue his family. In a few +more moments, he had his eight-months-old baby in one arm with the other +around the waist of his wife. The reunion brought tears of sympathy to +the eyes of the rescuers. + +Mrs. Emil Wallace, living southwest of the city, in the lowlands, ran +toward a hill when she saw the onrushing waters. She reached safety just +as the water was up to her neck. Her home was submerged. + +A street car was washed a quarter of a mile away from the track. The +conductor and half a dozen passengers were drowned like rats in a trap +before they could get out of the car. + +Two unknown men lost their lives while trying to save a twelve-year-old +girl from a raft floating near Greenlawn Avenue. On horseback the men +fought desperately against the swift current of the flood until at last +they were carried away. + +Nearly one hundred babies were born in the flood district and in the +refuge camps between Tuesday morning and Saturday. In the majority of +cases neither the mothers nor the babies received any medical attention. +Many of the babies died from exposure. + +As the sun broke through a fringe of clouds Saturday morning it looked +down upon scenes of utter devastation in the stricken west side of this +city, where a mighty torrent of water had rendered what was a prosperous +and happy community of 40,000 souls into a place of death, want and +disaster. + + +SCENES OF PATHOS + +The scenes were full of human pathos. Torn bodies, disfigured almost +beyond recognition, were being dug from debris. Whole families, marooned +for four long days and nights in the upper stories of houses that had +escaped as if by miracle, many of them without food or water and in fear +of constant death by flood or flame, were being reached by rescuers. + +Many of those rescued were in a critical condition from the long hours +they had spent in the bitter cold--their clothing soaked by the +incessant rainfall of three days and nights and no fuel or bedding with +which to combat their fearful condition. The water was subsiding +materially and the work of rescue was thus made easier. + +The work of the searching parties in the flooded district increased the +list of bodies recovered from the water to sixty-one. All of these were +lodged in the temporary morgue, and most of them were identified. + +Accurate estimates of the dead were still impossible. Safety Director +Bargar said not more than one hundred had been drowned. Coroner Benkert +asserted that the loss of life would reach 200, while former Mayor +Marshall, commanding the rescue workers in the southern end of the +flooded district held that both estimates were too high. + +Of the sixty-one bodies recovered twenty-seven had been identified. + +Estimates placed property loss at from $15,000,000 to $30,000,000. But +no one seemed to care about the monetary loss. The city was staggered by +the weight of human suffering. + +Governor Cox received a telegram from D. T. McCabe, vice-president of +the Pennsylvania Lines, offering to transport free of charge all relief +supplies to points in the flooded area of the state if properly +consigned to the relief authorities. The Governor also received a +telegram from Governor Ralston, of Indiana, saying that ten carloads of +supplies had been started for Ohio points by Indiana relief +organizations. + +Approximately one thousand persons, refugees from the Dayton flood, +arrived in Columbus on Saturday, most of them having made their way by +automobile and trains. As if pursued by tragedy, it fell to them that +their landing place in this city should be within the radius of the +recently-flooded hilltop district of the west side. The arrival of the +refugees was unexpected and no arrangements had been made to care for +them. Adjutant-General John C. Speaks was notified and said that the +state would do the best that could be done to provide them with food and +shelter. General Speaks said that the local relief committees were being +sorely taxed, but that he had been advised by the Columbus relief +committees that they would give all possible assistance in housing and +feeding the Dayton arrivals. + +Scores of transfer wagons traversed the inundated streets carrying +relief to the hundreds marooned in the upper stories of houses. An +element adding to the difficulty of the situation was the refusal of +hundreds to leave their homes in the submerged district. This despite +the fact that they were compelled to live in damp upper stories, with +little heat or cooking facilities and in the face of threatened illness. + +"We've saved our bedding and furniture, and that's all we have," said +one of these. "We are not going to take any chances of losing that." + +City Health Officer Dr. Louis Kahn ordered an immediate cleaning up. The +health authorities also called attention to the necessity of boiling all +water for drinking purposes. + +Miss Mabel Boardman, head of the Red Cross Society, reached Cincinnati +Saturday night. She came to confer with Governor Cox. The Governor again +asserted that the property damage caused by the floods in Ohio would +aggregate $300,000,000, and that this amount would be increased by the +high water in the Ohio River. + +With the water fast receding in Columbus and the danger stage passed, +the food problem promised on Sunday to become the most serious for the +relief workers to solve. + +Mayor Hunt, of Cincinnati, had been sending food to Dayton and other +places, but on Saturday as the flood descended upon his own city from +the upper reaches of the Ohio River, he put an embargo on further +exports of provisions. Though fifty-five carloads of provisions +consigned to the state were in Columbus last night, and supply trains +were headed for Ohio from Chicago, Washington, New York and other +places, Governor Cox was by no means reassured that the relief in sight +would be sufficient. + +All of the people in the marooned district were reached and those +willing to leave their homes were brought over to the east side of the +city and cared for in hospitals, private homes or temporary places of +refuge. Boats and other contrivances were in constant use carrying +provisions and fuel to those who could not leave their homes. Eight more +bodies were recovered. + +A majority of the rescued presented a pitiable sight, some hardly able +to stand on their feet and others, thinly clad and benumbed by the cold, +trembled as they were lifted into the boats. The hospitals were crowded +with people dangerously ill from days of exposure. + +The morgues, hospitals and places of refuge were constantly besieged by +people looking for lost relatives. Those received related tales of +horror and heroism unparalleled except in great disasters like the +Titanic or Johnstown. + +A year-old baby, wrapped in a blanket, was washed ashore in front of the +gates of the state institution for feeble-minded. Although chilled by +the water the child was soon revived. Pinned to its underclothing was a +piece of paper, upon which the name, "Walter Taylor," was written. The +boy was restored to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Taylor, +twenty-four hours later. The family had been penned in its home for two +days. As the water rose gradually the parents moved to the second floor +and then to the attic. Finally the father was forced to hold the child +for hours above his head. Climbing out to the roof as a last resort, the +baby was swept away and the parents had given it up for dead. + +Governor H. D. Hatfield, of West Virginia, arrived in Columbus at seven +o'clock Sunday night on a special train from Charleston. The train +brought supplies, motor boats and skiffs. The motor boats and skiffs +were later taken through the different sections of the city to rescue +hundreds who were marooned. The local military company took charge of +the rescue work and pushed it forward as rapidly as conditions would +permit. + +The sum of $50,000 was raised by voluntary contributions in Columbus for +a relief fund. In addition, the city council voted $75,000, and great +stores of provisions and clothing were contributed by local people and +outsiders. Thousands of the homeless people were cared for in homes of +those willing to share them, or in public halls. One thousand were fed +daily in the Masonic Temple. + +In a statement full of feeling, issued Sunday evening, shortly before he +left the Executive office for home and the first full night's rest he +has had in more than a week, Governor Cox said: + +"Refreshed by the tears of the American people, Ohio stands ready from +today to meet the crisis alone. + +"Ohio has risen from the floods. Such a pitiless blow from Nature as we +sustained would have wiped out society and destroyed governments in +other days. We cannot speak our gratitude to President Wilson for +federal aid, to the Red Cross, to states, municipalities, trade +organizations and individuals that sent funds and supplies. They will +never know their contribution to humanity. + +"The relief situation, so far as food and clothing are concerned, is in +hand. Thankful to her friends who succored her, Ohio faces tomorrow +serene and confident." + +Governor Cox and members of the Legislature began on Monday an outline +of reconstructive legislation, to be followed in all of the flood +districts by the state. It was decided that the San Francisco relief +plan should be placed into effect for the Ohio flood sufferers. Under +this plan the relief was based upon property loss of the individual and +the income loss incurred. The amount of relief each person received was +prorated on such a basis. + +Upon the recommendation of Governor Cox, the Legislature recessed until +next Monday, thereby giving state officials a week to formulate plans. +Resolutions warmly thanking the citizens of New York State and +Pennsylvania for their flood relief contributions were passed. + +All that human effort could accomplish on Tuesday failed to penetrate +the part of the debris piled in the west side, where, it was believed, +many of the bodies of persons missing finally would be recovered. As +matters stood Tuesday night, however, eight more bodies had passed +through the morgues. + +In addition to this number, was the body of James M. Kearney, a +merchant, who was drowned several months ago, and which, cast up by the +flood, was found lodged in a tree when the waters had receded. That many +other bodies would be recovered after the army of men employed in the +work had attacked the great pile of debris made at several points by +wrecked homes was generally conceded. + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +View of River Street In Troy, New York, showing the Collar, Cuff and +Shirt Factory of Cluett, Peabody & Company, the largest of its kind in +the world, closed on account of the floods. Thousands of people were +thrown out of work on account of the overflowing of the Hudson] + +[Illustration: Photograph by Underwood & Underwood. +Under the martial law established at Dayton, citizens were kept off the +streets at night as a precaution against looting] + +LOSS BY DEATH AND OF PROPERTY + +Four more bodies were recovered Wednesday from flood wreckage, making +the total of bodies found in this city stand at eighty-four. Of these +all except seven were identified. + +Coroner Benkert, who made a wide-spread investigation among families, +some members of which were among the missing, said that he estimated +that at least one hundred and twenty-five bodies would be recovered. It +was expected that other bodies that had been washed down the river would +never be identified as Columbus victims. + +The property damage in Columbus, like the death toll, was confined +principally to the west side, the business and manufacturing districts +having gone almost unscathed. + + +THE WORK OF RECONSTRUCTION + +Governor Cox and the State Relief Commission on Tuesday left on a tour +of the state to visit cities and districts that were hit hardest by the +flood to determine what relief was necessary in each case. Before their +departure, however, conditions in Columbus were fast approaching normal, +and the residents with a cheerful, courageous spirit had commenced the +repair of their devastated city. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +COLUMBUS: THE BEAUTIFUL CAPITAL OF OHIO + + CAPITAL OF OHIO SINCE 1810--EARLY HISTORY--CITY OF BEAUTIFUL + STREETS AND RESIDENCES--SPLENDID PUBLIC COMMODITIES--TRADE AND + INDUSTRIES--CHARACTERISTICS OF ITS RESIDENTS. + + +Columbus, Ohio, the capital of the state and the county seat of Franklin +County, is located at the center of the state at the junction of the +Scioto and Olentangy Rivers, on a slightly elevated alluvial plain, and +is nearly equidistant from Cincinnati, southwest; Cleveland, northeast; +Toledo, northwest; and Marietta, southeast, the average distance from +these points being one hundred and fifteen miles. It has a population of +some 180,000. + +Columbus was made the capital by the legislature in 1810, and became the +permanent capital in 1816, the original territorial and state capital +having been Chillicothe. The first state buildings were of brick, and +cost $85,000. The present massive buildings and additions are of dressed +native gray limestone, in the Doric style of architecture. They cover +nearly three acres of ground, and their total cost has been $2,500,000. + + +CITY OF BEAUTIFUL STREETS AND RESIDENCES + +As early as 1812 Columbus was surveyed in rectangular squares; it was +incorporated as a village in 1816, and chartered as a city in 1834. In +general outline the city resembles a Maltese cross. It extends eight +miles north and south, and seven miles east and west on its arms of +expansion. Its longest streets, High and Broad, bisect the city north +and south, and east and west respectively. The uniform width of the +former is one hundred feet, and the breadth of the latter is one hundred +and twenty feet. Broad Street is planted with four rows of shade-trees +for its entire length east of Capitol Square, where it penetrates the +fashionable residence district. High Street is the leading business +thoroughfare. Capitol Square, a miniature park of ten acres, is situated +at the intersection of these streets, two squares east of the Scioto +River. The residence portions of the city contain many beautiful homes +and fine mansions. There are numerous apartment buildings; the houses of +the average people are substantial and comfortable. On the business +streets are many handsome, commodious blocks; many steel, brick and +stone office buildings, as well as commodious railway buildings and +stations. The streets are wide, well paved and lighted, and are kept in +good condition. + + +SPLENDID PUBLIC COMMODITIES + +The police and fire departments are excellent; the water supply is pure +and ample, and the sewerage system good. The waterworks are owned by the +city. A large municipal electric-lighting plant was completed in 1908. +Natural gas is the principal fuel for domestic use. Bituminous coal, in +unlimited quantities, is found a few miles to the south. + +The church buildings of Columbus include those of the following +religious denominations: Methodist Episcopal, United Presbyterian, Roman +Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Disciples, Friends, Christian Scientist, +Evangelical, Jewish, Independent German Protestant, German Evangelical +Protestant, African Methodist Episcopal, Seventh Day Adventists and +United Brethren. The newspapers and periodicals include English and +German dailies, secular weeklies, and trade, professional, religious, +fraternal and other publications. There are numerous public school +buildings, four being devoted to high-school purposes. Among +institutions for higher education are the Ohio State University, Capital +City University and the Evangelical Theological Seminary. Professional +schools include one dental and three medical colleges, and a law school; +and there are also private and religious educational institutions. +Columbus is the location of a state hospital for the insane; state +institutes for the education of deaf mutes, blind and imbecile youth; +the Ohio penitentiary; county, city and memorial buildings; five opera +houses; and a board of trade building. There are five public parks and a +United States military post, Fort Columbus. This post, known also as +Columbus Barracks, was originally an arsenal, and now has quarters for +eight companies of infantry. + +From Columbus steam railroads radiate to all parts of the state, +intersecting all through lines running east, west, northwest, northeast +and south; and interurban lines connect with a model street-railway +system. + + +TRADE AND INDUSTRIES + +Columbus is near the Ohio coal and iron fields, and has an extensive +trade in coal, but its largest industrial interests are in manufactures, +among which the more important are foundry and machine products, boots +and shoes, patent medicines, carriages and wagons, malt liquors, +oleomargarine, iron and steel, and steam railway cars. There are several +large quarries adjacent to the city. + + +CHARACTERISTICS OF ITS RESIDENTS + +The citizens of Columbus possess the characteristic push and enterprise +of western people, and much of the culture and artistic taste of those +in the east. The population is drawn chiefly from the counties in the +state, and especially from those which are centrally located. The +largest foreign elements are German, Irish, Welsh, English and Italian, +and include scattered groups and individuals from almost every civilized +and semi-civilized country in the world. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +CINCINNATI: A NEW CENTER OF PERIL + + A GREAT MANUFACTURING CITY--THE TUESDAY CLOUDBURST--ANXIOUS + WAITING--HOMES SUBMERGED--FACTORIES FORCED TO CLOSE--THE SITUATION + EVER GRAVER--EXPLOSIONS IN THE CITY--THE CRISIS--FLOOD DAMAGE. + + +Scarcely had Dayton, Columbus and Zanesville begun their real battle for +restoration when Cincinnati became a new peril center. Situated on the +Ohio River at the point where the Muskingum, Scioto, the two Miamis, and +the Licking were pouring their millions of gallons of flood water into +the river, the city was bound to suffer. It seemed as if the Buckeye +State would never be able to escape from the clutches of the great demon +of flood. + + +A GREAT MANUFACTURING CITY + +Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County, in the extreme +southwest of the state, one of the great commercial and manufacturing +centers of the Union, tenth in nominal rank, and seventh or eighth in +fact. It is situated on the north bank of the Ohio River, almost exactly +half way from its origin at Pittsburgh to its mouth at Cairo, Illinois. + +On the western side of the city from west to south runs Mill Creek, the +remains of a once glacial stream, whose gently sloping valley, half a +mile or more wide, forms an easy path into the heart of the city, and +was an indispensable factor in determining its position. Highways, +canals and railroads come through it, and the city's growth has pushed +much farther up this valley than in other directions. The railroad +stockyards are on its eastern slope. Cincinnati extends for about +fourteen miles along the river front, to a width of about five in an +irregular block north from it, but attains a width of six or seven miles +at the extreme point along the creek valley. + +The bottom level below the bluffs along the riverside is the seat of the +river shipping business, and has as well the usual fringe of low +quarters; it is paved, and there is a broad public landing fronted by +floating docks, wharf-boats, etc. Above are the wholesale and then the +retail business streets, with great extent and variety of fine business +architecture, and gridironed with electric roads. The principal lines +converge at or near Fountain Square, and connect with a ring of +beautiful suburbs, within and without the city limits, unsurpassed in +America. + +Among the sights of interest is the busy public landing or levee. The +Grand Central Depot, a terminal of several of the largest roads, is +centrally situated near the river. Among the most prominent buildings +are that of the United States Government Custom House, the City Hall, +the City Hospital, the Springer Music Hall, the Odd Fellows and Masonic +Temples, the Public Library, with 431,875 volumes, and the Museum of +Natural History. St. Peter's Cathedral, St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal +Cathedral, St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, the First and Second +Presbyterian Churches, and the Jewish Synagogue are handsome edifices. +Fine hotels and theaters are numerous. The biennial musical festivals +are famous. + + +THE TUESDAY CLOUDBURST + +The troubles of Cincinnati began on Tuesday, March 25th, when the city +experienced a cloudburst that started the gauge rising in the Ohio +River, temporarily flooded the streets of the city and carried away two +bridges over the White Water River, at Valley Junction a short distance +to the south. + + +PREPARING FOR THE WORST + +By Thursday Cincinnati was facing one of the worst floods in her +history. It had rained steadily for twenty-four hours. The flood had +entered several business houses in the lower section during the night +and early morning found the entire "bottoms" a sea of moving vans, +working up to their capacity. At eight o'clock in the evening the gauge +showed 60, a rise of more than three feet since the same hour that +morning. + +East and west of the city on the Ohio side of the river the lowlands +were inundated and much damage done. In the low sections of the city +many houses were flooded and the inhabitants of these sections fled to +higher ground. + +Across the river at Newport and Covington, Kentucky suburbs of +Cincinnati, similar conditions prevailed and the police early warned +dwellers of the danger that threatened. Dayton and Ludlow, other +Kentucky suburbs, were also sufferers from the rising flood and many +houses were already completely under water. + +[Illustration: TOPOGRAPHY OF STRICKEN SECTION OF TWO STATES +Practically every town and city shown in this illustration suffered from +the floods, most of them from loss of life and all of them from property +damage.] + +A seventy-foot stage for Cincinnati was predicted. The Central Union +Station was abandoned and all trains leaving or entering the city were +detoured. + + +ANXIOUS WAITING + +Slowly the treacherous waters rose while tired watchers waited +anxiously. Conditions were not acute but distressing. The people knew +that they must face conditions worse than the present. All the lowland +to the west and east of the city had been submerged and also along the +water front of the business section the commercial houses were gradually +disappearing under the yellow river. Hundreds of families along the +river front in Cincinnati had been forced to move by the encroaching +river and many merchants had removed their goods from cellars and +basements to higher ground. + +Chief of Police Copeland, however, had the flood work well in hand. The +police were put on twelve-hour duty and worked in the flooded territory +in rowboats. + +The city armory sheltered many persons and preparations were made to +distribute food at the city jail. Nearly every landing place along the +river front was piled high with furniture, bedding and other household +effects. + + +HOMES SUBMERGED + +Along the Kentucky shore conditions rapidly became worse. At Covington +more than five hundred houses were submerged and their occupants given +shelter and protection in public buildings. + +Plans were formulated to care for flood sufferers, and a meeting was +held at Covington at which arrangements were made to raise a sufficient +fund for the poor. At the same time arrangements also were made for +policing the flood zone and preventing looting. + +The river-front section of Ludlow was deep under water and the residents +had moved. Bromley was entirely cut off from other neighboring towns. +Dayton, Kentucky, and other nearby small towns were in the same isolated +condition, and there was much suffering in consequence. + + +FACTORIES FORCED TO CLOSE + +Many of the large manufacturing plants closed because operatives were +unable to reach their places of employment. + +Newport, which, with Covington, is directly opposite Cincinnati, forming +the larger of the suburban sections, was in almost as bad a case as its +neighboring city. The flood of water had risen in all parts of the town. + +One of the bridges across the Ohio had been closed, and the authorities +were preparing to close others to the public, thus cutting off the south +shore from communication with Cincinnati, and also closing practically +the only railway outlet the latter city had to the South and East. + +No food shortage was anticipated, but warnings were issued by the mayor +of this and other nearby cities that merchants must not take advantage +of the situation to charge extortionate prices. All attempts of this +nature in Cincinnati were promptly curbed by the authorities. + + +THE SITUATION EVER GRAVER + +With nearly 15,000 persons in the towns on the Kentucky side of the Ohio +River driven from their homes by the rising flood that was sweeping down +the Ohio Valley and with more than 3,500 homes altogether or partly +submerged, the flood situation in the vicinity of Cincinnati on Saturday +was assuming graver proportions hourly. + +The water reached the second floor of a number of business houses along +Front Street and was half way up on the first floor of several blocks of +houses on Second Street. Several lines of the Cincinnati Traction +Company, operating in the lower district were abandoned. Reassuring word +from the packers, commission men and general produce merchants came +early in the day, when it was estimated by experts that Cincinnati had +enough food supplies to last at least ten days without inconveniencing +any one. + +Railway service into and out of Cincinnati was virtually at a +standstill. The Louisville and Nashville trains were leaving the city +for the West on time, but arriving trains were much delayed. + +So far only one life had been lost as a direct result of the high waters +here. Miss Anna Smith, the first victim, drowned in an attempt to reach +Newport in a skiff that capsized in midstream. Her three men companions +were rescued while swimming to shore. + + +KENTUCKY SUBURBS IN TROUBLE + +Newport and Covington were virtually surrounded by water. Conditions +there were worse than elsewhere and nearly ten thousand people were +driven from their homes. Relief measures, however, were adequate. +Manufacturing plants in the lowlands ceased. + +In these two cities the only fear was that health conditions would be +seriously affected because of the clogging of the sewage system and the +stagnation of back water. The water works and gas plants continued in +operation, but the electric light plants had been forced to cease. + +In the Kentucky towns of Dayton, Ludlow, Bellevue and Bromley identical +conditions existed, but in their cases all communication with +Cincinnati, Newport and Covington was suspended. These towns remained in +isolation until the water had fallen sufficiently to permit the +operation of street cars on the south side of the river. + +In these towns there were 2,000 persons cared for by relief committees. +More than 500 homes disappeared under the flood waters. Property damage +assumed alarming proportions, especially as this was the second time +within three months that the Ohio Valley had suffered from high water. + +By Sunday the outlook for Cincinnati was brighter. No trains had gone +out of the city except south to Kentucky by way of Covington, and rail +and telegraph communications were still badly demoralized, but fair, +warm weather which had continued since Thursday had greatly helped the +complex situation. It was predicted that the river would reach its +greatest height at Cincinnati on Monday. + + +EXPLOSIONS IN THE CITY + +Spreading over a vast expanse of territory in Cincinnati, as well as an +almost equal amount in the various towns that lie along the river on the +Kentucky shore, the Ohio continued to rise. + +During Saturday night the central part of the city was thrown into a +semi-panic by an explosion that could be heard for miles. The Union +Carbide Company, at Pearl and Elm Streets, had been destroyed in an +explosion caused supposedly by the carbide coming in contact with +water. + +The river reached the stage of 69.3 feet at noon, Saturday, and +continued to rise at the rate of two-tenths of a foot every two hours. + +Two companies of the Ninth United States Infantry, stationed at Fort +Thomas, Kentucky, were held in readiness to march at an instant's notice +to Covington, where Mayor George S. Phillips feared the city might be in +need of military protection due to high water that virtually surrounded +the town. When the river stage reached more than 68 feet on Friday the +gas plants were put out of commission and the city was in darkness. + +Of the few important towns in Kentucky, opposite Cincinnati, only one, +Newport, maintained direct communication with Cincinnati. Through +Newport communication was obtained with Covington by a circuitous route. +In Newport there were already under water nearly one hundred and twenty +square blocks, located in the section along the south bank of the Ohio +River. The other towns, Bromley, Dayton and Ludlow, were still without +outside communication, but reports from there were that there was no +immediate need of assistance. + + +THE CRISIS + +The river continued to mount. It rose two-tenths of a foot during Monday +night and early Tuesday the stage was 69.8 feet. The weather forecaster, +Devereaux, said he expected the river to rise another tenth, after which +it probably would recede. Up-river points reported the river either +stationary or falling slowly. + +At midnight Tuesday the river began to fall. The whole city breathed a +sigh of relief. The Government stated that the river would be inside its +banks within a week. + + +FLOOD DAMAGE + +The direct and indirect damage caused in Cincinnati by the flooding of +the river-front and low-lying residential sections was very great. An +estimate of the indirect loss can never be made, while the direct loss +is placed at more than $2,000,000. + +Across the river in the Kentucky suburbs conditions were deplorable. +Estimates were that one thousand homes there had been inundated and that +more than four thousand persons were homeless. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE FLOOD IN WESTERN OHIO + + DISTRESS IN BELLEFONTAINE--PIQUA DELUGED--TROY A HEAVY + SUFFERER--MIAMI ON THE RAMPAGE AT MIDDLETOWN--HAMILTON HARD + HIT--BIG RESERVOIRS THREATENING--OLENTANGY RIVER A LAKE AT + DELAWARE--FLOOD AT SPRINGFIELD--NEW RICHMOND UNDER WATER. + + +The rushing torrent of water that swept down the Miami River, surging +over Dayton, devastated a score or more of towns in its mad course from +the creeks around Bellefontaine to the point southwest of Cincinnati +where the waters of the Miami merge with those of the Ohio. + + +DISTRESS IN BELLEFONTAINE + +Cries of distress arose from Bellefontaine on Wednesday, March 26th. At +that time millions of gallons of water were pounding against the banks +of the Lewiston reservoir, fifteen miles from Bellefontaine, and it was +feared that if the increasing flood should burst the banks the lives of +every inhabitant of the Lower Miami Valley would be imperiled. + +The immense reservoir at Lewiston did burst its banks between Lake View +and Russell's Point and swept through the great Miami Valley like a +tidal wave. It was this vast quantity of water, added to the already +overflowing river, that inundated the cities of Sidney and Piqua. + +[Illustration: Photograph by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +The engraving shows a view of Broadway, Watervliet, New York, the +principal business street of that city, covered with eight feet of +water] + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +The bridge shown in the illustration leads to the Carnegie Steel Company +at Youngstown, Ohio. Ordinarily this bridge is far enough above the +water to allow the large river steamers to pass under] + +At Sidney there was no loss of life, but the town was badly flooded and +early reports of loss of life ran high. + + +PIQUA DELUGED + +The flooded Miami swept over Piqua in a great deluge. The water reached +the first floor of the Plaza Hotel, which is situated in the high part +of the city. Panic-stricken the people fled from their homes or sought +refuge in the upper stories of high buildings. Fire broke out in many +places. At one point in the city the water was twelve feet deep. Many +persons were drowned. Many lost all their possessions. + +Relief measures were taken by city authorities. The property loss was +great, as most of the manufacturing plants were destroyed by the flood. +A company of militia from Covington maintained order and cared for those +made destitute by the flood. + + +TROY A HEAVY SUFFERER + +The town of Troy was also a heavy sufferer. The state troops who arrived +in the town on March 27th with provisions for Dayton were stranded. + +One-third of the town was cut off from gas, electricity and water +supply. A train load of provisions arrived. The provisions were +carefully distributed. + +One-half of the state troops left on foot for Dayton, following the +tracks of the railroad. + +- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + + FLOOD EDITION + THE PIQUA DAILY CALL + Vol. 29 PIQUA, OHIO, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1913. No. 134 + + Calamity Strikes Piqua; Our City Bowed in Grief + Appalling Loss of Human Life, and Great Destruction of Property. + Thousands Are Homeless + + City Under Martial Law--Communications Cut Off with Outside + World--Relief Station Established at the Y. M. C. A. + + Piqua is today a stricken city; a city bowed down, broken with grief. We + have been visited by the greatest calamity in our history. The loss of + life that has been suffered from the flood cannot be estimated now. + + It is sufficient now to tell that relief measures are being taken. The + Business Men's Association, the Y. M. C. A. and citizens generally are + co-operating with the city and military authorities to bring order out + of chaos to rescue those confined in houses still standing in the + flooded sections to house and feed the homeless. + + The city is practically under martial law. Company C. and Company A. of + Covington are here and patrolling the city under the the direction of + the city authorities. + + Last night, we regret to say, there was a beginning of looting and + plundering in the south part of the city. + + Rigorous measures will be taken by the military and the police to + repress and prevent such in the future. + + Piqua still is cut off from communication from the outside world. All + the telegraph and telephone wires are down. Bridges and tracks are down + on both railroads and no trains are running. + + The only outside communication possible has been by using a Pennsylvania + freight engine to Bradford from which point it has been possible to use + the telegraph. + + All the traction lines still are crippled and unable to run their cars + in or out of the city. How soon it may be possible to re-open these + lines of communication it is impossible to say. + + While greatly crippled the local telephone service has been maintained + by both exchanges. The operators have done heroic work day and night + ever since the first danger began to threaten. + + No mail has been received or sent out of Piqua since Monday. Local + deliveries, of course, are impossible. + + North and south the C. H. & D. R. R. is crippled. From Sidney to Dayton + the washout is practically complete. + + The Pennsylvania R. R. bridge was washed out at the east end, and there + is no communication across the river. It is understood that much track + has been washed out. A line is open to Bradford and westward. + + The Y. M. C. A., the Spring street, Favorite Hill Schools, the + Presbyterian, Christian, Church of Christ, Grace M. E., St. Marys school + hall, and countless homes have been opened freely to the flood + sufferers. The Y. M. C. A. has been the center of the relief + administration and from which all directions have been issued and to + which the sufferers have come. + + Provisions can and are being brought from Fletcher and other places east + to the sufferers who have reached the hills on the east of the river. + + This morning Mayor Kiser placed the fire department at work freeing the + most necessary places from water. The electric light plant was first + pumped out. Last night the city was in darkness except for gas, oil + lamps, and candles. The hospital was found needing little attention. + + The damage to property is beyond calculation. Over 200 houses at least + have been washed away and destroyed. Shawnee is practically wiped out. + +The above is a facsimile reproduction of the first page of _The Piqua +Daily Call_, issued the day after the city was inundated by the flood. +Ordinarily the Call is an eight-page newspaper, 17 x 20 inches in size. +This issue consisted of four pages 71/2 x 10 inches. + +- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + + +MIAMISBURG CUT OFF + +Miamisburg, a town of eight thousand, was cut off for days. When news +finally reached neighboring towns the death list was estimated at +twenty-five. Later estimates placed it at less. Only one body has been +recovered, but the property damage ran high. + + +MIAMI ON THE RAMPAGE AT MIDDLETOWN + +As the result of the worst cloudburst known in twenty years the great +bridge over the Miami River, at Middletown, was carried out on March +25th. Fifteen persons were afterward missing and scores of houses could +be seen floating down the stream. The water and electric light plants +were out of commission. + +Two hundred houses were under water, their former occupants finding +shelter in the school houses, churches and city buildings. The great +Miami River was a mile wide at this point. + +The city was practically cut off from the outside world. Tracks of both +the Big Four and Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroads were under +water and no trains were running. The tracks of the Ohio Electric +Railway were washed out in many places. A portion of the state dam in +the Miami River, north of Middletown, was washed away. + +Water from the river started the Maimi and Erie Canal on a rampage and +submerged half of Lakeside, a suburb. The families of Harold Gillespie +and Mrs. Mary Fisher were forced to flee from their homes in their night +clothes. + +The casualty list could not be estimated with accuracy. It was believed +that from fifty to one hundred had been claimed by the waters. + +About three o'clock the following morning the river began to fall +slowly, but the situation was still dangerous. Supplies were rapidly +running out, and a food famine was looked for. Misery was averted by the +arrival of food late Thursday night, but building of fires was not +permitted. The authorities feared an outbreak of flames similar to the +Dayton conflagration. Ten thousand of the eighteen thousand population +were homeless. + + +HAMILTON HARD HIT + +Of all the cities in the Miami Valley with the exception of Dayton, +Hamilton was hardest hit. Many persons killed, a thousand houses wrecked +by the rushing torrent and 15,000 homeless was the toll of the flood in +this city and environs, and the harrowing scenes attending flood +disasters in the past decade faded into insignificance when compared +with the havoc wrought by the latest deluge. + +Before darkness blotted out the scene on March 25th, house after house, +with the occupants clinging to the roofs and screaming for help, floated +on the breast of the flood, but the cries for help had to go unanswered +because of the lack of boats. What little rescue work there was +accomplished was done before night came on, as the rescuers were +powerless after darkness. + +The city was then without light of any kind, the electric light and gas +plants being ten feet under water. Soldiers rushed to this city from +Columbus were in charge of the situation, the town being under martial +law. + +The victims of the raging waters were caught like rats in a trap, so +fast did the flood pour in on them, and few had even a fighting chance +for their lives. Ghastly in the extreme was the situation. The cries of +the women and children as they faced inevitable death, and the frantic +but unsuccessful efforts of husbands and fathers to rescue loved ones, +presented a scene that will go down in the history of world's +catastrophes as one of the worst on record. + +Fire added to the horror of the situation when shortly after midnight +the plant of the Champion Coated Paper Company, which is six blocks long +by one block wide, broke into flames. In less than a quarter of an hour +the entire factory was a mass of fire and there was no chance of +checking its progress in the least as the water service needed by the +fire department was put out of commission early in the day. + +The Beckett Company's paper mill, valued at $500,000 for buildings and +equipment, collapsed into the flood the following morning. + + +SUFFERING AMONG THE REFUGEES + +On Wednesday, March 26th, the river began to fall at the rate of nine +inches an hour. After the season of awful horror the change brought +hope. The work of rescue and relief, however, was exceedingly difficult. + +There were only a few boats that could be used in the work of rescue +and relief. Ohio National Guardsmen who arrived from Cincinnati Tuesday +night did heroic work. They came in four motor trucks and brought food +and clothing with them. One of the trucks returned to Cincinnati for +more boats. + +A relief train arrived from Indianapolis Wednesday morning and other +cars and automobile trucks, loaded with supplies, managed to reach the +outskirts of the city. + +The Lakeview Hotel, which had previously housed fifty refugees, +collapsed early Wednesday, but all the occupants left in time to escape +death. + +Williamsdale, Cooke, Otto and Overpeck, the north suburbs of Hamilton, +were in ruins. On the west side of the river many residences were saved, +but there was despair among the survivors, who were unable to get word +from husbands and fathers who were caught on the east side and unable to +cross after bridges were destroyed. Efforts to get lines across the +river were futile. + +Provisions for the homeless continued arriving in abundance, but the +gas, electric light and water plants were in ruins and this added to the +terrors of the living. + +More than two hundred and fifty persons spent two days and nights in the +little court house without light, food, water or heat, and often they +were drenched with rain that leaked through holes in the roof. + + +REMOVING THE DEAD + +As the flood waters receded on March 27th, the authorities immediately +began the work of removing the dead. The first hour of the search saw +ten bodies uncovered from the ruins, and the most conservative estimates +placed the death roll at fifty. + +[Illustration: THE FLOOD IN MIAMI VALLEY + +The above map shows a part of Ohio which was devastated by the most +disastrous flood in American history. A large number of small streams +converge into larger streams and then into still larger water courses, +several of which form a junction at Dayton, where the greatest loss of +life and the heaviest damage to property occurred.] + +Piled high upon the east side of the court house on Friday were coffins +awaiting the flood victims, whose bodies were being gathered as rapidly +as possible. + +On April 3d, the city offered a reward of ten dollars for each body +recovered from the debris left by the flood. Up to that time seventy-one +bodies had been recovered. It was believed, however, that many bodies +had been swept out of the Miami into the Ohio River and perhaps would +never be found. + + +DAMAGE OF $4,000,000 + +Secretary Garrison, of the War Department, who toured the flood district +of Hamilton on March 30th, as the personal representative of President +Wilson, was told that the property loss was estimated at $4,000,000. + +With Secretary Garrison were Major-General Wood, chief of staff of the +army, and Major McCoy. They permeated the very heart of the city through +zones of devastation which in many respects rivaled in horror those +through which they passed in Dayton. They saw block after block in both +the residential and business sections of the city, where street lines +virtually were eliminated by upheaved and overturned houses jammed +against each other and against the buildings which withstood the shock, +in great and almost unbroken heaps of debris. + +South Lebanon was cut off from Lebanon by a raging current that swept +all the surrounding farm lands, entailing a property loss of thousands +of dollars. All rivers and creeks south of Dayton to Lebanon were +swollen by a heavy rainfall. + +The flooding of the Miami at Cleves, seven miles below Cincinnati, +caused the railroad embankment to break and that part of the town was +under fifteen feet of water. The operator at Cleves said he distinctly +heard cries for help, but he could not learn if there was any loss of +life or the extent of the property damage. + +The following day the waters had receded, but part of the city was still +under water; no loss of life was reported. Hartwell and the vicinity +felt the force of the rising Mill Creek caused by the breaking of the +canal at Lockland. The large factories at Ivorydale were forced to close +down, and many thousands of employees were thrown out of work. + + +BIG RESERVOIRS THREATENING + +The Grand Reservoir at Celina, Ohio, in the extreme western part of the +state, seriously threatened Celina and the adjacent towns. For two days +the very worst was feared, but on March 28th, the river was slightly +lower and no water was flowing over the banks. + + +OLENTANGY RIVER A LAKE AT DELAWARE + +The Olentangy River, ordinarily only a creek, became a lake that covered +most of Delaware. In many places people were left clinging to trees, +roof-tops and telegraph poles crying for assistance. The work of rescue +was practically impossible because of the swift current of the flood, +and most of those who were seen trying to save themselves were swept +away to death. + +The village of Stratford, five miles to the south, was entirely under +water and the loss great. Property damage in Delaware itself was +estimated at $2,000,000. + + +FLOOD AT SPRINGFIELD + +Springfield suffered the worst flood in its history. Both Buck Creek and +Mad River broke from their banks and flooded the lowlands. Several +hundred houses in the eastern section of the city were surrounded by +water. They contained families who refused to abandon their homes. Many +factories were compelled to close. + +There was no loss of life, but intense suffering due to insufficient +food supply and the destruction of many homes. + + +NEW RICHMOND UNDER WATER + +The flooding of the Ohio in the southwestern part of the state caused +disaster in many other towns besides Cincinnati. On April 1st the entire +town of New Richmond was under water. The people took up quarters on the +hills surrounding the town. Provisions were received from Batavia and +there was no suffering. No one was reported dead or missing. + +At Moscow, near New Richmond, fifty houses were washed from their +foundations. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +THE FLOOD IN NORTHERN OHIO + + YOUNGSTOWN AND GIRARD--CLEVELAND AND ITS SUBURBS--AKRON--MASSILON, + FREMONT AND TIFFIN. + + +No section of the country suffered more extensively from the flood than +Ohio, of which state no part seemed to escape. In the northern counties +the loss of life and damage to property were quite as extensive as in +many other parts. + +Fed by incessant rains, the Mahoning River rose at the rate of +seven-eighths of an inch per hour until it reached a stage of +twenty-five feet, which was ten feet higher than ever before recorded. +Every large industrial plant in the city was flooded and fully 25,000 +workmen were out of employment. + +The financial loss to the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company, Republic +Iron and Steel Company, Carnegie Steel Company and other plants easily +reached $2,500,000, while the loss in wages to men was extremely heavy +because of the fact that weeks elapsed before the industries were again +able to operate at full capacity. Fully 14,000 workmen employed in +various industries of the city are thrown out of employment as a result +of the high water. + +At East Youngstown the Mahoning River was nearly half a mile wide and +the Pennsylvania lines through the city and for a number of miles east +were entirely submerged. The Austintown branch bridge of the Erie, which +crosses the Mahoning River, was weighted down with a train to prevent +its being washed away, the water having already reached the girders. +Every bridge was guarded by policemen. + +But one pump was working at the water-works pumping station. The flood +was the worst experienced by Youngstown since October, 1911, when +millions of dollars of damage was done. + +Two hundred families were temporarily homeless, but the Chamber of +Commerce with a relief fund of $10,000, attended promptly to their +welfare. + +Youngstown's only water supply during the flood was from the Republic +Rubber Company, pumping 3,000,000 gallons a day, and the Mahoning Valley +Water Company, which turned 4,000,000 gallons a day into the city mains +from its reservoir at Struthers. + +At Girard, northeast of Youngstown, Mrs. Frank Captis, who was rescued +just before her home was swept away in the flood, gave birth to a baby +boy at the home of a friend, where she was taken. The baby was named +Noah. + + +CLEVELAND AND ITS SUBURBS + +At Cleveland scores of families were driven out of their homes by the +greatest flood in the city's history. Many narrow escapes from drowning +were reported from all over the city, where people were being +transferred in rowboats by police and other rescuers. + +One big bridge, in the heart of the city, used by the New York Central +lines, went down. The steel steamer, "Mack," moored to it was unharmed. +All traffic was kept off the bridge and no one was hurt. The loss +exceeds $75,000. Other bridges were in danger. Boats broke from their +moorings and battered the shore. Dynamite was used to open a way for the +water into the lake. Great damage was done all along the Cuyahoga River +through Cleveland, where hundreds of big manufacturing plants are +located. Fifty thousand men were idle. The telegraph companies were +crippled and many lights were out throughout the city, as the +electric-light plants were partly under water. All the suburbs suffered +severely. + +All railroad traffic in Cleveland was suspended because of washouts and +no trains entered or left. The Lake Shore Railroad tracks along the +shore of Lake Erie were thought immune, but that road suffered along +with the Big Four, Pennsylvania and Wheeling and Lake Erie. + +Boston, Ohio, and Peninsula, Ohio, between twenty-five and twenty-eight +miles south of Cleveland, on the Cuyahoga River, were submerged. + +The dam of the Cleveland and Akron Bag Company went out at four o'clock +Thursday morning, March 27th, dropping thousands of tons of water into +the valley in which the two villages, with a total population of about +four thousand five hundred, are located. + +[Illustration: MAP SHOWING DANGEROUS RESERVOIRS IN OHIO] + + +AKRON + +The big state reservoir three miles south of Akron, which supplies water +for the Ohio Canal, broke Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock, sending a +flood of millions of gallons of water which swept away farmhouses and +other buildings from the banks of the canal and damaged several million +dollars' worth of property. + +The huge volume of water which had been gathering in the three +hundred-acre reservoir caused a report that there was danger of the +concrete walls bursting. Most of those living near the canal sought +refuge in Akron. + +When the heavy rain continued over night the dam began to show signs of +wear. Cracks in the concrete appeared. All during the night horses were +kept saddled to carry the news ahead if the danger became imminent. When +the masonry showed flaws Thursday morning the riders were sent out. They +started several hours before the dam collapsed, and warned everybody +near the canal in time for them to escape. The rush of water from the +broken dam struck the city within a few minutes after the break. + +Most of the bridges in the county were swept away. The city was in total +darkness at night, and telephone and telegraph connections were +destroyed. A few bodies were seen floating down the canal. Many houses +were swept away. + + +MASSILON, FREMONT AND TIFFIN + +At Massilon five known dead, three thousand homeless, half the town +inundated and heavy property damage was the toll of flood water from the +Tuscarawas River. The town was without light and gas. Citizens raised +$11,000 to aid the sufferers. + +The effect of the flood at Fremont was very severe. The water in Main +Street was fifteen feet deep. Wires were down and buildings collapsed. +Several lives were lost. + +Death and intense suffering marked the great flood which swept clean the +Sandusky valley. Tiffin became a city of desolation. Every bridge went +down, and half the city was under water. Many were carried to death in +the treacherous currents. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +THE FLOOD IN EASTERN OHIO + + MOUNT VERNON HARD HIT--MILLERSBURG CUT OFF--THE TUSCARAWAS + RIVER--COSHOCTON IN DISTRESS--ENTIRE CITY OF ZANESVILLE UNDER + WATER--MARIETTA FLOODED--SCIOTO RIVER AT CIRCLEVILLE--STRUGGLES OF + CHILLICOTHE--FLOOD AND FIRE IN PORTSMOUTH--HOMELESS IN EAST + LIVERPOOL AND WELLSVILLE--FLOOD WASHES STEUBENVILLE--HIGHEST FLOOD + IN HISTORY OF GALLIPOLIS--IRONTON REQUESTS AID--A CRITICAL + SITUATION. + + +In the eastern part of the state there were two great floods, the flood +of the Muskingum River and the flood of the Ohio River. Besides these +there were many local floods of grave importance. + +Mount Vernon, in Knox County, was hard hit by the flood. Many lives were +lost, communication was entirely cut off, and thousands of dollars worth +of damage was done. Miles of track on the Pennsylvania, Baltimore and +Ohio Railroads were washed away. + + +MILLERSBURG COMPLETELY CUT OFF + +For two days Millersburg was completely cut off. The river rose four +feet higher than ever before. It swept through the Cleveland, Akron and +Columbus Railroad depot two feet deep, driving everybody out. Water, gas +and electric light were shut off with the exception of one gas line. + +Telephone service was limited, hence nothing could be sent or received +for two days--until intermittent communication was re-established. + + +THE TUSCARAWAS RIVER + +The flood in the Tuscarawas River was the worst in its history. All the +lowlands were under water, and a highway bridge west of Dennison was +carried out by the tide. Two bridges on the Baltimore and Ohio, near +Uhrichsville, were washed away, and the village of Lockport was cut off +from all communication. Supplies in Lockport were exhausted and two men +were reported drowned. + +Eighteen families were marooned in the school house at Port Washington, +ten miles west of Dennison, on the Tuscarawas River. Operator A. W. +Davis, of the Pan Handle Railroad, was isolated in a signal tower for +several days without food or fire. + +Newcomerstown was isolated for four days. All houses in the village, +with the exception of those on Rodney Hill, were flooded by the +Tuscarawas River. There was no death, but great damage. + +Conditions throughout the Tuscarawas Valley were very bad. From a point +near Uhrichsville, about one hundred miles west of Pittsburgh, to +Coshocton, a distance of thirty miles, the valley was one great lake. +Thousands of acres of the richest farm lands in Ohio were under water +and the loss of live stock was heavy. + + +COSHOCTON IN DISTRESS + +The Tuscarawas and Walhonding Rivers unite at Coshocton to form the +Muskingum River, and it is the water from these swollen streams that +poured down to Zanesville, thirty-two miles below, and thence to +Marietta. + +Reports from points along the Muskingum River, all told the same story +of destruction, flooded towns and great property damage. Many days were +required to restore railway communication. + +Above Coshocton on the Walhonding River many villages were flooded and +the loss to farmers was great. + +Coshocton itself naturally suffered. A railroad bridge on the Columbus +division of the Pan Handle Railroad went out, and scores of highway +bridges throughout the section were washed away. All the streams were +torrents. + + +ENTIRE CITY OF ZANESVILLE UNDER WATER + +"Entire city under water. It is coming into our office. Have placed the +records as high as I possibly can and have done everything possible. The +building next door has just collapsed and I am compelled to leave now +for safety----" + +This message flashed across the wire as the operator at Zanesville fled +for life. With fifteen reported dead, and the Muskingum River at a stage +of forty feet and still rising, the city faced the worst flood in its +history. The big Sixth Street bridge had already been swept away by the +flood, and much of the business section was inundated. + +At least two thousand had been driven from their homes by the high +water. Food was growing scarce and the water was threatening the light +and water plants. + +The suffering during the night was intense. The temperature took a +sudden drop and the thousands who were forced to spend the night +marooned in buildings or on the hills without heat and proper clothing +presented a spectacle to excite pity. + +With the break of day on March 27th, disorder and terror prevailed +throughout the whole city. The Muskingum, in its rampage, was sixteen +feet higher than the previous record mark set in 1898. The city was one +vast lake and the waters covered the valley from hill to hill. Only the +buildings high on the sides of the slopes escaped the ravages of the +deluge. The water varied in depth from one to fifteen feet. Many lives +were sacrificed. + +Six hundred buildings were torn from their foundations and swept away by +the mill race currents, while many others collapsed and were hurled +against those still holding. + +The water reached a depth of eight inches in the Clarendon and Rogge +hotels at noon on Thursday. The court house was surrounded. + +In sections which were bearing the brunt of the deluge little could be +done to relieve the people who were marooned in their houses and in the +large buildings. Every effort was being directed by the city officials +and volunteer relief parties to lend aid to the sufferers, but the +swift, onward rush of the waters made the undertaking extra hazardous. + +The authorities turned their efforts toward relieving the suffering of +women and children driven from their homes by the high water, and some +progress had been made. Putnam lay in ruins. Muskingum and Linden +Avenues had been washed out, and where three days before stood many +residences, watchers from the highest buildings saw nothing but a waste +of swirling waters. + + +MARIETTA FLOODED + +The valley between Zanesville and Marietta became a surging lake, which +picked up buildings and everything movable and carried them along with +incredible speed. The loss of property was tremendous. + +Marietta suffered from the swollen waters of both the Muskingum and Ohio +Rivers. The situation was serious on Wednesday; by Sunday it was +alarming. At eight o'clock Saturday morning the river had reached the +stage of 60.6 and was still rising. All the business section of the town +was flooded and many residences were under water. There were no public +utilities in operation and food and medical supplies were sorely needed. +There were many rumors concerning loss of life, but the swift current +prevented communication to those parts of the city where persons were +reported drowned. + +Immediately upon reciept of the message from Whipple, a station on the +Marietta Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, that Marietta was under +water, preparations were made by the railroad company to send out a +relief train from Cambridge. It reached Whipple Saturday night and from +there help was brought to the distressed city. + + +SCIOTO RIVER AT CIRCLEVILLE + +The flooded Scioto River, which surged through the streets of Columbus, +carried destruction down through farm lands and towns to the Ohio River. +Circleville, Chillicothe and Portsmouth, being the principal towns on +the river course, suffered most. + +At Circleville on March 26th all the bridges had been washed away, and +the Scioto River stood three feet higher than ever before. Another rise +was promised. The city was cut off from railroad communication, and all +trains on roads entering Circleville were annulled. + + +STRUGGLES OF CHILLICOTHE + +Many dead, one hundred houses washed away, and property loss of +$1,000,000--such was the tale of destruction in Chillicothe. On Friday, +March 28th, the waters had begun to recede, leaving seven bodies hanging +on the Kilgore bridge, three miles south of the city, but it was +impossible to recover them immediately. + +Conditions were much improved, the light plant having been able to +resume service, and the water supply also was now adequate. The water +had receded from the streets, and all public utilities resumed +operations. + +The homeless refugees were being cared for in the homes which withstood +the flood and in school houses. Provisions were plentiful and there was +no disorder. Many citizens were sworn in as deputy marshals. + +The looting problem was one difficulty for the authorities. +Notwithstanding their efforts much looting took place. + +Near Omega, to the south, Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield and their family of +seven children were drowned when their home, barn and all their other +buildings were swept down the river. + + +FLOOD AND FIRE IN PORTSMOUTH + +Portsmouth presented a picture of distress as the flood from the swollen +Scioto and Ohio Rivers advanced. On the night of March 27th the Scioto +bridge was swept away by the flood. By morning hundreds of persons had +been driven from their homes, school houses had been thrown open to the +homeless, the streets were filled with household goods and merchants in +the heart of the city were moving their wares to places of safety in +anticipation of flood conditions more serious than ever before. + +On March 29th the Ohio River stood at sixty-eight feet, the highest ever +known, and was rising. + +Fire broke out in several places and was difficult to control because +the flood had interfered with the water facilities. + +Efficient management, however, soon brought the situation under control. + +The arrival of the steamers, "Klondike" and "J. I. Ware," on March 31st, +brought sufficient provisions to supply those in need for a week. + +HOMELESS IN EAST LIVERPOOL AND WELLSVILLE + +We have already seen the swollen waters of the Ohio at Cincinnati, +Portsmouth and Marietta. It remains to treat of the devastation wrought +in other Ohio River towns in the eastern and southern parts. + +At East Liverpool on March 27th, more than a thousand families were +driven from their homes, five thousand potters were deprived of +employment temporarily and the city water works were out of commission +as the result of the flood. The electric light plant was seriously +threatened and trolley lines were tied up. + +The following day the river had eclipsed the 48.8 foot stage of 1884. A +stage of at least fifty-one feet was expected. + +Conditions remained the same, but the situation at Wellsville, a city of +ten thousand, three miles south, was perilous. Over three thousand were +homeless. The city is located on a flat promontory, with the eastern +portion a slight apex against the fast rising stream. + +Back water had already made an island of the city, precluding any +possibility of escape to the high hills. + +Both East Liverpool and Wellsville were in darkness because of the +shutting down of the power plants. All the river front potteries and +mills were idle. Street railway and railroad traffic was at a +standstill. + +Police and fire departments of Wellsville and East Liverpool made many +thrilling rescues during the day. Seven Italians, dumped from a skiff, +were taken from the water half drowned. + +Food supplies were diminishing at Wellsville, there was no electricity +or gas, the supply of coal was constantly lessening and the river still +rising. + + +FLOOD WASHES STEUBENVILLE + +At Steubenville the Ohio River at 9 o'clock on March 26th was at the +34.4-foot stage and rising at the rate of seven tenths of an inch an +hour. The west part of the town was under water and twenty-five houses +flooded. Many families were rescued by wagons. Five large manufacturing +plants were forced to close down, throwing 1,300 men out of work. + + +HIGHEST FLOOD IN HISTORY OF GALLIPOLIS + +The river at Gallipolis reached the sixty-seven-foot stage, six feet +higher than ever before, but was gradually falling. The State Hospital +remained unharmed, and was for a time taking care of two hundred people, +while the town was taking care of three hundred. There was no loss of +life. Traffic was at a standstill, and train service into Gallipolis +suspended. + + +IRONTON REQUESTS AID + +Ironton suffered by both flood and fire. A block and a half in the +business center of the city were consumed by fire and several buildings +were dynamited to check the flames. No loss of life occurred. + +A citizen of Ironton wired to a friend in Philadelphia: + +"Floods here awful. Any charity funds that can be directed here through +clubs or otherwise would be appreciated." + + +A CRITICAL SITUATION + +Even taking into account the tremendous seriousness of the flood in +Dayton and Columbus, the situation all along the Ohio River was one that +called for sympathy and sustained relief. Governor Cox, of Ohio, in one +of his early proclamations covering relief work said: + +"There is every indication that the Ohio River will reach the highest +stage in its history. Calls for food and clothing are coming from +unexpected parts of the State. A critical situation has developed in all +Ohio River towns. We are still greatly in need of help." + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE FLOOD IN EASTERN INDIANA + + HORROR OF THE RISING WATER--THE FOUR FLOODS--DISASTER IN + BROOKVILLE--PEOPLE GATHERED IN CHURCHES--NEWS FROM LAUREL--SURGING + FLOOD AT FORT WAYNE. + + +"Every stream we crossed seemed to be a raging torrent, its waters +racing at top speed," said one traveler who arrived in Chicago on March +26th. "We could hear the swish of the waters and hear the cries of +people in distress," reported another. + +Yet these eye-witnesses could not see the worst of the four vast floods +that swept over the state of Indiana, tying up the railroads, rendering +thousands of persons homeless, killing scores of others, wiping out +whole towns. Just how many persons lost their lives in the great floods +will probably never be known. + + +THE FOUR FLOODS + +Indiana had known many devastating floods, but none like to this in +either destructive force or extent. On March 26th three distinct flood +districts prevailed--the eastern part of the state including the valley +of the White Water River and the Fort Wayne territory, the valley of the +White River and its tributaries, and the valley of the Wabash. Later +the flooding of the Ohio River and its tributaries added to the awful +tale of disaster. The entire state was practically one huge sea, and +every brook, creek and river exacted its toll of damage. + +The overflow, coming with astonishing suddenness, caught farmers +throughout the state unprepared and the breaking of levees in many +places forced persons living along the rivers to desert their homes. In +the crowded cities it added woe upon woe. + +The appalling swiftness with which the waters rose found city as well as +state unprepared. Streams that were brooks Easter morning had become +raging torrents on Tuesday. Persons who retired in apparently safe homes +Monday were rescued the following day from second-story windows with +boats. Lowlands became vast lakes. + +The dawn of Wednesday, March 26th, found anxiety in Indiana centered in +Brookville and Connersville, on the White Water River, from which +frantic appeals for aid were received by Governor Ralston. + +Other despatches from the same region declared that the smaller towns of +Metamora, Cedar Grove and Prenton were swept away completely. + + +DISASTER IN BROOKVILLE + +Sixteen persons were drowned at Brookville, when they were caught by the +east and west forks of White Water River which meet in that town. +Survivors told of attempts of men, women and children to escape by the +light of lanterns. Cross currents rushing along streets and alleys +carried them down to a united stream a mile wide just south of the town. + +Five children, all of one family, were seen clinging to posts of an +old-fashioned wooden bed when they were swept into the main stream and +lost. + +The person from Connersville who first talked with the Governor said +that a break in the White Water River levee had flooded the valley, +sweeping many persons before it. After that it was impossible to +re-establish communication even for a few minutes. Militia were ready +all during the night to hurry to the town, but no train was operated in +that direction. + + +PEOPLE GATHERED IN CHURCHES + +Five wagon bridges, the Big Four Railroad bridge, the depot and a paper +mill were utterly destroyed. Fifty summer houses on White Water River +south of Brookville were washed away, foundations and all. People, bowed +down by the calamity, gathered in churches, where religious services +were held. None of the bodies were recovered for several days. + +Hall Schuster was drowned Thursday night in an attempt to cross the West +Fork of the White River at Brookville to rescue Harlan Kennedy, a +hermit, formerly a Methodist minister. + +Two hundred and fifty children rescued from the flood had only night +clothes. Wagon trains carried food and clothing from Connersville to the +stricken people. + +On Friday, March 28th, the list of known dead in Brookville was +sixteen. Heavy loss of property and a food and fuel famine imminent were +the precise situation. + +There were six persons missing, and it was feared that they had been +drowned and their bodies washed away or buried in debris that had not +yet been searched. + +Brookville was practically under martial law, and twenty men were driven +out of the city after they were discovered looting damaged homes and +buildings. + + +NEWS FROM LAUREL + +News from Laurel reached Connersville on Saturday when Deputy Postmaster +George Lockwood came through on horseback. He said the White Water River +valley, eleven miles around Laurel, was flooded, and the damage +estimated at $300,000. + +Four buildings and many small houses were wrecked in Laurel, but no +lives were lost. Several farmers in the valley between Brookville and +Laurel were missing and their houses had disappeared. Several other +towns in the valley were inundated and many houses had been swept away. + + +SURGING FLOOD AT FORT WAYNE + +At Fort Wayne, in the northeastern part of the state at the confluence +of the St. Mary's and the Maumee Rivers, the flood surged for three +days. + +A keeper in the Orphan Asylum and five men in a surfboat did splendid +work in saving seventy-five inmates of the asylum from drowning. All +life-saving stations in the flooded district devoted their utmost +efforts to the work of rescue and used their funds and supplies without +stint. The relief work was in every way well organized. + + +SITUATION UNDER CONTROL + +On March 28th, with the flood receding at the rate of three inches an +hour, Fort Wayne had the situation in control and stood ready to assist +its less fortunate neighbors. Many of the refugees were able to get back +into their homes. The property loss was estimated at $4,000,000, and it +was almost certain that the loss of life would not exceed six. + +The pumping station had been started up the previous night, two +locomotives sent by the Lake Shore Railroad furnishing the power. The +water was being pumped from the river. The only drinking water available +for several days was brought in bottles. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE DESOLATION OF INDIANAPOLIS AND THE VALLEY OF THE WHITE RIVER + + THE TWO FORKS OF THE WHITE RIVER--WORST DAMAGE IN + INDIANAPOLIS--SYSTEMATIC RESCUE WORK--THIEVES BENT ON + PLUNDER--PREDICAMENT OF WEST INDIANAPOLIS--THE RECEDING + WATERS--FLOOD VICTIMS HELPLESS--AN APRIL WEDDING--OTHER TOWNS + AFFECTED. + + +The two great forks of the White River and their tributaries drain about +half of the area of Indiana. Indianapolis, the capital of the state, is +situated on the West Fork. In this city and more particularly in West +Indianapolis the torrent roaring through the White River valley did its +worst damage. + +Hundreds of spectators were watching the river on Tuesday evening, March +25th, when, with a roar that could be heard for blocks, hundreds of tons +of dirt in the Morris Street levee crumbled under the pressure, and +great walls of water rushed through the opening. + +Men, women and children fought through the water toward a near-by +bridge, which seemed to offer the only safety. Many houses were torn to +pieces by the rush of the water, and others were carried away. Families +in one-story homes were at the mercy of the sudden rush of water that +followed. The people were literally trapped in their own houses. + + +OTHER TOWNS AFFECTED + +Other towns affected by the flooding of the White River and its +tributaries were Muncie, Elwood, Anderson, Noblesville, Bloomington, +Washington, Newcastle, Rushville, Shelbyville, etc. At Noblesville the +river was the highest it had been in thirty-three years, at Muncie a +dike in the water plant broke and the city was without fire protection. +At Rushville Flat Rock Creek waters rose with a roar, and clanging fire +bells warned the people to flee. The entire business section was +submerged. One person met death in Muncie; one in Newcastle; one in +Rushville, and five in West Indianapolis. + +Indianapolis awoke the following morning to find the waters higher than +ever appeared before, with a property loss that two days before would +have been unbelievable. It was hard to bring the full realization of the +damage to the people, who had no thought of a flood from streams that +ordinarily are unimportant, aiding only in beautifying the city's parks +and boulevard driveways. + + +A NIGHT OF DISASTER AND FEAR + +During the night the water advanced upon the exclusive residence section +along Fall Creek. It tore away one bridge, destroyed the city's most +pretentious driveway and forced the families living along its banks to +desert their palatial homes. + +A few hours before they had no idea they were in any danger, and were +awakened by the militiamen to be ordered from the threatened buildings, +only to find every hotel in the city full. They were cared for at the +homes of friends. + +The Washington Street bridge over the White River that connects +Indianapolis and West Indianapolis, which was closed for traffic late +Tuesday night, in the early morning was torn apart by the waters, the +floor of the structure being carried away. + + +A DESOLATE CITY + +With the breaking of day came the proposition of feeding the refugees. +The city appropriated money to supply immediate needs and a relief fund +was started. Drinking water was at a premium, and water for bathing was +practically unattainable. + +Schools were closed, and there was a general suspension of business. The +water in some of the streets north of Fall Creek, only fifteen miles +from the business district, swept everything before it. The street cars +remained standing in the streets where they were stopped when the power +house was flooded. All interurban lines were at a standstill and the +steam roads had poor success in getting trains out of the city. +Passenger trains were shut out of the city on the lines entering from +the West, and the passengers were forced to share the lot of the +homeless refugees. + +By Thursday conditions in Indianapolis were such that Governor Ralston +was impelled to issue a proclamation asking for general relief. Five +hundred refugees from West Indianapolis were brought in small boats to +the Blaine Street wharf. Some of these had been clinging to trees for +hours. Others were taken from floating houses. Women with babies were +taken from the upper stories of houses. The refugees said that many had +been killed in Wolf Hall when the floors of that building gave way under +the strain of hundreds who had taken refuge there. Reports of death were +everywhere exaggerated, owing to the difficulty of accurate knowledge +and the shattered nerves of the sufferers. + + +SYSTEMATIC RESCUE WORK + +Systematic rescue work was rendered more difficult by a storm of snow +and sleet. Tomlinson Hall, the great civic gathering place of the city, +was converted into a temporary hospital. The homeless men, women and +children from West Indianapolis, Broad Ripple and other suburbs +devastated by the White River were taken to the hall and were fed and +given medical attention. From Fort Benjamin Harrison 500 blankets and +500 mattresses and cots were obtained. Citizens' committees were in +charge of the work of distributing food and of raising money. It was +estimated that 10,000 persons in Indianapolis alone were in need of +immediate assistance. + +The situation was rendered graver by the outbreak of contagious +diseases. Five women rescued and taken to Tomlinson Hall were suffering +from pneumonia, and cases of whooping cough and measles were discovered +among the refugees. + +There were numerous cases of pneumonia. Measles and whooping cough +attacked the children. Nearly all of the doctors of the city volunteered +their services and asked for volunteer nurses. + +Those suffering from contagious diseases were removed at once and +inspectors from the city board of health aided by a corps of nurses +detailed from various hospitals of the city set to work to prevent +exposure of the refugees to contagion and to take care of the other +sick. + + +THIEVES BENT ON PLUNDER + +Thieves took advantage of the wrecking of lighting plants to plunder +deserted houses and even to rob survivors of the flood. In West +Indianapolis the vandals and robbers became so bold that Governor +Ralston placed that section of the city under martial law and sent a +company of militia to guard the streets. Orders were given to shoot on +sight any one caught at robbery. + + +PREDICAMENT OF WEST INDIANAPOLIS + +The greed of provision dealers angered Governor Ralston to such an +extent that he started an investigation. Before the supply of bread +available on the West Side had been exhausted, loaves were selling at +twenty cents each. The supply of meat was entirely exhausted. + +That section of Indianapolis lying west of the river, where martial law +was proclaimed, is the poorest in the city. The supply of meats, eggs, +milk, coffee, bread and butter was practically exhausted before noon. +Little except canned goods remained on the shelves of the grocers. + +Relief trains loaded with provisions were unable to enter this district. +Members of the board of public safety and other city officials inspected +the entire flooded district from motor boats and directed efficient +organization of the relief workers, aiding the state troops and state +officials in every possible way. + + +THE RECEDING WATERS + +By Friday the White River had begun to fall slowly, and the work of +caring for the suffering could be prosecuted vigorously. It was +estimated that the property loss in the city and environs would reach +$10,000,000. Part of this loss was in destroyed bridges. The Vandalia +Railroad bridge over the White River went down Friday, carrying with it +ten loaded cars. + +By Monday, March 31st, White River waters had returned to almost normal +channel, and the areas that were covered were being searched to locate +the bodies of any who might have been drowned. The city board of health +prepared typhoid serum for 50,000 treatments to aid in warding off an +epidemic. State troops were withdrawn. + +On Tuesday hundreds of homes were cleaned and, with furniture which +could be salvaged and that supplied by the Relief Committee, the owners +were able to resume housekeeping. Relief funds were still increasing +and all persons who lost homes or furniture in the flood were being +cared for. + +Many persons in the West Indianapolis flood district were treated with +an anti-diphtheria vaccine, and Dr. T. V. Keene, in charge of the +medical relief work in the flooded districts, said he feared no +epidemic. + + +FLOOD VICTIMS HELPLESS + +Hundreds of thousands of dollars were reported necessary to relieve +suffering among the flood refugees in Indianapolis, according to the +report of the General Relief Committee, made on Wednesday, April 2d, at +a meeting in Mayor Shank's office. + +Plans for raising a vast sum of money, to be made available immediately +to the sufferers, were discussed and it was decided to start popular +subscriptions and designate places for contributions. + +Joseph C. Schaf, one of the investigators for the committee, said: + +"The flood victims are helpless. They need money and need it +immediately. The men are trying to hold their jobs and let the women +clean up the homes, and it is a disheartening task for which many are +not physically able. Give them money immediately so they can pile their +water-soaked mattresses and other furniture in the street and touch a +match to it. That will give them new heart." + +Mr. Schaf increased his donation by $1,000, and several other members of +the committee did likewise. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE ROARING TORRENT OF THE WABASH + + A BITTER TALE OF DESTRUCTION--MANY PEOPLE DRIVEN FROM HOMES--ALARMING + CONDITIONS--THE PLIGHT OF KOKOMO--THE HOMELESS IN WABASH--DISTRESS OF + LOGANSPORT--MILITARY CADETS AID IN RELIEF--NEW DISASTER AT + LAFAYETTE--A SECOND HORROR IN TERRE HAUTE--THE RECEDING WATERS. + + +Bitter was the tale of destruction in the valley of the Wabash River and +its tributaries. A traveler journeying over the Wabash Railroad on +Easter Sunday would have seen only the usual quiet little towns of the +Middle West; three days later, if he could have looked down over the +same territory he would have seen nothing but a raging torrent sweeping +through the region like some fiendish monster devouring and destroying +as it pursued its mad course. He would have found the entire Wabash +Valley, including Logansport, Wabash, Lafayette and Peru, a desolate +scene, its scores of prosperous cities absolutely paralyzed and cut off +from the outer world. Telephone and telegraph wires were down +everywhere; trains were not running and roads were obliterated. + + +MANY PEOPLE DRIVEN FROM HOMES + +As early as Monday, March 24th, northern Indiana had suffered severe +loss, due to the heavy rains of the previous twenty-four hours, which +had carried away bridges, stopped railroad and interurban traffic, +flooded store basements, driven people from their homes along the river +banks, and washed away houses. At Hartford City there were seven feet of +water in the paper mills and the merchants had lost heavily from flooded +basements. + +At Portland water was standing three feet deep in the center of the city +and the loss to merchants from damage to goods reached $100,000. + +The wind, which followed heavy rain, cut a path several hundred feet +wide. + +At Kokomo the light, heat, power, gas and water plants were out of +commission and the river was still rising. The city was without fire +protection; South Kokomo, with 6,000 inhabitants, was cut off from the +main city. + +It was declared to be the worst flood known in Wabash since 1883; and +rain was still falling. Hundreds of residents of the lowlands abandoned +their homes. Interurban traffic was paralyzed. + + +ALARMING CONDITIONS + +Reports on the following day were still more alarming. The worst +conditions prevailed in Kokomo, Wabash, Peru, Logansport, Lafayette and +Terra Haute. Thousands of people all along the Wabash were crying for +food and shelter. Wabash, Kokomo, Peru, Logansport and Lafayette were +entirely cut off from communication with the outside world. A big +snowstorm on the heels of a drop in temperature added to the suffering. + +Rescue work was carried on by volunteers, police, firemen and the state +militia, and every place where there was a dry home was thrown open to +the flood refugees. + +From many places frantic appeals for aid were received by the state +officials, but lack of all means of transportation and crippled +telephone and telegraph service forced the submerged towns to rely +entirely upon their own resources. + + +THE PLIGHT OF KOKOMO + +At Kokomo the water in some of the streets was eight feet deep and +rushing like a mountain torrent. Schools and business were suspended and +state troops patrolled the town as far as they were able. The homes of a +thousand persons were submerged. No lives were lost, but there were many +narrow escapes. Several persons were rescued from second story windows +by the few boats available. Rafts could not be used because of the +swiftness of the current. + + +THE HOMELESS IN WABASH + +Seven hundred and fifty persons in Wabash were rendered homeless as the +result of the high flood in the river. The city was without gas, water +or lighting facilities. + +The mayor on Thursday, March 27th, issued a proclamation ordering that +all saloons and business houses close at six o'clock. He instructed the +police to keep people off the streets. + +There was no loss of life, but the property loss was estimated at +$350,000. + +There was no communication with the outside world from Monday until +Thursday afternoon. + + +DISTRESS OF LOGANSPORT + +The business district and the south and west sides of Logansport were +under water on Tuesday. The bridge at the country club had been washed +away. Other bridges over the Wabash had been flooded. The moving vans +were unable to handle all the persons trying to move out of the danger +zone and the firemen of the city gave aid. The electric light and water +plants were endangered. There was great suffering among the poorer +people. Logansport was also cut off from telephone and telegraph +communication. Two deaths by drowning were reported (later corrected to +one) and ten houses were washed down stream. + + +MILITARY CADETS AID IN RELIEF + +On Wednesday the flood waters of the Wabash were sixteen feet deep on +the floors of the Pennsylvania Railroad Station, and cadets from the +Culver Military Academy were rushed to the city to aid in the rescue and +relief of scores of people marooned in the business districts. + +The Third Street bridge had been swept away. The bridge at Sixth Street +was being washed out. The people were fleeing to the hills, where they +were housed in school houses and churches. + +By indirect telephone routes on Thursday, Governor Ralston received an +urgent call from Logansport for troops to aid in rescue work and to +patrol the city. The city had been cut off from reliable communication +with the outside world since Tuesday evening. The continuance of the +high waters added hourly to the heavy property losses, and the snowstorm +and bitter cold caused intense suffering. + + +NEW DISASTER AT LAFAYETTE + +At 2 P. M. on Tuesday, March 25th, two spans of the bridge over the +Wabash River at Lafayette went out, carrying a number of people with it. +Boats below the bridge succeeded in rescuing all but one man. + +At 3.15 P. M. West Lafayette, where Purdue University is located, was +cut off from Lafayette by the breaking of one of the levees and the +submerging of the other. The river was two miles wide and business +houses were preparing to move their wares, anticipating a three-foot +rise during the night. No interurban lines were being operated and steam +lines were making little effort to maintain train service. + +The business district and the south and west sides of Logansport were +under water. The bridge at the Country Club had been washed away. + + +A SECOND HORROR IN TERRA HAUTE + +All down the length of the Wabash the torrent raged. Hardly recovering +from the daze of the Easter tornado, treated in another chapter, Terra +Haute inside of forty-eight hours faced its second disaster, when the +waters of the Wabash left the banks, flooding part of the residence +section. + +The river was then rising at the rate of five inches an hour. Railroad +traffic was suspended and interurban traction service had been +abandoned. Residents of Taylorville, Robertsville and West Terre Haute +deserted their homes, fleeing before the approaching waters. Five +hundred homes were under water and the coal mines near the city were +flooded. + +For two days the situation seemed to grow hourly more desperate. On +Thursday the river had reached a stage of thirty-one feet six inches and +was steadily rising. Four thousand persons were homeless, and those +whose homes were on higher ground were without gas or electricity. +Traffic was at a standstill. + + +THE RECEDING WATERS + +But slowly the waters receded and the work of reconstruction was begun. +On down the river the disaster-bringing torrent traveled. Throughout all +southern Indiana the river reached unprecedented stages and hundreds +were driven from their homes. Railroad lines were covered with water +through many counties, and on March 31st the river was reported forty +miles wide between Upton, Indiana, and Carmi, Illinois. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE PLIGHT OF PERU: A STRICKEN CITY + + LAST MESSAGE FROM PERU--AT ONCE TO THE RESCUE--THOUSANDS + MAROONED--TALES OF STRUGGLE--FAMINE AND DISEASE--GREED ABROAD IN + THE CITY--REFUGEES URGED TO LEAVE--SEARCH FOR THE DEAD--SHAKING OFF + DESPAIR. + + +Of all the cities devastated by flood in Indiana, Peru was the most +desolated. Situated on the Wabash River just below the entrance of the +Mississinewa, it suffered more than any of the stricken cities through +which the angry, swollen waters of the Wabash flowed. + +"This probably will be the last message you will get from Peru," said +the man who telegraphed to Governor Ralston on March 25th, asking for +coffins, food and clothing. "Two hundred or more are drowned and the +remainder of the residents are waiting for daylight." + + +AT ONCE TO THE RESCUE + +Governor Ralston immediately communicated with State Senator Fleming at +Fort Wayne and asked him to forward the coffins and other supplies as +requested. + +When the messages of distress from Peru were sent forth South Bend and +other cities sprang nobly to the rescue. They found the people half +crazed from exposure, want and fear. One of the rescue party who made +the trip in the first boat that entered the city said: + +"The cry to be saved from those who saw the first boat was heartrending. +Some of them threatened to jump into the water if we did not take them +aboard. But it was impossible with the scant boat supply to take all +away at once." + + +THOUSANDS MAROONED + +Relief parties from South Bend were the first to arrive on the scene. +They found hundreds of people huddled together in the court house +square, which was three miles from the nearest dry land; hundreds more +were marooned in the upper stories of buildings already rendered unsafe +by the high water. There was no heat, no light, no water, and sanitary +conditions were horrible. The only motor boat had broken and it was too +dangerous to venture into the raging torrent in rowboats. This made it +impossible for the South Bend relief volunteers to get blankets and food +to the sufferers. + + +TALES OF STRUGGLE + +Death faced hundreds of persons who were clinging to the roofs of +buildings, where they sought refuge. Currents of muddy water from ten to +twenty-five feet deep were running through the main streets at twenty +miles an hour. + +Harry Lumley, a despatcher, lay on a table all Wednesday in the Peru +station of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, which the water had +invaded, and kept open the line for relief trains. + +Dr. W. A. Huff, a dentist, started to South Peru with an unknown man +Tuesday night. The boat capsized and Huff lodged in a tree, where he +remained until Wednesday morning. His condition was critical. + +No effort was made to count the dead. "Our energies are being devoted +entirely to saving those still living," said Lieutenant-Governor +O'Neill. "It is impossible for us even to try to learn the whereabouts +of the bodies just now." + + +A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE + +Citizens, finding lawlessness in every block of the city above water, +organized a vigilance committee with orders to shoot looters. + +On Wednesday night several thousand persons were still marooned in the +court house, hospital, factory buildings and other structures because +the various relief parties sent from South Bend and other cities had not +sufficient boats to carry them to the nearest dry land. Snow was falling +heavily and the suffering was intense, because of the lack of heating +facilities. The city was in darkness, except for a scant supply of +lanterns. + + +FAMINE AND DISEASE + +But the height of the flood had been reached. On Thursday the water was +receding three inches an hour. It had fallen four feet since the +previous morning, but the current was still so swift on Canton Street +and in South Peru, that it was impossible to investigate in rowboats the +district in which the heaviest loss of life was supposed to have +occurred. + +There were three inches of snow on the ground and it was still falling. +Recovering from the flood, Peru organized to meet greater menaces, +famine and disease. At a meeting in the courtroom at the county +building, Lieutenant-Governor O'Neill was chosen head of the committee +on organization. + +Hundreds of persons marooned in the second stories of their homes +appealed to passing boats for food, fuel and water. Fishermen seized +some of the boats and were taking the curious sightseeing. Persons who +appropriated boats and tied them up were arrested. + +There were 500 persons at the Bears Hotel in Peru. Their only fire was a +grate in the lobby. Two meals a day were served. The water had receded +so that a Lake Erie and Western relief train was pulled up to the +canning factory in the northeast part of the town and took out 200 +persons marooned three days. They were taken to towns along Lake Erie. +It was estimated that 2,000 persons had left the city and were being +cared for in towns and school houses to the north. The relief committee +discouraged the influx of people who came to Peru to see and eat, as +there were more mouths to feed than there were provisions. + +Lieutenant-Governor O'Neill remained in Peru to insure whatever aid the +state could give the sufferers. He ordered the Indiana Board of Health +to send experts to make the city sanitary. These specialists had the +co-operation of city and county medical societies and a score of +physicians who came from other cities. + +[Illustration: Copyright by George Grantham Bain. +Scores of strongly-built bridges like this throughout the flood +districts were carried away by the raging torrents] + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +When the waters of the Hudson overflowed, hundreds of men, women and +children were trapped in their homes near the river bank and were +rescued with difficulty] + + +TWELVE BODIES IN ONE HOUSE + +Twelve bodies were recovered in a single house in the southern part of +Peru on Friday. This was taken to indicate that the loss of life in that +section of the city was great, as it was there that dwellings were +completely submerged before the occupants could vacate. + +"It is impossible to tell how many lives were lost at Peru," said one of +the rescuers. + +Six survivors were suffocated in the overcrowded court house. The +weather had turned severely cold, adding to the misery of the +unsheltered, but the flood was falling rapidly. + +Terrible conditions prevailed among the refugees, who were increasing in +numbers, as the waters receded. Sanitary conditions among the hundreds +sheltered in the court house became so bad that boats removed many of +them to other places. + + +GREED ABROAD IN THE CITY + +The water was rushing back as fast as it came, leaving a coat of mud and +slime. It was from this that the great danger of disease existed. The +state board of health combined with the Peru board to help clean up. + +Relief workers and city officials joined to investigate statements +concerning exorbitant prices for foodstuffs, and proposed to expose +every merchant attempting to make money through the misfortunes of +others. + +Several looters were arrested and others shot. One robber was shot by a +citizen, who threw the body into the river. + +The work of rescue was greatly impeded by the selfishness of residents. +An Indian of the Wallace circus secured a boat and charged people $200 +before he would help them off. Instances were told of men who drew +revolvers on the men and boys working in the boats, threatening to shoot +if they did not take them in. + + +REFUGEES URGED TO LEAVE + +Railroad officials and the relief committee urged refugees to accept the +hospitality of the municipalities north. They hoped to be relieved of +temporary care of 3,000 persons by sending them out of the city. + +Two railroads were bringing plenty of provisions within a half mile of +the city, but the boats could not transport rapidly enough to the center +where the supplies were being distributed. + + +SEARCH FOR THE DEAD + +Systematic search for the dead was made, and the appalling early reports +of hundreds of dead continued to shrink, although it was believed that +the search would probably reveal more. The diminution was due to the +discovery in the hills on the other side of the Wabash River of hundreds +of persons who had been given up as dead. + +The streets were strewn with dead animals that had begun to decay in +some sections. An epidemic was feared. One of the greatest obstacles +which the people faced was that of ridding the city of the dead animals +and filth in the low sections around the edge of the city proper into +which disease-breeding filth had been washed. + +Water still covered these low sections, and seemed likely to remain +there for a long time. There were few sections around the valley that +could be used for burning dead animals. + +Citizens and officials who were becoming alarmed at the new danger +estimated that at least 500 dead animals were strewn about the city of +Peru alone. Most of them had to be fished out of the water wherever +found, and it seemed an impossible task. + + +SHAKING OFF DESPAIR + +Slowly the city began to shake off despair and repair the damage done. +The property damage totaled $3,000,000. The Broadway bridge went down +when a large house lodged against it and in turn carried away the Union +Traction structure. + +As Peru emerged from the flood it became apparent that the death list +probably would not run over twenty-five. + +The indirect death list as a result of the flood, however, went much +higher, as scores of aged men and women, who for hours were forced to +undergo terrible exposure and later to endure unsanitary conditions, +perished soon after they were rescued. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +THE DEATH-DEALING TORNADO AT OMAHA + + THE BOLT OUT OF THE BLACKNESS--RESCUERS WORKING IN DARK--A CITY TO + THE RESCUE--PATH OF THE STORM--INTERRUPTED MERRYMAKERS--FAMILY MEET + DEATH TOGETHER--FREAK TRAGEDIES--BRAVE TELEPHONE GIRLS--VIVID TALE + OF THE STORM. + + +Easter Sunday did not dawn very brightly in Omaha, but in the afternoon +the sun came out warm and bright. The usual Easter promenaders thronged +the streets in holiday attire. Then, as the afternoon wore on, clouds +appeared in the sky. They gathered very quickly, came lower, and as they +approached the earth there was suddenly a fall in the temperature. In a +few minutes the sky turned black and then came the bolt of wind down out +of the blackness. Through more than three miles of the city it cut a +clean path of from three to seven blocks in width in which not a +building was left whole. Then the storm mounted the bluffs and sped away +to the northeast, carrying destruction with it. + +Omaha's destruction was kept secret from the world for several hours by +the storm, for all wire communication was broken down in the wrecking +of the homes. Messengers with the news stories had to go to Lincoln, the +state capital, to give out first definite news of the disaster. + +During the early hours of the night uninjured citizens worked +desperately to remove such persons as had been caught beneath razed +buildings. No great number was killed in any one place. The wind swept +along, taking its toll here and there. + +No sooner had the great wind passed than a second violent gale swept +over much the same territory, but with lessened fury. The total number +of dead in Omaha and suburbs amounted to 154; the number of homeless to +3,179. + +Fire started in the debris of many wrecked buildings in the Nebraska +metropolis, and these were menaces for some time, as the fire companies +were hindered by fallen walls and blockaded streets. A heavy rain +followed the wind, however, and whilst it drenched the hundreds of +homeless persons, it also put out the flames. + + +RESCUERS WORKING IN DARK + +Rescue work started as soon as the people were able to hurry to the +stricken district, but the night's work was by the light of lanterns and +little was accomplished. The storm took down all the wires in its path +and the electric power was shut off immediately to prevent further loss +of life. All night the stricken section was patrolled by government +troops from Fort Omaha. + +With the arrival of daylight, a train-load of militia from Lincoln and +the presence in the city of Governor Morehead, the work was +systematized. + +[Illustration: MAP SHOWING THE PATH OF THE TORNADO] + +The hospitals in Omaha Sunday night were full of injured, many of whom +had not been identified, apparently because their friends were either +dead or among the injured. + + +A CITY TO THE RESCUE + +Immediately City Commissioners appropriated $25,000 for relief work; +citizens present at the meeting organized and donated $25,000 more. The +Citizens' Relief Committee was organized, composed of fifty citizens and +an executive committee of seven to work with the seven city councilmen. + +Governor Morehead notified Mayor Dahlman that he would send a special +message to the Legislature asking for the appropriation of sufficient +funds to care for the homeless throughout the state. + +Cots were placed in the Auditorium, and those without shelter were +housed here. The city purchasing agent arranged for enough beds to care +for all those who could sleep in the Auditorium. The Elks' rooms were +thrown open to the homeless and the Union Gospel Mission provided +seventy-five men with beds. + + +PATH OF THE STORM + +The storm appeared to have started at Fifty-fourth and Center Streets. +From there it traveled north, veering slightly to the east, to +Leavenworth Street. Then it took a northeasterly course to Fortieth and +Farnam Streets, sweeping its way through everything. Still traveling a +little east of north, it covered a course from Fortieth Street east to +Thirty-fourth Street, six blocks. + +Striking Bemis Park, where the homes of the wealthy Omaha residents were +located, the storm turned sharply to the east and passed along Parker +and Blonde Streets, to Twenty-fourth Street, where its path was six +blocks wide. In the latter section the damage was complete. + +Finally, at Fourteenth and Spencer Streets, the storm swept over the +bluffs, high above the Missouri River, demolished the Missouri Pacific +roundhouse, leveled the big trestle of the Illinois Central Railroad +over Carter Lake, wrecked several buildings near the Rod and Gun Club, a +fashionable outing place, and disappeared to the northeast. + +The Child Saving Institute was a veritable death house after the storm +had spent its fury. Every available room was pressed into service, and +one after another the dead and injured were brought into the house. + + +INTERRUPTED MERRYMAKERS + +At the home of Patrick Hynes, a party in celebration of his eighty-first +birthday was in progress. The guests had just begun dinner and were +drinking a toast to the health of their host when the storm swept the +house away. All the party succeeded in getting out with minor injuries, +except a grandchild, who was internally injured. + +"The party had just begun dinner," said Mr. Hynes. "The young people +were making merry and, old as I am, I had entered into the spirit. +Suddenly there was a roaring sound. The next minute the house was in +ruins. I wiggled around and out and aided the others in escaping." + + +FAMILY MEET DEATH TOGETHER + +Cliff Daniels, his wife and their two children met death together. When +soldiers, digging about the ruins of their home, found the four bodies, +the two little girls were clasped in the arms of their mother, while the +body of the father was over them, as if he had tried to shield them with +his own body. + +When C. Saber discovered the crushed and almost unrecognizable body of +his wife he fled down the street shrieking at the top of his voice. + +E. H. Smith, a private of the Signal Corps from Fort Omaha, became +insane after helping carry several bodies, and collapsed. When he had +regained consciousness it was necessary to take him to the post +hospital, where he was placed under restraint. + +A. L. Green was on his back porch watching the storm when it broke. He +said: + +"It came like a rushing and roaring torrent of water and passed right by +us to the east. I went to my attic window immediately afterward and saw +fires bursting forth from houses along the path of the storm. I could +see five fires burning at once. The flames made a ghastly sight as they +illuminated acres of razed buildings nearby." + + +FREAK TRAGEDIES + +Among the freak tragedies of the tornado none is more remarkable than +that at the Idlewild pool hall, Twenty-fourth and Lake Streets. +Twenty-five negroes were killed. The story is told by the single +survivor, John Brown, who was dug from the wreckage twelve hours after +the demolition of the building. + +"Eight men were playing pool at one table," Brown says. "The rest of us +were standing about watching. Without a moment's warning a terrific roar +swept down through the room. The roof suddenly was lifted from above. +The pool table shot straight upward, many feet into the air. + +"All of us still were unhurt." + +Insane with fear, but wondering, the negroes rushed beneath the open +roof and gazed upward. Then the heavy pool table and pieces of the roof +shot down. All were caught. Brown was dug from the wreckage twelve hours +later, uninjured. + + +HOUSE SPLIT ASUNDER + +Huddled with his family in the basement of his home at 3229 Cuming +Street, Prof. E. W. Hunt saw the house split asunder. When he recovered +consciousness beneath the wreckage he discovered that a last summer +straw hat was cocked on the back of his head. It had been hanging in a +bedroom closet three stories above before the tornado struck the house. + +The body of a girl about four was dropped into the arms of a pedestrian, +Charles Allen, at Forty-fifth and Center Streets. Efforts to identify +the child failed. + +In a field half a mile from their home were found the bodies of Mrs. +Mary Rathkey and her two grown sons, Frank and James. All three were +dead but no bruises were found. The wind had cut their clothing +completely away. + +Mrs. F. Bryant, ninety-two, lived with her son, Dr. D. C. Bryant, at +3006 Sherman Avenue. She was in bed on the third floor of the house when +the tornado struck. The three floors beneath her were shifted out and +her bed fell to the basement. Except for the shock she was uninjured. +Dr. Bryant and his wife were dropped to the basement from the ground +floor. They, too, miraculously escaped injury. + + +VIVID TALES OF THE STORM + +Perhaps the most vivid single description of the tornado's havoc was +given by John Porter: + +"I stood on the rear porch of my home when the great cloud of the storm +began its race across the city," he said. "Before it rushed the +traditional 'ball of fire,' which was in reality a yellow cloud, +spherical in shape. + +"My wife was visiting at the moment in the home of her father. I saw the +house caught in the vortex of the cloud. It rose straight up into the +air, its walls shattered and broken, but holding partially together. I +am sure that I could not have moved an eyelash, if my life had depended +upon the exertion. + +"From the risen house I saw a myriad of black specks falling to the +earth. Then I watched that home soar upward. It hurtled five blocks +through the murky twilight, sustained at a height of one hundred and +fifty feet. + +"The Sacred Heart Convent was the target at which it was hurled. It +struck the fifth story. The convent was demolished. The home of my +father-in-law became splinters. + +"Then I recovered my senses partially, and ran to the site of the +structure. God himself must have directed that storm, for my wife, her +father and her mother had been dropped behind, only bruised." + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +STRUGGLES OF STRICKEN OMAHA + + A BLIZZARD-LIKE STORM--COUNTING THE COST--"THE GREATEST CONCEIVABLE + BLOW"--SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD--A DAY OF FUNERALS--MORE CASES OF + DESTITUTION--PLANS FOR REBUILDING. + + +As if the storm of Easter Sunday were not enough calamity, a +blizzard-like storm descended upon the city of Omaha on Tuesday, adding +to the grief and horror. The storm, which began shortly after midnight, +and continued with gathering force, seriously hampered the work of +rescue. More than three inches of snow covered the debris in the section +of the city struck by the cyclone. It rendered uninhabitable the houses +of many who had prepared to retain temporary homes in partly demolished +structures. + +Women tugging at heavy beams, hoping against hope to find dear ones +beneath the wreckage, men gruffly cheering their sorrowful mates, +sniveling children wrapped about with shawls and blankets were the +scenes which the sunrise this morning disclosed to the federal soldiers +as they patrolled the afflicted district. + +Later, city officials gathered within the lines drawn around the +district by the soldiers and distributed clothing and other necessities +among the sufferers who had been rendered homeless by the tornado. + + +COUNTING THE COST + +For the first time the people began to count the cost in lives and +dollars. When a resume was made it was apparently more appalling than +those who had studied the result were willing to admit. + +One hundred and fifty-four lives were snuffed out within the city +proper. Nearly five hundred were injured and eight of these died in +local hospitals during the day. + +All Omaha rallied to the assistance of the desolate victims of the +tornado. Hundreds of citizens responded promptly by offering their homes +and money to aid in caring for the stricken. + +The City Commissioners appropriated $75,000 for relief work, and +citizens at once subscribed to an equal amount. Governor Morehead sent a +special message to the Legislature asking for an appropriation to care +for the homeless throughout the state. + + +"THE GREATEST CONCEIVABLE BLOW" + +After making an inspection of the devastated district, the Governor +said: + +"This is my conception of hell. It is horrible, and it has presented a +most complex situation. The loss of life and damage to property is the +greatest conceivable blow, not only to Omaha, but to the entire state of +Nebraska. I will call upon the state of Nebraska to render every +assistance and I am sure the state will respond. + +"My horror and grief are beyond my powers of expression." + + +SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD + +Groups of men, aided and encouraged by women and children, labored +incessantly all day Tuesday among the ruins of homes and other +buildings. Only portions of the ruins of some buildings within which +persons were known to have been killed were removed. As quickly as +bodies were found they were taken to temporary morgues. Relatives +claimed most of the bodies, but some remained unidentified. Funerals and +burials were held from all churches and homes. Cemeteries were thronged +with grieving friends and relatives. + + +MILITARY LAW + +Military law was strictly enforced throughout the storm area. Upon the +soldiers rested the responsibility for looting and fires. The city +Health Department made every effort to place the district in a sanitary +condition as rapidly as possible. Garbage wagons and trash carts were +the only vehicles admitted within the patrolled section. The water +supply fortunately remained unimpaired. + + +A DAY OF FUNERALS + +Another period of unseasonable cold followed Tuesday's snowstorm and +increased the already long list of sufferers from the storm. + +Paying last rites occupied the time of thousands of persons on +Wednesday. Fifty-two funerals silently wending their way to cemeteries +brought home with greater force to the people of Omaha the full +realization of the extent of Sunday's tornado. All day long, as fast as +hearses could deposit the bodies at graves, a continual death procession +was kept up. + +Many of the bodies recovered from Sunday's storm were cared for at +undertaking establishments, and a great number of the funerals were held +from those places. Whenever possible friends of stricken families took +care of bodies and had them prepared for burial. In many instances +churches were demolished in the districts covered by the storm and +others were so badly wrecked as to prevent their being used for burial +services. + + +LITTLE CEREMONY + +There was little ceremony. As quickly as one funeral was over another +began. Undertakers co-operated in arranging burials. In several +instances where entire families were killed or where more than one +member of a family awaited burial one funeral service was held. The +funerals were a constant procession. + +One of the most pitiful of the funerals was that of Mrs. Mary Rathkey +and two small children. Surviving Mrs. Rathkey is the husband and +father, who is nearly demented over the disaster. Mrs. Rathkey and her +children were killed in their home. + + +MORE CASES OF DESTITUTION + +Many cases of destitution were reported on Wednesday. It took much time +to prepare card indexes of sufferers' wants and to make requisitions on +the central relief station at the Auditorium for supplies. While these +formalities were being carried out want stalked through disconsolate +homes from one corner of the city to the other. The task of caring for +those needing food, clothing, supplies and money seemed to be too large +for the relief forces. + + +PLANS FOR REBUILDING + +As early as Tuesday plans for rebuilding the city were under way. The +business men formed a corporation to conduct the undertaking in a +systematic way, and to assist the unfortunates who lost their homes and +personal effects. + +The Real Estate Exchange immediately took steps to prevent the raising +of rents. Cases of alleged attempted extortion, however, were reported, +some of them by members of the Exchange itself. Executives of that body +decided to deal harshly with any owners found taking advantage of those +forced to secure new homes on account of the tornado. + +A public appeal sent out by the Commercial Club stated that 642 homes +were totally wrecked, 1,669 were damaged and 3,179 persons made +homeless. There was need of reconstruction, indeed! + +[Illustration: Photograph by Brown Bros. +This scene shows the desolation caused by the tornado wrecking a whole +street of houses at Omaha, Nebraska] + +[Illustration: Copyright by George Grantham Bain. +A view showing the destructive force of the tornado at Omaha, where +happy homes stood a few hours before. Many residents were caught as in a +trap and instantly killed or fatally maimed] + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +OMAHA: "THE GATE CITY OF THE WEST" + + LARGEST CITY IN NEBRASKA--GATE TO THE WEST--GROWTH OF + INDUSTRIES--SPLENDID INSTITUTIONS--A PROSPEROUS CITY--REMARKABLE + ACTIVITY. + + +Omaha, "the Gate City," largest in Nebraska, is a typical plains town, +proud of its industry and its climb on the census list. It stands eighty +feet above the Missouri on the west bank of that river opposite Council +Bluffs, Iowa. For twenty-four square miles stretch its many churches, +educational institutions and large manufacturing plants, with the +pleasant residential section lying above. + +On the site of the present city Lewis and Clark in 1804 held council +with the Indians. There were a trading station and stockade at the place +in 1825 presided over by pioneer J. B. Royce. The first permanent +settlement was made there in 1854. A tribe of Dakota Indians that lived +in the region gave the city its name. + +When the Union Pacific Railroad was stretching steel hands westward in +1864 Omaha was the most northerly outfitting point for overland wagon +trains to the far West. At that time it took its name of "Gate City" +and then its sudden growth began. In 1910 the population was 124,000. + + +GROWTH OF INDUSTRIES + +Because of its location it soon began to draw industries. Packing is one +of its leading industries today. So extensive is this business that +Omaha ranks third among cities of the United States in packing. Silver +smelting, distilling and brewing are some of the other pursuits that +keep its citizens busy. + + +SPLENDID INSTITUTIONS + +Among the more important buildings are the Federal Building, Court +House, a city hall, two high schools, one of which is among the finest +in the country, a convention hall, the Auditorium and the Public +Library. Omaha is the see of Roman Catholic and Protestant Episcopal +bishoprics. Among the educational institutions are a state school for +the deaf; the medical department and orthopedic branch of the University +of Nebraska; a Presbyterian Theological Seminary; and Creighton +University under Jesuit control. The principal newspapers are the _Omaha +Bee_, _World-Herald_ and the _News_. The _Omaha Bee_ was established in +1871 by Edward Rosewater, who made it one of the most influential +Republican journals in the West. The _World-Herald_, founded in 1865 by +George L. Miller, was edited by William Jennings Bryan from 1894 to +1896. + +Omaha is the headquarters of the United States military department of +the Missouri, and there are military posts at Fort Omaha, immediately +north, and Fort Crook, ten miles south of the city. + + +REMARKABLE ACTIVITY + +Prairie freighting and Missouri river navigation, were of importance +before the construction of the Union Pacific railway, and the activity +of the city in securing the freighting interest gave her an initial +start over the other cities of the state. Council Bluffs was the legal, +but Omaha the practical, eastern terminus of that great undertaking, +work on which began at Omaha in December, 1863. The city was already +connected as early as 1863 by telegraph with Chicago, St. Louis, and +since 1861 with San Francisco. Lines of the present great Rock Island, +Burlington and Northwestern railway systems all entered the city in the +years 1867-1868. Meat-packing began as early as 1871, but its first +great advance followed the removal of the Union stock-yards south of the +city in 1884. South Omaha was rapidly built up around them. A +Trans-Mississippi Exposition illustrating the progress and resources of +the states west of the Mississippi was held at Omaha in 1898. It +represented an investment of $2,000,000, and in spite of financial +depression and wartime, ninety per cent of their subscriptions were +returned in dividends to the stockholders. + +The original town site occupied an elongated and elevated river terrace, +now given over wholly to business; behind this are hills and bluffs over +which the residential districts have extended. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +OTHER DAMAGE FROM THE NEBRASKA TORNADO + + GREAT HAVOC IN NEBRASKA TOWNS--DESCRIPTION OF THE TORNADO--YUTAN A + SUFFERER--THE TUMBLING HOUSES OF BENSON--CURIOUS TRAGEDIES--HOUSES + TUMBLING ABOUT. + + +The storm which lashed its way through Omaha on Easter Sunday had +already carried havoc into other Nebraska towns. William Coon, president +of an automobile company of Lincoln, Nebraska, gave a stirring +description of the tornado as he saw it from the platform of an +observation car on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad: + + +DESCRIPTION OF THE TORNADO + +"For miles," he said, "it seemed as if the train were being pursued by +the storm. We were approaching Ralston, Neb., when I first noticed the +strange cloud mounting the sky. Before that it had been clear." + +Mr. Coon, from his observation car seat, saw the storm strike Ralston. +"The passengers sat as if glued to their seats when the cloud struck," +he said. + +"The engineer brought the engine to a stop and the passengers ran over +to the wreckage of the houses. We could hear the groans of dying men and +the wails and shrieks of injured women and children. I entered a house, +or rather what had been a house, and beneath me lay a woman. I looked +and I knew that she was dead. We got all of the injured out of the ruins +and brought them to the train. + +"We were about to leave when our attention was called to a little house +some distance from the others. It had been wrecked and moved from its +foundation, but we found a mother and her little baby lying upon a bed +uninjured. + +"The cloud wheeled and made towards South Omaha. We were not far behind, +but our way was blocked by the debris the tornado had thrown on the +tracks. Then, too, we stopped frequently to pick up the injured. There +were some with their limbs torn off and all were cut and bleeding." + +A Chicagoan, who withheld his name, told of the scenes at Omaha when the +train stopped there. He said: + +"I was just recovering from what I had seen on the train when we pulled +into Omaha with the injured. It was night then, but such a night. The +sky was lighted with a red glare, and the streets were filled with +people who acted as though they were mad. Frequently the cries of the +wounded, unloaded at the station, were drowned by terrific peals of +thunder." + +It is difficult for any one who has not lived through a tornado to have +any conception of what such a storm can do. Tornadic force means +anything more than one hundred miles an hour. There have been instances +where tornadoes have shaved off the stone sides of buildings as if they +had been sliced away by a stonecutter. Forecaster Scarr, of New York, +said that the tornado that wrought destruction in Nebraska may have been +of the resistless kind that simply ground stone and brick to dust and +carried up its electrified funnel the remnants of every building it +struck. The tornado finally became almost like a mass of whirling steel, +revolving faster than the blades of the swiftest planer and cutting +everything to pieces in its course. + + +YUTAN A SUFFERER + +The tornado first struck the little village of Yutan, southwest of +Omaha. Yutan was practically wiped off the map and its population of +four hundred left desolate. After the buildings had been razed the +wreckage caught fire. "The town is burning! We'll all be killed!" some +kept crying, and this added to the fears of the others. Many persons +were killed and many injured. Waterloo, a village of about equal size to +the northeast across the Platte River, suffered like damage. Wires were +snapped off in all directions, and it took many hours to gather and +circulate news of the disaster. + +Leaving desolation behind it the tornado swept at a rate of possibly one +hundred and fifty miles an hour into Berlin. This little village had a +population of about two hundred. The storm killed seven and injured +thirty. The habitations were virtually wiped out. A church, an elevator +and part of the residence of State Senator Buck were all that remained +standing of what was a prosperous town. + + +THE TUMBLING HOUSES OF BENSON + +On its way to Omaha the tornado struck Benson and Yutan. Benson is a +thriving town of over three thousand. Here property damage was great and +many persons were injured. As the houses began to tumble a little girl +dressed in white started from one of the houses and ran down the street +with her hands above her head. Just then the side of a house came +soaring through the air, and shooting suddenly downward it struck the +child and buried her beneath it. When the storm had passed, the injured +were lying all about the streets. + +At Ralston, a suburb of Omaha, many were killed and much injury and +destruction left in the path of the tornado. Late in the afternoon a +copper-colored cloud was seen mounting toward the sky. The cloud grew +rapidly and was traveling at tremendous speed. It assumed the form of a +funnel and the air was filled with a curious, piercing noise. It swished +across the railroad track and swept on its way toward the little town. + +Then the storm struck the town. Houses collapsed as though they were of +paper. The roofs went sailing away and the sides fell in. Passengers in +a passing train watched the destruction, and a cry of horror went up +from every one. It was an awful sight. + +A farmer was standing on the doorstep when he noticed the funnel-shaped +cloud. He called his wife and four children, and they all sought refuge +in a cyclone cellar. Five minutes later their house went sailing away. + + +CURIOUS TRAGEDIES + +Edward Mote, his wife and three children were sitting in their home +chatting when the tornado suddenly carried them and their home to Paio +Creek, one hundred yards away, and dropped them into the water. Mrs. +Mote was drowned. + +Postmaster D. L. Ham, his daughter, Mrs. Kimball, and his grandchildren +were standing in the doorway of their home when the wind struck. Mrs. +Kimball and her two-year-old daughter Frances stepped outside the door, +which slammed shut. Their bodies were found among the debris. H. E. Said +and wife, bride and bridegroom of a month, were in the Ham house. Warned +of approaching death by Mr. Ham, they sought solace in each other's +arms. Thus they were found dead. Mr. Ham was slightly injured. + + +HOUSES TUMBLING ABOUT + +There was a big threshing machine standing near one of the houses, and +when the cloud struck it shot straight up into the air and was carried +about forty rods. Houses were rolling and tumbling along the ground. A +box car was carried along by the terrific air current for a quarter of a +mile. When it split open six or seven men, who turned out to be part of +a repair gang, dropped out. Some lay very still, while others feebly +crawled about. + +A dozen other towns in the section of Nebraska surrounding Omaha were +hard hit and many farming communities were destroyed. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +THE TORNADO IN IOWA AND ILLINOIS + + MONSTER TORNADO SWEEPS ACROSS RIVER--DESTRUCTION IN IOWA--THE + STORM-CLOUD OVER ILLINOIS--GALE AND FIRE IN CHICAGO. + + +The monster tornado that wrought such havoc in Omaha leaped across the +Missouri River and swished its wicked tail through Council Bluffs. Then +it sped northeasterly, wrecking several villages before it finally +disappeared. + + +DESTRUCTION IN IOWA + +Reports from Mills County stated that it caused loss of life in every +town in the county reached by telephone. Many deaths occurred at +Glenwood and at Council Bluffs. Scattering towns all through the +district reported one to two deaths. + +Eastern Council Bluffs suffered heavily, the storm breaking in the +valley just east of the town proper and following the lines of the +Milwaukee, Rock Island and Great Western railroads for a distance of a +mile. + +The storm, which was accompanied by hail, rain, sleet, lightning and a +gale which blew seventy miles an hour for a time, was felt most +severely in the northwestern section of the city, where houses were +overturned, windows broken, trees uprooted and electric light and +trolley poles blown to the ground. Nearly fifty small fires resulted and +hundreds of men, women and children fled from their homes in terror. + +Considerable damage was done to Des Plaines, Park Ridge and other +suburbs. The property damage in the city and suburbs was estimated at +more than $500,000. + + +THE STORM-CLOUD OVER ILLINOIS + +Illinois also suffered severely from a tornado on the night of Easter, +March 23d, and the following morning. The storm was less severe than +that which struck Omaha, but the wind was blowing at a rate of seventy +miles an hour for a time, and in Chicago alone thirty-two structures +were damaged and a number of persons killed. Out in the state the +heaviest suffering was at Rockford, Elgin, Wheaton, Bloomington, +Galesburg, Peoria, Erie and Des Plaines. The aggregate loss in other +communities was great. + +The storm covered all of Illinois north of Peoria. In Galesburg many +buildings were moved from their foundations. Half a dozen residences in +Peoria were demolished. All streams rose high and costly floods occurred +along the Kankakee, Illinois and other rivers. + + +GALE AND FIRE IN CHICAGO + +In Chicago all the elements seemed to meet Sunday night. The wind blew a +violent gale; snow flew before it in some places; hail crashed windows +in other parts of the city. Every available fire apparatus in the north +and west sides of the city was called out to extinguish fires which +broke out in business blocks and dwellings partly wrecked by the storm. + +A number of lives throughout the state were lost by this storm and the +property loss was estimated at $2,500,000. + +A second storm on Monday caused great destruction in Mahanda. Thirty +cars of a southbound Illinois Central freight train were blown from the +track a mile north of the town. Two firemen were injured. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +THE TORNADO IN KANSAS AND ARKANSAS + + THE "BLOWOUT" IN KANSAS--DAMAGE TO CROPS AND SOIL--DUST STORM COMES + SUDDENLY--TORNADO IN ARKANSAS. + + +Following a heavy downpour of rain on Easter Sunday night the atmosphere +at Topeka, Kansas, was filled with dust until it had the appearance of a +heavy fog. The dust came from the western part of the state where severe +dust storms prevailed. + +In western Kansas the "blowout" has been as great a source of damage to +the wheat fields as the drought or chinch bugs or hot winds. In the +event of a drought there is always some hope of rain; with the hot winds +there is hope of a cool spell; while the ravages of the chinch bugs may +be checked in two or three ways. + +With the "blowout" there absolutely is no hope left, and not only is the +wheat crop gone for good, but the ground sometimes is left in bad +condition. The "blowout" is little understood by any one except the +person who has witnessed a dust storm. Several years ago the "blowout" +was much more common than now, although there is some damage in western +counties every year from this source. + + +DAMAGE TO CROPS AND SOIL + +The damage comes not only to the fields that have been blown out, but +the adjoining fields, on to which the "drifting soil" has blown in great +clouds and settled, have suffered likewise, and whole pastures have been +known to be destroyed by the same means. For several years the farmers +have been working night and day to devise some method to prevent the +damage from "drifting soil," or "blowouts," as they are more commonly +known. + +Senator Malone has introduced in the Kansas Legislature a bill providing +that the county commissioners of any county where a "blowout" has +commenced may call in agricultural experts and devise ways of stopping +the drifting. The farmers of Thomas County held a meeting in Colby +recently to discuss the situation and if possible arrive at some means +by which the drifting of soil might be stopped from destroying the +crops. + +These farmers reported that a strip of land between Colby and Rexford, +about fifteen miles long and five miles wide, was blown out last season +and in that territory not a single root of vegetation remained, and the +top of the ground was as hard as the pavement on any street in Kansas +City. The ground as far down as the plough went was completely blown +away. When these fields were blown out the wheat was several inches high +and before the wind came up the prospects were bright for a good crop. +It took but a few hours for the wind to complete its work of +destruction. The little town of Gem sits in about the center of the +devastated land. + + +DUST STORM COMES SUDDENLY + +A dust storm is not only unfortunate, but it is unpleasant in the +extreme. It comes up sometimes very suddenly. The sun may be shining and +not a cloud in sight. In less than five minutes the sun will be obscured +from view and the air filled with dust, sand, gravel, sticks and other +debris. + +Besides suffering from a dust storm, Kansas was stricken by floods due +to heavy rain in some parts of the state. Hail and lightning accompanied +the rain and did much damage. + + +TORNADO IN ARKANSAS + +A tornado on Monday night, March 24th, eight miles southwest of Leslie, +Arkansas, killed Mrs. John Couders and seriously injured John Couders +and his son William, and James Trieste, his wife and three children. + +A tornado that passed over Clarksville, Arkansas, on Tuesday, killed +Miss Ida Brazell and blew down many houses. At Rumeley five were killed +and several injured. Couriers immediately sought aid, carrying news of +great suffering in the mountains. + +Their tales were heart-moving. Lack of insurance, lack of funds and lack +of knowledge of what to do when overtaken by calamity made the situation +in small towns and in out-of-the-way places more pathetic than that of +the unhappy homeless in some of the large cities affected by the tornado +or the flood. To the latter relief was immediately sent--from +neighboring places, from the whole country. The others, suffering no +less, did not always even succeed in being heard. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +THE TORNADO IN INDIANA + + THE BRUNT OF THE STORM--MANY BURIED UNDER WRECKAGE--SLEEPERS HURLED + FROM BEDS--FREAKS OF THE STORM--INJURED CARRIED TO HOSPITALS--ACUTE + SUFFERING--RESCUE WORK--NATIONAL GUARD ON DUTY--TOWN OF PERTH LAID + WASTE. + + +The record of disaster by tornado was greater in Terre Haute than in any +other place except Omaha. For two weeks before Easter a dense atmosphere +hung over the city, which occasional heavy rainfalls did not clear. Then +suddenly on Sunday night, about ten o'clock, the lightning flashed and +loud peals of thunder followed. + +The tornado seemed to spring out of the southwestern part of the city as +if it came from the swollen waters of the Wabash River. It first smashed +into Gardentown, a suburb of the city, where a great many working people +live, and every building in its path crumpled down before it. The +lightning sped over building after building, setting many of them on +fire. Parts of the Root Glass Company's plant were flattened. The end of +the foundry room of the Gartland Factory, a solid brick wall eight +inches thick, was caved in. Brick and stone structures suffered alike. + + +MANY BURIED UNDER WRECKAGE + +In the streets were tangled masses of twisted electric wires spluttering +out warnings of death for those who, careless of the first alarm, had +rushed in to rescue those who had been buried under roofs and walls. +Policemen, firemen and a host of volunteers struggled through the +debris, sidestepping the live wires that had been torn from their +fastenings. + +The heavy downpour of rain extinguished many fires, and the city of +Terre Haute was thereby saved from destruction by fire. The large +Greenwood public school was shattered and torn. The tornado, like a huge +auger, bored into the roof and tore the shingles and rafters away and +every window was hurled from its casing. This building was later +converted into a hospital and morgue. + + +SLEEPERS HURLED FROM BEDS + +In many instances death came to those who were asleep in their beds when +their homes collapsed about them. In other cases the bodies were picked +up as if by giant hands and hurled either to death or to terrible +injury. Some were thrown more than a hundred feet. + +Above the roar of the wind and the rattle of the rain could be heard the +screams of frantic women and children. The scenes were pitiful. Men and +women were looking for loved ones, and when a torn and mangled form was +taken from the debris, a woman's shriek would tell the story of a lost +one found. + +[Illustration: Copyright by George Grantham Bain. +Hundreds of buildings were demolished by the tornado at Terre Haute, +Indiana, and many lives were lost] + +[Illustration: Photograph by Brown Bros. +Scenes such as this could be duplicated hundreds of times to illustrate +the demoniacal power of the tornado that laid waste the cities and towns +through which it passed] + +[Illustration: THE REAPER] + +Charles Chadwick, a six-year-old boy, owed his escape to the fact that +he left home, in the absence of his parents, to go to a moving-picture +show. He was found walking along South Fifth Street after the storm, but +his home could not be found as it had been blown away. + +Seven houses owned by Fred Housman, including the one he lived in, on +the Lockport road, were swept away completely. Five wrecked autos were +found on that road. + +Between Hulman and Voorhees Streets, in South Eighth, there was complete +devastation. Twenty-five houses were leveled to the ground in this +stretch. + +On the Lockport road, south of Idaho, at least sixteen houses were +destroyed, but there were no fatalities and few were injured in this +immediate neighborhood. + + +MOTHER AND CHILD SWEPT AWAY + +Mrs. Flora Wood was hurled seven feet from her home, her small baby +clasped in her arms. They were cared for at the Third United Brethren +Church. + +The day-old baby of Mrs. Leonard Sloan was found in one corner of the +bedroom of their home, while the mother lay in another corner. The +entire top of the house had been blown away. + +William Rogers, Superintendent of the United Brethren Sunday-school, was +buried beneath the walls of his home. He died while being carried to the +school house. + +A large stone boarding house conducted by Mrs. Catherine Louden was +wrecked and the aged woman and her son, Ralph Louden, were badly +injured. + +Many houses were wrecked between Third and Fifth Streets in Voorhees +Street. + + +FREIGHT CAR USED AS HOSPITAL + +A freight car was pressed into service as a temporary medical quarter, +when the fire wagons with the police and fire departments arrived on +the scene. The live wires and burning debris made it impossible for the +ambulances to get within two blocks of the scene, and the bodies had to +be carried to safety by the rescuers. + +Six fires broke out in different parts of the devastated district, while +the rescue work was being carried on. The strong winds still blowing +fanned the flames and drove the rescuers from their work. + + +FAMILY BURIED UNDER HOUSE + +Fred King, a glass blower at 2146 Dilman Street, was found with his wife +and baby covered by the heavy timbers of their home that had collapsed +when the storm struck it. King had been hurled from his bed a distance +of ten feet. Two heavy timbers had almost crushed the life out of him. +His wife was terribly injured. A few feet away the baby was picked up +dead. The mother in her death struggles probably tried to save the baby +by throwing it away from her. + +Near the Greenwood school several more were killed and many were +injured. Mrs. E. J. Edwards, wife of a druggist, was knocked down by a +heavy timber that broke her leg and pinned her to the ground. When she +was found the woman was screaming for her child, and later the little +fellow, eight years old, was picked up dead and carried to the Greenwood +school building. + +Remarkable escapes were made in the twenty-four hundred block on South +Third Street, some of the residents of the square being seriously +injured. Mr. and Mrs. George Carmichael escaped from their home as it +was blown away by the wind. + +Many families were separated in the excitement and for two hours after +the storm had passed anxious husbands, mothers and children were +searching the debris for absent members of their families. Many could +not find the wrecked remains of their homes, so hopelessly tangled was +the wreckage in the streets and on the sidewalks, and in several cases +it was difficult even to find the place where the home had stood. + + +INJURED CARRIED TO HOSPITALS + +Ambulances and moving vans were used to carry the injured to hospitals +and as these were soon filled stables and homes were converted into +temporary hospitals. More than two hundred persons were placed under the +care of doctors, but many were only slightly hurt and in some cases +women were found to be suffering merely from fright. These were soon +dismissed to make room for those actually suffering. + +The scenes at the hospitals were pitiful. The agony of the sufferers was +increased by the uncertainty as to the fate and condition of their +families and friends. + +Little children, lying in bandages about the hospital, cried out in pain +and fright. One little fellow with a big gash over his eye cried out for +his mother as he was being taken to the operating room. His father sat +near him and tried to lend what comfort was possible. A little girl in +one of the large rooms of the hospital played and laughed on her bed +while three anxious physicians worked with her sister, who had sustained +a compound fracture of the leg and a dislocated shoulder. + + +VICTIMS' FRIENDS CROWD TO FIND THEM + +Friends and relatives of people living in the storm devastated region +soon crowded the halls of the hospitals, anxiously inquiring if those +dear to them were among the victims. Many learned of the whereabouts of +relatives or friends in the rooms of the hospital and crowded in to see +them when this was possible, expressing joy that they had escaped from +death beneath the falling walls and timbers of their homes. One man, +when lifted on the operating table, was found to be dead. + + +RESCUE WORK + +The rescue work was carried on rapidly, and Monday night all the +homeless were cared for by charitable institutions and citizens, while +the more seriously injured were carried to places where they could +receive medical attention. In many cases private homes were turned into +temporary hospitals. + +The scenes in the wrecked sections in Terre Haute brought tears to the +eyes of the rescuers, whose attention often was called to the dying, +trapped in the debris of their homes, by agonizing screams for aid. Some +died before they could be freed from wreckage and others who were +removed died afterward. + + +NATIONAL GUARD ON DUTY + +A company of the Indiana National Guard was placed on duty in the +devastated district early Monday morning while the work of searching the +ruins for dead was still in progress. Over the entire area were +scattered all kinds of household furniture, wearing apparel, beds and +bedding. + +Looting began within a few moments and the police were at first too busy +caring for the injured and removing the dead from the debris to protect +property, but the members of the National Guard soon established an +efficient patrol and the looters were not in evidence afterward. + + +TOWN OF PERTH LAID WASTE + +The tornado which visited Terre Haute also struck Perth, in the northern +part of Clay County, about ten o'clock and then vanished in the air. No +lives were lost there and only one person was injured. + +Nearly every building in the little town of 400 population was wrecked +or damaged. A brick store building, five two-story houses and seven +cottages, the Congregational church, a school house, a three-story +structure, barns and outhouses were completely demolished. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +THE TORNADO IN PENNSYLVANIA + + STORMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE--ALARM IN ALTOONA--FURIOUS WIND IN + WILLIAMSPORT--HEAVY STORM IN SHAMOKIN--COLUMBIA IN DARKNESS--A + VERITABLE TORNADO IN SCRANTON. + + +The disturbances in the atmosphere which wrought such havoc in Nebraska, +Iowa, Illinois and Indiana were also at work in Pennsylvania. Altoona, +Williamsport, Marietta, Columbia and Scranton were among the towns +suffering the greatest damage. The flood situation throughout the +Keystone State will be treated in a later chapter. + + +ALARM IN ALTOONA + +The storm struck Altoona on Tuesday, March 25th. With a crash that +alarmed the entire neighborhood, eighty feet of the 162-foot steel stack +at the Pennsylvania Central Light and Power Company's plant was blown +down. The wind tore madly through the city and the rain fell in +torrents. Many houses were unroofed and a number of smaller buildings +were entirely demolished. No one was injured, but damage to the extent +of at least $2,000 was reported. + + +FURIOUS WINDS IN WILLIAMSPORT + +A heavy wind and rainstorm swept through Williamsport on the same +afternoon, following a few hours of clear weather that came in the wake +of twenty-four hours' rain. It unroofed a number of houses in the west +end of the city, blew away the roofs of several cars in the Newberry +Junction railroad yards, partially demolished a car inspector's office, +sent twenty men in a panic from the second story of the New York Central +offices, which they feared would be blown to pieces; blew in the front +of a store on Grove Street and scattered canned goods for a block down +the street and swept a path through a grove in the same section, +prostrating a dozen giant oaks. + +Train service through Williamsport was seriously deranged all day +Tuesday. A landslide that covered both tracks of the Pennsylvania +Railroad for sixty feet, with a mass of mud five feet deep, three miles +east of Renovo, completely upset the train schedule on the Susquehanna +Division. + +The slide occurred about seven o'clock in the morning, and it was not +until eleven o'clock that the eastbound track was opened and passenger +trains were let through. The westbound track was not cleared until the +morning. While the blockade existed special trains were run from +Williamsport. + + +HEAVY STORM IN SHAMOKIN + +A terrific wind storm from the northwest swept through Shamokin Valley +and Shamokin, followed by rain, which fell in torrents. This storm also +occurred on Tuesday. Crops in country districts were torn up and badly +damaged, while lowlands were flooded. Roofs on a number of barns and +out-dwellings were blown away, and telephone and telegraph wires were +put out of commission. + + +COLUMBIA IN DARKNESS + +Columbia was struck by a severe electric storm accompanied by a downpour +of rain on Tuesday evening. Lightning struck the local electric plant, +doing considerable damage and putting the town in total darkness for the +night. Many residents and storekeepers were compelled to resort to +candles to help them out during the evening. + + +A VERITABLE TORNADO IN SCRANTON + +In Scranton the storm of March 25th amounted to a veritable tornado. The +Round Woods section of the city suffered most. The Clemons Silk Mill, +owned by D. G. Derry, of Catasauqua, was unroofed and a 150-foot section +of the roof was deposited on the adjacent engine room, partially +demolishing the structure. The two sixty-foot smokestacks in the rear +yard fell on top of the engine house. The roof of the warping department +also fell on the engine house. The back walls of the warping department +fell into the yard, while the upper part of the front walls fell in. The +machines were six feet from the walls. The girls crouched under their +machines and escaped serious injury. Several fainted and were carried +out by foremen. + +Amelia Davis, a warper, was hit on the head by a brick as she hurried +from the second floor. Tessie Carey, of Minooka, sustained a black eye +and lacerations of the left side of the face by falling bricks. Gus +Minnick, a repairer, working in the engine room, had just set his dinner +pail where one of the stacks fell. There were altogether one hundred and +fifty girls at work, but outside of bruises and scratches they were +uninjured. The property damage was about $20,000. Much silk on the looms +was ruined. + +A large tower was blown off a school. Three houses in the neighborhood +were also badly damaged by the wind. The storm caused destruction in all +parts of the city and adjoining places. + +Trees and fences were blown down in all parts of the city and in the +adjoining country. + +The storm came from the west and its approach was preceded by an inky +black sky which, coupled with thoughts of the havoc of Sunday's storm in +Nebraska, caused a general consternation. A heavy downpour accompanied +by thunder and lightning followed the tornado. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +THE FREAK TORNADO IN ALABAMA + + FREAKS OF THE WIND--PITIABLE CHAOS--THE HERO OF LOWER + PEACHTREE--EXTENT OF DAMAGE. + + +Weird tales of horror and misery attended the tornado which swept over +the little town of Lower Peachtree, Alabama, on Friday, March 21st, +wrecking the entire village. + +After the tornado had passed, corpses with hair stripped from heads and +divested of every thread of clothing were picked up. Naked men and women +ran screaming in the semi-darkness. + +Chickens and hogs stripped of feathers and hair wandered in bewilderment +among the ruins. Nailed unerringly into trees cleaned of their bark were +pickets from fences that had been swept away. Where once had stood a big +steamboat warehouse near the river was left the floor of the building +standing upon which were the entire contents of the warehouse untouched +by the terrific whirls of the wind. + +In the backyard of the Bryant home, buried in debris, was a chicken +coop, not a splinter awry. Within it was a goose sitting meekly upon a +dozen eggs which she had not left. + +The blast wrenched an iron bed from a house and wrapped it around a tree +trunk as no human hand could have done. + +Crossing the river from the town it had desolated it bore away half of a +soapstone bluff many feet in height and left the other half standing +unmarred. + +Miss Mary Watson, a visitor in the Stabler home, was crossing a hallway +when the tornado struck. She was swept through the hallway and to the +rear of the house, where she was blown against a tree and her back +broken. + + +PITIABLE CHAOS + +In the business neighborhood everything was swept away except two +grocery stores. They were thrown open as dispensaries of free +provisions. + +No semblance of order could be brought from the pitiable chaos of the +wrecked town until Sunday afternoon, when cool heads prevailed and the +survivors and visitors who offered assistance were regularly organized +into committees to attend to the needs of the sufferers. + +Troops from Fort Oglethorpe, with hospital corps and supplies for the +relief of the sufferers arrived Sunday night and administered to the +needs of the injured and homeless. + + +THE HERO OF LOWER PEACHTREE + +Tributes to the bravery of Professor Griffin, a survivor of the tornado, +were paid by many who visited the scene. Professor Griffin, after having +been blown hundreds of feet from his home, returned bruised and bleeding +to the center of the town and worked unceasingly to relieve the injured +and to quiet survivors, insane with grief and excitement. Peter +Milledge, whose wife and two children perished when their home was +destroyed, went mad. + + +EXTENT OF DAMAGE + +The Red Cross agent who investigated the situation at Lower Peachtree on +Wednesday, March 26th, reported that sixty-eight were injured in the +tornado which swept that section and that two hundred were destitute. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI + +THE FLOOD IN NEW YORK + + HUNDREDS OF HOMES IN BUFFALO FLOODED--THE PLIGHT OF + ROCHESTER--VALLEY OF THE GENESEE PARALYZED--DRIVEN FROM HOMES AT + OLEAN--WORST FLOOD IN HISTORY OF HORNELL--LAKE COUNTRY PARALYZED + WITH FEAR--WATER COVERS PART OF BINGHAMTON--GLENS FALLS BRIDGE + DOWN--DISTRESS IN FORT EDWARD--BIG PAPER COMPANY IN TROUBLE--HOMES + ABANDONED IN SCHENECTADY--HIGH WATERS IN TROY--WATERVLIET + FLOODED--ALBANY IN THE GRIP OF THE FLOOD. + + +A tremendous downfall of rain, March 24th and 25th, developed some of +the worst floods known in fifty years. Vast areas of New York were under +water and hundreds of homes were swept away. + +On the night of March 25th the entire area of South Buffalo was under +water, street car traffic was suspended and rowboats were plying the +streets. + +The Buffalo River and Cazenovia Creek had both overflowed their banks +with a rush at ten o'clock in the morning, and the dwellers in the South +Park section of the city had no chance to escape. + +Hundreds of homes were soon flooded. Firemen were sent out in boats to +rescue those who desired to leave. Hundreds of workers were marooned in +distant parts of the city, unable to reach their homes. + +Within the city limits of Buffalo big manufacturing plants suffered +$150,000 of damage. Many big oil tanks were overturned and crashed +against buildings. Train service throughout the city was practically at +a standstill, and miles of track east and south of the city were washed +away. The main line of the Erie Railroad, between Buffalo and New York +City, was washed out in many places. + + +THE PLIGHT OF ROCHESTER + +Not since 1865, when Rochester, then a city of 50,000, suffered immense +damage by floods, has the city faced such a serious situation as it did +on the night of Friday, March 28th. Half the business section was under +water, which in some sections was five feet deep. + +Water commenced to pour into Front, Mill and Andrew Streets early +Thursday evening, and all through the night merchants worked to get +their goods to higher ground. The big warehouse of the Graves Furniture +Company in Mill Street was flooded so quickly that thousands of dollars +damage was done to the goods. The following morning it was impossible to +get through these streets except in boats and rafts, and the work of +salvage was continued in this way. + +The newspaper offices of the _Post Express and Democrat_ and the +_Chronicle_ had their basements flooded and the presses put out of +commission. The Pennsylvania line into Rochester, which uses the bed of +the old Genesee Canal, was put out of commission. The Erie and Lehigh +Valley lines to villages to the south were blocked by the floods for +several days. + +The only fatality of the flood occurred at six o'clock Sunday evening, +when a boy who was paddling over the flooded meadow of the Genesee +Valley Park was carried out into the river. The canoe was swept over the +dam at Court Street. + + +VALLEY OF THE GENESEE PARALYZED + +The whole valley of the Genesee was more or less paralyzed. As early as +Wednesday the villages of Mount Morris and Dansville, in the Genesee +River Valley, were under several feet of water, and the terrified folk +who lived in the lowlands were hurrying to places of safety, abandoning +their homes. + +Commerce was soon at a standstill, and conditions continued to grow more +serious. They were in some localities worse than at any time since 1865. +The washing out of bridges and the flooding of roads practically cut the +villages off from the outside world. + + +DRIVEN FROM HOMES AT OLEAN + +One thousand persons were driven from their homes at Olean by the high +waters of the Canisteo and Hornell. John Cook was drowned while +attempting to rescue others. + +Four oil tanks were floating about the city of Olean, and the coating of +oil on the water made the danger from fire serious. The water was from +three to ten feet deep. + +[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. +Showing what was once the town of Lower Peachtree. The six X's denote +the places where houses stood before the tornado, in the heart of the +main residential streets] + +[Illustration: Copyright by International News Service. +One of the victims of the tornado at Omaha was picked up by the tornado +and his corpse left suspended in the broken and twisted limbs of a +tree] + + +WORST FLOOD IN HISTORY OF HORNELL + +Following thirty hours of continued rain, Hornell, a small city in +Steuben County, suffered the worst flood in its history. It swept down +the Canisteo Valley, completely inundating the greater portion of the +city of Hornell and half a dozen villages within a radius of ten miles. +A thousand homes were flooded. + +The Canisteo Valley for a distance of forty miles was under water, and +the situation was appalling. Roads were washed out, bridges gone and +much property destroyed. The fire in every furnace in the flood district +was out, and suffering was acute. + + +LAKE COUNTRY PARALYZED WITH FEAR + +The lake region in the central western part of the state suffered +heavily from floods. The villages of Marcellus, Camillus and Marietta, +west of Syracuse, were threatened with extinction. The earthen bank, +which adjoins the huge dam of Otisco Lake, weakened and, it was feared +that if the flood conditions did not improve the bank would give way. + +Auburn was seriously threatened by the rising of Owasco Lake. The dam +furnishing power to the Dunn and McCarthy shoe shops broke in the center +and it was feared the rest of the structure would go down. Pumps were at +work continuously in the Auburn water works at Owasco Lake to keep the +engine and boiler pits free of water. + +The Lehigh Valley Railroad along Cayuga Lake, between Auburn and Ithaca, +was under water for a distance of nine miles south of Kings Ferry. No +trains were running on that branch. A small bridge at Farley's Point, +near the lower end of Cayuga Lake, was washed away. An avalanche of mud +and stones buried the railroad tracks near Kings Ferry. + +The incessant rains of two days raised the little creeks in the vicinity +of Interlaken to torrents. Many bridges were washed out. + +Canandaigua Lake reached its highest level in sixteen years. Streets in +Canandaigua were flooded. + +Floods due to breaks and overflows in the Erie Canal at Waterloo, Seneca +Falls, Port Bryon and elsewhere, caused thousands of dollars loss. The +Seneca River was over its banks. + + +WATER COVERS PART OF BINGHAMTON + +At Binghamton, on the Susquehanna River, water covered the entire +northwestern residence section of the city. All the manufacturing +establishments along the river banks were closed. + +Boats were forced into use in the residence districts and the Fire +Department, with three steamers, endeavored to keep down the water in +the basements in the business section. + + +GLENS FALLS BRIDGE DOWN + +But more serious than the conditions anywhere else in New York were +those along the Hudson River Valley. Damage estimated at not less than +$300,000 was caused by high water near Glens Falls, resulting from heavy +rains, which fell for nearly a week. + +The steel suspension bridge, two hundred feet in length, across the +Hudson between the city and South Glens Falls was destroyed. All records +for high water were broken, the bridge being carried out after the steel +supports underneath had been constantly pounded for hours by logs dashed +against them by the raging waters. + +At Hadley, one of the plants of the Union Bag and Paper Company was +completely flooded, and water was pouring from every window. It was +feared that the structure might be destroyed. All paper mills in the +section were closed down. + + +DISTRESS IN FORT EDWARD + +At Fort Edward village $50,000 damage was done. About one hundred +families were driven from their homes to seek shelter in higher parts of +the village. Many parts of the village were submerged and in the main +business section five feet of water filled the cellars on the river side +of the street. The water had reached the windows of the first stories of +many houses in the lower sections. Trains of loaded coal cars were used +to hold down the monster railroad bridge of the Delaware and Hudson +Company at this village while big jams of logs threatened to carry it +out. + + +BIG PAPER COMPANY IN TROUBLE + +At least 150 feet of the big dam of the International Paper Company at +Corinth was carried out and the mill partly flooded. A small part of the +same company's dam at Fort Edward was also carried out. The +International was one of the heaviest losers. + + +HOMES ABANDONED IN SCHENECTADY + +At Schenectady, just west of the Hudson on the Mohawk, houses on +twenty-five streets were abandoned by their occupants. The entire lower +section of the city was submerged. + +The whole Mohawk Valley was swept by the worst flood in its history. + +The Groff dam near Herkimer broke and several houses were carried away. +A dam at Canajoharie threatened to go out. Three great canal gates at +Fort Plain were swept away. The Amsterdam reservoir, which covers 680 +acres, was weakened and a patrol was stationed there. + + +HIGH WATERS IN TROY + +So great was the flood in Troy, on the Hudson below the entrance of the +Mohawk, that martial law was practically declared. Members of two +military companies patrolled the streets, relieving the tired firemen +and police, many of whom had been on continuous duty for forty-eight +hours. Mayor Burns did not sleep for two nights, taking charge in person +of the Public Safety Department. + +Fires added to the seriousness of the flood situation and firemen were +kept busy all day answering alarms in the flooded district. Damage +estimated at thousands of dollars was done by the fire. + +For the first time in the history of Troy the newspapers, with one +exception, were unable to go to press. One publication printed a +four-page pamphlet on a hand press. Another was printed in Albany. + +Hundreds of families were rendered homeless, and relief stations in +various parts of the city were filled with refugees. The city faced an +epidemic of typhoid, and every effort was made to guard against it. + + +WATERVLIET FLOODED + +In Watervliet the water in many places measured ten feet deep and the +police station and post-office were flooded. One-third of Green Island +was submerged. In Rensselaer, across the river from Albany, much damage +and suffering were caused. + +The losses of logs in the regions to the north amounted to many +thousands of dollars and the damage in the lumber district of Albany was +heavy. + + +ALBANY IN THE GRIP OF THE FLOOD + +On March 27th the river at Albany was seventeen feet above normal and +was still rising. The power plants were put out of commission, street +car traffic practically suspended and schools and factories closed. The +city's filtration plant was threatened. The south end of the city was +under water. + +Railroad service was crippled, mails delayed and telegraph and telephone +service hampered. There was much damage to property, but no loss of +life. + +The damage in Albany was estimated at $1,000,000. Governor Sulzer was +informed that about $3,500,000 will be necessary to repair the +embankments along the old and the new barge canal locks and dams. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII + +THE FLOOD IN PENNSYLVANIA + + TRAINS IN NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA TIED UP--MEADVILLE + SUBMERGED--SHENANGO VALLEY IN DISTRESS--PANIC IN NEW CASTLE--BEAVER + RIVER AT FLOOD--THE RISING ALLEGHENY AT WARREN--FEARS OF OIL + CITY--GRAVE SITUATION OF PITTSBURGH. + + +Many dead, hundreds ill, thousands homeless, and many millions of +dollars' worth of property destroyed--such was the record of the flood +in the Keystone State. + +By Tuesday, March 25th, railroad travel in northwestern Pennsylvania was +seriously tied up on account of washouts, due to recent rains. Corry +became the western terminal of the Erie Railroad, trains west of Corry +being abandoned. Between Corry and Titusville were four washouts, tying +up the Pennsylvania Railroad. + + +MEADVILLE SUBMERGED + +In Meadville the situation was even worse. Once again Mill Run and +Neason's Run, combined with the floods of French and Cussewago Creeks, +overflowed the city. + +With the exception of a few of the high sections, the entire city was +under water, which in some sections reached to the second story of +homes. Business places on lower Chestnut, Water, Market and South Main +Streets and Park Avenue were submerged, water running through the main +rooms of the hotels and other business places. The waters had a clear +sweep of nearly half of the city, and never before had the four streams +combined for such a gambol. + + +SHENANGO VALLEY IN DISTRESS + +Throughout the Shenango Valley hundreds of families were imprisoned in +their homes and frantic efforts were made to rescue the marooned persons +from their dangerous positions. At Sharon the greatest flood in the +history of the city was experienced. Thousands of persons were thrown +out of employment and the property loss was enormous. The entire town +was inundated and a dozen or more bridges were wrecked. The loss of the +United States Steel Corporation at Farrel, a suburb, was estimated at +$200,000. + +The torrent swept swiftly upon Sharon. The crest reached a height of +fifty feet. The released wall of water, gathering buildings, stacks of +lumber, hundreds of logs and a mass of debris in its van as a giant +battering ram, rolled like a giant hoop into the center of the thriving +milling town. It followed the course of the Shenango, which bisects the +city. + +After the flood unsuccessfully rammed the double line of steel buildings +the torrent passed further to the center of the city. One pier of a +concrete bridge, erected two years before, which spans Silver and +Porter Streets, cracked off like a matchstick. The impact carried the +block of concrete, weighing several tons, for a distance of a quarter of +a mile. + +Fire added to the terror of the flood when Wishart's planing mill, on +Railroad Street, was discovered to be in flames Tuesday afternoon. The +steamers of the fire companies could not be taken close enough to pump +water from the swollen Shenango. There was only one recourse--to take +the supply of drinking water in the city's reservoir or permit the fire +to burn and possibly jeopardize all the wooden buildings within a radius +of a mile. Sharonites actually cheered the firemen as they saw their +drinking water vanish. + + +PANIC IN NEW CASTLE + +The flood waters of the Shenango caused great distress in New Castle and +near-by places. The water put the lighting plants and the city water +station out of commission. Fifteen hundred homes were submerged. +Thousands had to flee. + + +BEAVER RIVER AT FLOOD + +The Beaver River rose high and the entire valley from the Ohio River +north was flooded. The towns of New Brighton, Fallston and Beaver Falls +suffered most, and there was some damage at Rochester. Traffic on the +railroads was suspended at daybreak, and not a trolley car was running +in the valley. + + +THE RISING ALLEGHENY AT WARREN + +At Warren and points all down the length of the Allegheny River to +Pittsburgh, flood conditions were still more serious. + +For Warren itself the worst was feared. Hourly the flood situation grew +worse. On Wednesday the water was rising at the rate of four inches an +hour. The river threatened to cut a new channel through the south side +of the city and scores of men were piling up sandbags to prevent this. + +[Illustration: MAP SHOWING SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS IN +WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA THAT WERE FLOODED] + +Captain U. G. Lyons assumed charge of the situation, and under his +direction a life raft composed of barrels was made and launched in the +Allegheny River. Thanks to the raft, not one life was lost from among +the many who floated down the stream on debris. + + +FEARS OF OIL CITY + +Oil City, on Oil Creek near its entrance to the Allegheny River, was in +a serious plight. Oil Creek overflowed its banks and covered the portion +of town that was devastated by the great fire and flood of 1892. + +The town was in a condition bordering on panic and business was +suspended. More than seventy-five persons were removed from their homes +in wagons, the water being from five to six feet deep. Railroads +suffered heavily. + +Newspapers and industrial plants at Oil City were shut down because of +flooded power rooms. Fires were prohibited and railroad locomotives were +ordered to extinguish their fires to avoid any danger of igniting the +oil. + + +GIRL DROWNED AT FRANKLIN + +One death and extensive property damage were caused in the vicinity of +Franklin by the flooded condition of the Allegheny River and French +Creek. + +Every one in the flooded district was ordered to extinguish all fires, +as benzine from the Titusville refineries was floating on the rising +waters. + + +GRAVE SITUATION OF PITTSBURGH + +In Pittsburgh the flood situation became serious by the evening of March +26th, and continued to grow rapidly worse. The gauge at Point Bridge +shewed twenty-six feet at eight o'clock, four feet above the danger +point, and the rivers were rising steadily. Rain was falling throughout +the western watershed, and every stream in western Pennsylvania assumed +the proportions of a raging torrent. + +In the Pittsburgh district 100,000 were idle, the workmen having been +driven from the manufacturing plants by high waters. Ten miles of +streets were converted into canals. In parts of the North Side the +streets were under twelve feet of water. The policeboats patrolled the +flooded district, carrying coal and food to families marooned in the +upper floors of their homes. + +Pittsburgh's suburbs down the Ohio were all partly inundated. Ambridge, +Woodlawn, Sewickley, Coraopolis and McKees Rocks residents were forced +to desert their homes or take to the upper floors. + +Downtown the pumps were working in most of the hotels, theatres and +office buildings. Business was nearly at a standstill. Hundreds of +thousands of dollars worth of store goods was ruined. The Exposition +Music Hall was holding four feet of water. + +No trains were running to the flooded regions. At least a score of +railroad bridges had been destroyed, and miles of tracks carried away. +The railroad damage contributed largely to the estimated total damage of +$50,000,000. + + +TOLL OF THE FLOOD AT SHAMOKIN + +In Central Pennsylvania, especially along the Susquehanna, the flood +gripped many towns. At Shamokin mountain streams overflowed their banks, +and in some instances water flowed down mine breaches and found its way +to the lower levels of collieries. Mine pumps were run to their +greatest capacity to prevent inundations. The Shamokin Creek, in +Shamokin Valley, overflowed its banks in the lowlands and spread over +acres of ground on either side of the creek channel. + + +COLUMBIA AND MARIETTA FLOODED + +More than three inches of water fell at Columbia in a period of +twenty-four hours. All the streams overflowed and much damage was done. +Trains on the Columbia branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad ran through +eighteen inches of water. The storm was accompanied by high winds, which +unroofed scores of buildings. + +At Marietta, after a storm reported as the worst in many years, the +flood situation was grave. The river rose high, fields were flooded and +residents on Front Street were obliged to move to second stories. Two +men upset in a boat along the York County shore while after ducks were +drowned. + + +DESTRUCTION AND DAMAGE IN MINING TOWNS + +Many of the mining towns in Pennsylvania were distressed by +unprecedented floods. At Scranton the Lackawanna River overflowed its +banks in various places. Richmond No. 1 and No. 2 collieries and the +Delaware and Hudson "slope" colliery in North Scranton were compelled to +shut down by reason of the water flooding the engine rooms. The Ontario +and Western tracks at Providence and the Delaware and Hudson tracks at +Dickson City were washed out. Water surrounded the Frisbie and the Bliss +silk mills in Dickson City and the girls were marooned for the night. + +Six hundred people living on "Hungarian Flats," in the northern end of +the city, became panic-stricken when water broke through the streets, +and, taking their cattle and household goods, they fled to the hills at +Throop. + +At Wilkes-Barre the Susquehanna reached the flood stage. The water went +over the lowlands on the west side and Wilkes-Barre was cut off from +many of its suburban towns, all traffic being stopped. The towns of +Edwardsville, Kingston, Westmoor and West Nanticoke were partly under +water. Five hundred families were driven from their homes and forced to +seek safety. The water rose so rapidly that it was necessary to rescue +women and children in rowboats. Considerable damage was done to +property, but there was no loss of life. + +In Westmoor, Edwardsville and West Nanticoke the water reached the first +floors of the buildings. Families were compelled to depart and leave +their furnishings to be damaged by the water. + +As a result of heavy rains the water rose high in many of the mines of +the Hazleton region. Railroad men were warned to be on guard for +washouts. + +The Beaver Brook and Hazle Mountain mines closed on account of high +water. The mules were removed from the Ebervale, Harleigh and Beaver +Brook workings. + +At Shenandoah the storm that raged for two days did untold damage to the +mines. At Kehley Run Colliery the water main that supplies the boilers +with water was washed away and the colliery was compelled to shut down. +The fires were hurriedly drawn, thereby preventing an explosion. At +Bast Colliery, near Girardville, the water rushed into a mine breach and +flooded the workers. It was with difficulty the miners escaped. + +Electric-light, telephone and telegraph wires were down in Shenandoah, +and many homes in the lowlands were flooded. The trolley and steam roads +were hampered by the heavy rains, and in many places tracks were washed +out. + +Heavy floods caused the entombment of six men at the Buck Run Colliery, +at Mount Pleasant, and a rescuing party worked up to their necks in +water to get the men out alive. The softness of the earth caused the +sagging of a breast, which was followed by a sudden rush of water, +cutting off the escape of the entombed men. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII + +THE FLOOD IN THE OHIO VALLEY + + PERIL IN THE OHIO VALLEY--DISTRESS AT WHEELING--PARKERSBURG UNDER + WATER--KENTUCKY TOWNS SUBMERGED--IMPERILED TOWNS IN + INDIANA--SHAWNEETOWN SUBMERGED--CAIRO FACING CRISIS--SITUATION + HOURLY WORSE. + + +While Dayton, Columbus and other cities of the Middle West were passing +through the worst floods in their history, the Ohio River was preparing +new perils. All along its course it carried destruction. + + +DISTRESS AT WHEELING + +At Wheeling, as early as March 26th, several persons were drowned and +many narrowly escaped death when a freshet swept down Wheeling Creek +through Barton, Ohio. + +Two days later, with the crest of the flood past, Wheeling turned to +take up in earnest the task of caring for her thousands of destitute and +homeless. + +Although the loss in money ran into millions, few of those able to aid +seemed to think of anything but the alleviation of want and suffering. +Before noon Mayor Kirk had raised more than $6,000 for the relief fund, +and most of the wealthy men and women of Wheeling had contributed. +Churches, schools, clubs, auditorium, public halls and hundreds of +private residences were thrown open to those driven from the lower +quarters. + + +PARKERSBURG UNDER WATER + +More than half the business district of Parkersburg and part of the +residence section were under water on March 28th, with the Ohio River +still rising. The gas, electric and water plants went out of commission +soon after noon, and street cars stopped operations. All the newspaper +plants were flooded out except that of the Parkersburg _Sentinel_, whose +editorial force was taken to the building in boats, and worked on the +second story while water was flowing through the rooms below them. A +single page, printed on a proof press and containing the flood news of +the Associated Press report, was delivered to newsboys in boats, who +sold each copy at a fancy price, as the printing of the edition was +limited to two a minute. + + +KENTUCKY TOWNS SUBMERGED + +The crest of the Ohio river flood reached Louisville April 1st, with a +stage of about forty-five feet. + +The railroad situation in Louisville became acute. The Louisville, +Henderson and St. Louis suspended traffic entirely. The Louisville and +Nashville from Cincinnati could reach the city only by detouring through +Jeffersonville, Indiana, crossing the swollen Ohio on the Big Four +bridge and returning via the Pennsylvania bridge to reach the Louisville +and Nashville station, which was used also by the Pennsylvania trains. + +[Illustration: Copyright by American Press Association. +Scene showing a section of Omaha entirely wrecked. On the left is all +that remains of Idlewild Hall. At this spot a large number of people +were killed] + +[Illustration: Copyright by the International News Service. +A typical scene at one of the relief stations. Here men, who a few hours +before had been millionaires, stood in line with their fellow citizens, +quite as much dependent on these relief stations for sustenance as +paupers. Orville Wright, the famous aviator, was one of the men in the +bread line] + +Western Kentucky points continued to report rising water. Owensboro, +Henderson and Wickliffe were centers of refuge for inhabitants of the +lowlands, who fled before the flood. There were more than four thousand +refugees at Wickliffe. + +At Paducah on April 3d the flood situation was rendered doubly grave by +the fact that smallpox had broken out in the camp of colored refugees on +Gregory Heights. Five hundred on the hill had been quarantined. + + +IMPERILED TOWNS IN INDIANA + +The government relief boat "Scioto," in command of Lieutenant Hight, U. +S. A., towed a barge load of provisions into Lawrenceburg, Indiana, on +March 31st, to find but forty of the five thousand homes there not under +water. When the boat proceeded to Aurora conditions were found almost as +bad, with but five hundred homes free from the reach of the +all-engulfing waters. + +The south levee at Lawrenceburg broke at 2.50 P. M. on March 29th. A +wall of water poured through the opening and went raging through the +center of the town, tearing up all before it. Houses were crushed like +eggshells and the wreckage was carried four miles along the Miami to the +fill on the main line of the Big Four. The break came when it was least +expected, but the residents were warned to leave town, and no lives were +lost. Water stood six feet deep in the streets. + + +JEFFERSONVILLE AND EVANSVILLE FLOODED + +At Jeffersonville two hundred convicts from the Indiana Reformatory +worked for nearly two days on the levee during the flood week, and +through their work it was possible to save the town from the Ohio River. + +A committee of citizens of Jeffersonville perfected arrangements for a +banquet to be given in honor of the gray-garbed men who saved their +homes. The entertainment was planned for April 13th, at a cost of +$1,000. + +Evansville citizens were alarmed at the continued rise of the Ohio, and +all movables were carried to places of certain safety. On April 1st, the +Government took charge of the flood situation. Captain W. K. Naylor +hastened to commandeer steamboats and patrol the river to pick up flood +sufferers. Mayor Charles Heilman left for Mount Vernon to take charge of +rescue work in that section. + +Thirty thousand persons within a radius of ninety miles around Mount +Vernon were calling for help on April 4th. + +The Howell levee, protecting two hundred families in Ingleside, between +Evansville and Howell, gave way and the Ingleside district was inundated +with depths of from six to ten feet. Minutemen had been posted all long +the dangerous dike, and when the water began to pour over the top an +alarm was sounded and all escaped. + + +SHAWNEETOWN SUBMERGED + +Shawneetown, Illinois, was entirely cut off from the outside world. On +the night of April 1st, the water in the streets was twelve feet deep. +After another twenty-four hours, all that was left of Shawneetown were +the few substantial brick and stone buildings behind the main levee, and +they were considered unsafe. Less than one hundred persons remained in +the former town of three thousand, and they were perched in the second +and third stories of Main Street buildings, structures on the highest +street in the town. A strong wind completed the destruction begun by the +opening of the levee. + + +CAIRO FACING CRISIS + +As usual, Cairo feared the worst from the on-sweeping flood of the Ohio +River. The Cairo executive flood committee late on March 30th sent an +appeal to President Wilson asking for aid for Cairo and towns nearby: + +"The worst flood ever known in the Ohio Valley and the Mississippi is +now expected. All previous records at Cairo and south may be broken in a +few days. We are making every effort in our power to take care of local +situation, but the river communities near us should have assistance. +Boats, sacks, food and other supplies are needed. May we not have the +help of your great office for this district?" + +The Big Four levee, which protected the "drainage district," went out on +April 1st. It was about five miles north of the city. Accordingly, as +workmen were able to battle no longer with the levee situation in the +drainage district, they were brought into Cairo and set to work along +the river front. The state troops were sent in squads of five, each +accompanied by a policeman, to visit the rendezvous of men who were +unwilling to or had refused to work. + +All places of business which did not handle goods needed for the comfort +and necessities of the people were closed in order to give opportunity +to get out the strongest working force possible. Employees of closed +concerns responded willingly for duty and reinforced to a great extent +the work along the river front. + +The Rev. M. M. Love, of the Methodist Church, who has had charge of +relief work in former years, was again at the head of the relief +committee. He was given about twenty assistants and a temporary +hospital, which was arranged on a large wharf boat in the river. + +The Seventh Regiment, which had headquarters in St. Mary's Park, moved +its equipment into another large wharf boat. This placed all the +quarters of troops on boats. About one half of the population had left +the city. They were chiefly women and children. + + +SITUATION HOURLY WORSE + +On the evening of April 2d, the city was in a state of anxiety never +before experienced. The river gauge at 6.30 o'clock stood at 54.4, a +stage three-tenths of an inch higher than any previous record. + + +The inundation of the drainage district north of Cairo was complete. The +flood waters were on a level with those in the Ohio River, and were +prevented from flooding into the Mississippi only by the Mobile and Ohio +levee. There were from 7,000 to 9,000 acres from seven to twenty feet +under water. The greater number of industrial plants in the section were +submerged up to the second-story windows, and many houses were +completely under water. For more than a mile beyond the Illinois Central +tracks and for several miles to the north from the big levee surrounding +the district from Cairo there was nothing which was not touched by the +vast field of water. + +Offers of relief, which were made by the Chicago Association of Commerce +and the city of Peoria to Cairo, on April 5th, were accepted. The +Chicago organization offered eight boats and sixty men to man them. From +Peoria came word that a steamboat equipped for life-saving purposes was +waiting for a call to Cairo. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX + +THE FLOOD IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY + + FLOOD OF THE MISSISSIPPI INEVITABLE--SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI + THREATENED--BAD BREAK IN LEVEE AT HICKMAN--STRENGTHENING THE + LEVEES--MEMPHIS IN PERIL--DANGER ALL ALONG THE LINE--RIVER AT RECORD + STAGE--RISING HOPE--A NATIONAL PROBLEM. + + +On March 30th the Mississippi Valley was facing one of the worst floods +in its history, and the steady advance of the river threatened a large +section of country. The breaking of the levees along the Mississippi +itself, an inevitable result of the great floods in tributary streams, +had already begun. The district below St. Louis was a foot or more above +the flood stage, although the big rise had not arrived. Preparations +were being made to withstand a flood equal to that of 1912. Although the +levees had been made higher in some places, it was not to be expected +that they would be strong enough all along the river from St. Louis to +the sea. In the lower sections of the Mississippi Valley it was feared +there might be a repetition of the recent disasters in Ohio. + +At Charleston, Missouri, on March 30th, the flood conditions were +growing more acute every hour. The city was filled with refugees from +all directions. Belmont and Crosno, on the Mississippi River, south of +Charleston, were submerged, and the residents fleeing to places of +safety. + +East Prairie, Anniston and Wyatt, on the Cotton Belt Railroad, were shut +off from the world and obliged to receive mail through the Charleston +post-office. + + +SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI THREATENED + +The St. Louis and San Francisco embankment between Kilbourne and +Kewanee, in the extreme southeastern part of Missouri, was cut early on +April 5th at the direction of the railway officials to prevent the +flooding of a large section of the track if the levee should break at a +weak spot. The gap permitted the drainage of a large volume of overflow. + +One of the most thrilling of the stories was brought by Captain S. A. +Martin and Captain H. A. Jamieson, of the Sixth Missouri National Guard. +They were rescued in a launch from a section of levee which broke away +at Bird Point, Missouri. + +Thirty-six of their men, they said, were on the levee section, which was +two hundred yards long and ten feet wide, and was floating down the +Mississippi. + +Commander McMunn, of the Naval Reserves, at once arranged for a steam +launch and started out to rescue the Missouri soldiers. There was a +swift current in the river, and the safety of the men caused their +commanding officer much anxiety. + + +BAD BREAK IN LEVEE AT HICKMAN + +The levee at Hickman, Kentucky, broke shortly after midday on April 4th, +after a night of continuous rain, followed by a driving up-stream wind, +flooding the factory district but causing no loss of life. + +The break, however, did not relieve the river situation at other points, +because the water running through the break there was turned back to the +main stream by the Government or Reelfoot levee, two miles below the +town. The section flooded was occupied by several factories and the +homes of hundreds of workmen. + + +STRENGTHENING THE LEVEES + +All along the Mississippi men were at work strengthening the levees. The +Government on March 29th prepared to rush 20,000 empty sacks to Modoc +and other weak points in the St. Francis levee district. They were +loaded on barges belonging to the Tennessee Construction Company of +Memphis. The boats, which were from one hundred and forty to one hundred +and sixty feet in length, were used to house Arkansas convicts sent from +Little Rock to do levee work. + +This trouble was felt in many places when the rising tide threatened +life and property. Industrial anarchy and chaos reigned, and +overwhelming, paralyzing fear seized the people. + + +MEMPHIS IN PERIL + +On April 5th the protection levee along Bayou Gayoso gave way, flooding +a small residence section in the northern portion of Memphis. + +The break occurred at a point just west of the St. Joseph Hospital, and +within an hour several blocks of houses in the poorer section of the +city had been flooded. + +Before night a section of the city three blocks wide and six to nine +blocks long was covered with from three to six feet of water. + + +DANGER ALL ALONG THE LINE + +The banks at Hopefield Point early began to cave in. More than an acre +slid into the water just south of the point. The main shore line began +to crumble, indicating that the oncoming high water would wash more than +half the old point away. + +Gangs of men were busy working the north levee in Helena, Arkansas. + +Major T. C. Dabney, of the upper Mississippi levee district, sent out +crews to raise the lowest places. Major Dabney did not anticipate great +trouble, but said he believes in being prepared. + +A break in the levee in Holly Bush and Mounds, Arkansas, in April, 1912, +put all the west bank lines out of commission for ten days. Miles of +track were washed away. Fearing a repetition of this, the railroads and +shippers agreed to operate a daily boat between Memphis and Helena. + +The first break in the main Mississippi River levee occurred on April +8th on the Arkansas side, just south of Memphis. Three counties were +flooded by water which poured through a big cut in the wall. No loss of +life was reported, the inhabitants having been warned in time that the +levee was weakening. + + +RIVER AT RECORD STAGE + +It was predicted that the Mississippi River from Vicksburg, Mississippi, +to the Gulf would go two feet higher than the highest stage reported in +1912, according to a flood warning issued by Captain C. O. Sherrill, +United States Army Engineer, on April 2d. + +In 1912 the maximum of the river gauge at New Orleans showed nearly +twenty-two feet. At that height, and even with the tide reduced by +several immense crevasses, waters came over the New Orleans levees at a +number of places, despite the fact that they were topped with several +rows of sandbags. + +Captain Sherrill ascribed the unprecedented flood entirely to the rains +in the river bed caused by last year's crevasses. He issued orders to +have the levees from Vicksburg to Fort Jackson on both sides raised +above the flood stage of 1912, and men and material were sent to all +points along the river to combat the expected high water in the lower +Mississippi. + +Colonel Townsend, head of the Mississippi River Commission, ten days +previously predicted a stage as high as that of 1912, and sent out +warnings to all engineers in the valley. It was acting upon his advice +that Captain Sherrill began to assemble barges, quarter boats, bags, +material and tools to be sent to points between Vicksburg and New +Orleans for possible emergencies. + +In explaining why the river from Vicksburg to the mouth of the river +would be higher than last year, Captain Sherrill pointed to the fact +that crevasses both below and above the stretch in 1912 lowered the +river there, whereas upon the present rise, with levees expected to +confine the water, the crest naturally would be higher. Because of this +fact the brunt of the high water was expected to strike that stretch, +and any possible trouble to be looked for could be expected there, +although the levees between Old River and Baton Rouge might also be in +danger. + + +RISING HOPE + +The hopes of the people began to rise as they learned that the entire +Mississippi levee system was to be made two feet higher than the record +of the flood last year. It was expected the work would be completed +before the crest of the Ohio River flood reached the lower Mississippi +Valley. + +On receipt of reports that two hundred families had been driven from +their homes in the lowlands of the Atchafalaya River, near Breaux +Bridge, Louisiana, owing to high water, and were in a destitute +condition, local relief committees from New Orleans rushed a large +quantity of supplies to that section. + +The appeal said if immediate aid was not received it was feared many +would die of starvation. Inhabitants of the district were principally +foreigners, who had reclaimed a part of their truck farms, which were +destroyed by last year's flood. Their newly planted crops were +abandoned. + + +A NATIONAL PROBLEM + +It is a curious fact that the Mississippi has done as much to kill the +old doctrine of states' rights as any other influence. For instance, +Louisiana, after spending thirty millions of dollars on river problems, +was quite willing to concede that the Mississippi was a national affair +and that Federal aid was altogether desirable. But it is plain that the +resources of the individual states as well as of the nation must be +utilized for the prevention of floods. This is a task so vast that a +united effort is required. + + + + +CHAPTER XXX + +DAMAGE TO TRANSPORTATION, MAIL AND TELEGRAPH FACILITIES + + GREAT DAMAGE AND WASHOUTS--TICKETS SOLD SUBJECT TO DELAY--REPORTS OF + TRACKS GONE--PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD A HEAVY SUFFERER--HEAVY LOSS ON + BALTIMORE AND OHIO--ESTIMATED DAMAGE--FLOOD PLAYED HAVOC WITH + MAILS--GENERAL PROSTRATION OF TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE WIRES. + + +Only one railroad was working between New York and Chicago on the night +of Wednesday, March 26th. That was the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern. +Over the line were speeding the trains of the New York Central and +allied lines, the Pennsylvania, the Baltimore and Ohio, and the Erie, +passenger and freight service combined. Many trains were derailed in +flooded territories. + +The following bulletin was given out at the office of W. C. Brown, +president of the New York Central Railroad: + +"The main line of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway to +Chicago is not affected to any extent by the heavy rains, and trains are +departing practically on schedule between New York and Chicago. + +"The situation south of the Lake Shore line, however, is serious and no +trains are being started out of Cleveland for Indianapolis, St. Louis, +Dayton, Cincinnati and intermediate points. Through passengers for +Columbus are being transferred at New London, Ohio, and handled through +to destination." + + +TICKETS SOLD SUBJECT TO DELAY + +Trains went out of the Grand Central Station of New York just the same, +but no through western ticket was sold unless the purchaser was informed +that it must be accepted subject to delay. When the Southwestern Limited +left at four o'clock its ordinary Cincinnati sleeper had been renamed +the Columbus sleeper and the Cincinnati man had to take a chance. When +its other western expresses went forth the other Ohio, St. Louis and +southern sleepers were all running on conditions. + + +REPORTS OF TRACKS GONE + +The Erie Railroad west of Olean, the main line, was out of commission. +According to reports received, there were at least one hundred and +twenty washouts along that line farther west, with many bridges gone. +Some of the washouts were a mile in length and with the tracks had gone +the roadbed. Twenty trains bound west were stalled at various points, +but all were in big towns, so the passengers did not suffer. + + +PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD A HEAVY SUFFERER + +The Pennsylvania Railroad suffered more damage than any other. The +service west of Pittsburgh was badly crippled. All through trains from +the East to points on the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis +Railway west of Pittsburgh were temporarily discontinued. + +[Illustration: RAILROAD MAP OF THE FLOODED DISTRICT IN INDIANA, OHIO AND +WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA] + +On the lines East, in the vicinity of Pittsburgh, Oil City, Erie and +Buffalo, serious washouts developed, aggregating in length on the +Allegheny Division, about two thousand five hundred feet of main track. + +Benjamin McKeen, general manager of the Pennsylvania Railroad's lines, +west of Pittsburgh, informed Broad Street Station, Philadelphia, on +Thursday, that all lines were blocked on both passenger and freight +service, except between Pittsburgh and Cleveland by way of Alliance. + +"We are gradually getting our lines of communication established so that +our information seems a little more definite, although the lines are +working very unsatisfactorily yet at many points. + +"We have now gotten the Fort Wayne road open from Chicago to Mansfield +with single track over the points where the breaks were, and we are +actively at work, both east and west, for a distance of about seventy +miles between Canton and Mansfield, where there are four bridges gone +and quite a number of washouts, and the best figures we have now are +that we will probably get the Fort Wayne line open by Monday morning. + +"We have found out definitely that our bridge at Piqua is still +standing, although there are vast washouts at each side of it. We also +know definitely that our bridge at Dayton is gone; also the four-span +bridge over the Muskingum River at Zanesville is gone and there is some +question as to whether our bridge over the Scioto River at Circleville +is gone or not, as we have no definite information on this. + +"We have men and material all assembled and starting actively at work +here and there wherever the water has receded sufficiently to permit +us." + +On the Pennsylvania Railroad alone the loss amounted to millions of +dollars. There was not only the tremendous loss due to the loss of +tracks, roadbed and bridges, but also the loss of passenger and freight +revenues. Everywhere it was conceded that the tie-up was the most +serious and extensive in the history of the road. + +[Illustration: Photograph by Brown Bros. +Hundreds of substantial buildings were lifted from their foundations and +piled up like broken cigar boxes simply by the awful sweep of the wind] + +[Illustration: Photograph by Underwood & Underwood. +Some of the most prominent society women and girls in Dayton shouldered +hoes and shovels in the work of cleaning up the city] + + +HEAVY LOSS ON BALTIMORE AND OHIO + +The financial loss to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad aggregated +millions of dollars in the destruction of property alone. + +President Willard was asked on Thursday for an estimate of the damage +wrought by the floods. His reply was: + +"I cannot tell. I haven't an idea. I wish I could say that it would be +$2,000,000, but I cannot. + +"I know that half a dozen bridges on the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton +have been destroyed and bridges on the Baltimore and Ohio have been +washed away. We have lost one of our largest bridges on the main road to +Chicago, at Zanesville, Ohio, and it will probably be six months before +we will have another completed bridge there, although we will have some +bridge there soon. We hope to have our main line to Chicago open in +twenty-four hours, and our main line to Cincinnati open in the same +time. We cannot tell when we will have our line to St. Louis open." + + +ESTIMATED DAMAGE + +Conservative estimates of the damage to railroad property in the flooded +Middle West, plus the loss entailed by the suspension of traffic, ranged +from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. + +The entire railway system of Ohio and Indiana was practically put out of +business for five days by the floods in the Middle West. To repair and +replace the railways affected by this disaster, railway officials +stated, would practically wipe out the surplus earnings of many +railroads. In other cases dividends were threatened. The reason was, +they said, that all such damage must be retrieved out of current +earnings and could not be charged to capital. + +As an illustration of how the railroads spend money in such an +emergency, it may be said that the Pennsylvania sent one hundred and +fifty expert bridge builders out West from New York in one day soon +after the flood. These men received record wages; they traveled in +sleepers, with special dining cars. The company was sending +steam-shovels and pile-drivers on limited trains and a first-class +laborer could get a private compartment quicker than could a financier. + +"There will be improvements in railroading through all the districts +every day from now on, but there will not be anything like a restoration +of former conditions for months," said one railroad official. "It takes +time to rebuild steel bridges, especially as the big steel plants have +been experiencing a little trouble of their own." + + +FLOOD PLAYED HAVOC WITH MAILS + +Storm, flood and fire in the Middle West played havoc with the United +States mails. Postmaster-General Burleson announced on March 26th that +the destruction wrought by the floods in Ohio and Indiana was so serious +that it would be ten or twelve days before a regular mail service could +be resumed with the remote districts. + +Reports showed that never before in the history of the service had there +been such a serious interruption to the mails on account of floods. +There was practically no local service on the railroads in the +territory bounded by Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati, +Indianapolis, Terre Haute and the Ohio River. + +Mails to New York from points in Kentucky and Tennessee, from Pittsburgh +and Cincinnati, Ohio, and all points south of the Ohio River came by way +of Washington and were from five to seven hours late. The Arkansas and +Oklahoma mails traveled by way of Chattanooga and Memphis. + +The representatives in the field were directed to be in constant +communication with the department at Washington and to make every effort +to supply the people in the flood districts with mail as rapidly as +arrangements could be completed. Mails for distant points which +regularly passed through the flooded sections were detoured north and +south, resulting in unavoidable delay. + + +GENERAL PROSTRATION OF TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE WIRES + +Never before in the history of the United States was there such a +general prostration of telegraph and telephone wires as during the great +flood. Chicago was "lost" to the East for part of a day, and it was +found impossible to reach that city via the South. Throughout eastern +Ohio service was paralyzed, and such few wires as could be obtained were +flickering and often going down. + +The Western Union and Postal Telegraph Companies in New York announced +on March 26th that they did not have a wire working in the thousands of +square miles roughly marked by Indianapolis on the west, Pittsburgh on +the east, Cleveland on the north and the Ohio River on the south. The +Postal had but two wires working between New York and Chicago and these +were routed by way of Buffalo. None of its wires south of Washington was +working. + +An army of 10,000 men was sent into the region to repair the wires, but +their work was almost impossible because of the inability of the +railroads to transport their equipment. + +The American Telephone and Telegraph Company had the only facilities in +the stricken sections and turned them over without reserve to the press +associations, believing that in this manner the public could best be +served. + +At the offices of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company and the +Union Telegraph Company in New York, on March 28th, joint announcement +was made as follows: + +"In the use of the necessarily limited wire facilities reaching the +flooded districts of Ohio and neighboring states due importance is being +given to messages to and from public officials, relief associations, the +press and to such urgent messages as have to do with measures of relief, +believing that thus the public will be best served until full service +can be restored. + +"There has been no time during the past week when the combined +facilities of the two companies have not afforded communication with the +larger cities and towns, but local conditions render it impossible in +many cases to deliver telegrams or to make local connections by +telephone." + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI + +THE WORK OF RELIEF + + PRESIDENT WILSON PROMPTLY IN DIRECTION--WASHINGTON ASTIR AS IN TIME OF + WAR--BACKING OF CONGRESS PLEDGED--AMERICAN RED CROSS TO THE + RESCUE--RAILROADS BRAVELY HELPING--RELIEF FROM STATES AND + INDIVIDUALS--AN ARMY OF PEACE. + + +The sympathetic response of the American people never fails to measure +up to the summons of any calamity. Relief is plentiful and prompt. The +awful story of the flood and tornado was no sooner told than the +machinery of government, the organized forces of the Red Cross and +individual efforts in every city within reach were co-operating to +provide succor and supplies to the sufferers. Tents for shelter, cots, +food by the trainload, hospital and medical supplies, were almost +immediately on their way to the stricken district. + + +WASHINGTON ASTIR AS IN TIME OF WAR + +The Federal Government was alive to the needs of the flooded districts +of the Middle West with activity that almost surpassed the hustle and +bustle of war times. Every department from the White House down, +directed its energies toward the relief of distress and suffering in +Ohio and Indiana. As the result of appeals from Governor Cox, the +American Red Cross and others, President Wilson issued an appeal to the +nation at large to help the sufferers. + +- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + + President Wilson's Messages + For the Relief of the Stricken States + + To Mayor Dahlman, of Omaha: + + "I am deeply distressed at the news received from Nebraska. Can we + help you in any way? + + "WOODROW WILSON." + + + To Governor Ralston, of Indiana, + and Governor Cox, of Ohio: + + "I deeply sympathize with the people of your state in the terrible + disaster that has come upon them. Can the Federal Government assist + in any way? + + "WOODROW WILSON." + + + To the Nation: + + "The terrible floods in Ohio and Indiana have assumed the + proportions of a national calamity. The loss of life and the + infinite suffering involved prompt me to issue an earnest appeal to + all who are able in however small a way to assist the labors of the + American Red Cross to send contributions at once to the Red Cross + at Washington or to the local treasurers of the society. + + "We should make this a common cause. The needs of those upon whom + this sudden and overwhelming disaster has come should quicken + everyone capable of sympathy and compassion to give immediate aid + to those who are laboring to rescue and relieve. + + "WOODROW WILSON." + +- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + +Indicating the gravity of the situation in Ohio, a telegram from +Governor Cox was received by Secretary of War Garrison asking for food +and medical supplies and tents for the sufferers. + +Secretary Garrison promptly took steps to meet the emergency, and the +supplies requested were sent by express to Columbus. The two experienced +officers who handled the Mississippi flood situation, Majors Normoyle +and Logan, were also ordered to proceed to Columbus to aid Governor Cox. + +All troops in Western New York and all available troops in the Central +Department were ordered to hold themselves in readiness to proceed to +relief work in Ohio and Indiana, if needed. + +President Wilson issued his appeal for funds for the Red Cross following +a conference with Miss Mabel Boardman, chairman of the relief board of +the organization. + +The Secretary of the Treasury enlisted promptly in the relief movement, +and the public health service and the life-saving service and marine +hospital surgeons available were placed at the command of the state +authorities. The public health hospitals at Detroit, Cleveland, +Louisville, Cairo, Evansville and St. Louis were thrown open for the +care of the flood victims. Surgeons P. W. Wille, of the Marine Hospital +at Cleveland, was instructed to go to Columbus to co-operate with the +state board of health. Dr. J. O. Cobb, of the Chicago Marine Hospital, +was ordered to Indianapolis. + + +BACKING OF CONGRESS PLEDGED + +The President was in his office all day Wednesday, March 26th, in close +touch with the situation. He apprised the chairmen of the Senate and +House appropriations committees that the government was going ahead with +emergency expenditures on the assumption that Congress would back up the +administration later. Both promised hearty support, and orders went out +on every side for a gigantic work of relief. + +Major P. C. Fauntleroy was sent to Columbus to handle the medical +supplies. Nine medical officers and fifty-four hospital corps men went +from the Department of the East carrying a big supply of surgical +dressings, anti-typhoid prophylactics and the complete "reserve medical +supply" comprising hundreds of drugs sufficient to treat 20,000 patients +for one month. Precautions against the spread of disease were to be +handled by sanitation experts. + +Life-saving crews were ordered from Louisville to Dayton and from +Lorain, Ohio, to Delaware, Ohio, and the public health service +distributed its agents over the afflicted districts. + + +SUPPLIES ON THE WAY + +By Friday more than double the apparently necessary medical supplies for +the flood sufferers were on their way to Ohio and Indiana, a full quota +of supplies having been started from the army supply warehouses at St. +Louis and a second consignment from Washington. + +From the naval stores a huge consignment of wearing apparel and bedding +for the sufferers was sent to Columbus. These supplies were started from +the naval stores at New York. Paymaster-General Cowie made the +arrangements under orders from Secretary of the Navy Daniels. The +shipment included 12,000 blankets, 7,000 watch caps, 50,000 pairs of +light weight drawers, 80,000 light weight undershirts, 30,000 heavy +weight drawers, 30,000 heavy weight shirts, 4,200 navy jerseys, 15,000 +khaki jumpers, 24,000 pairs of dungaree trousers, 8,000 overcoats, +24,000 pairs of shoes and 15,000 pairs of woolen socks. + +In addition to the clothing supply the Navy sent also 300,000 rations on +the way to Columbus and Dayton. Paymaster Nesbit and Paymaster's Clerk +Conell were in charge of the distribution. Assistant Secretary Roosevelt +supplied them with $25,000 in currency with full authority to expend it +for such supplies and services as they might find necessary. + +For a time President Wilson considered going himself to the flood +districts; but reports from Secretary Garrison and others were so +encouraging that he decided it was unnecessary. + +"Refreshed by the tears of the American people, Ohio stands ready from +today to meet the crisis alone," wrote Governor Cox of Ohio on March +31st. + +After seeing the situation well in hand in Dayton, Secretary Garrison +returned to Cincinnati and then proceeded to Columbus. By April 2d he +was able to return to Washington. + + +AMERICAN RED CROSS TO THE RESCUE + +From the first day when Miss Mabel T. Boardman conferred with President +Wilson, the American Red Cross and the government worked hand in hand. +At headquarters of the National Red Cross funds from all quarters of the +Union rained in on the officials. Friday night the Red Cross +headquarters had received more than $190,000 in cash and drafts, and +basing their estimates on telegraphic advices from other points, they +were assured that their total already exceeded $350,000. Boston sent in +$32,000, Cleveland $33,000 subject to call. Baltimore notified Miss +Boardman to draw on the local chapter of the order for $7,000. New York +reported $75,000 in hand and the District of Columbia chapter had more +than $25,000 ready for instant use. Henry C. Frick sent a check for +$10,000 and John D. Rockefeller $5,000, with the suggestion that more +was ready when needed. + +With Miss Boardman at the head of the party the Red Cross relief train +left Washington Friday over the Chesapeake and Ohio, bound for Columbus. + +The train comprised six express coaches, two of which were loaded with +steel cots for use of the homeless. Two others were loaded with bedding +and clothing supplies and two with foodstuffs of all sorts. + +Hurrying to Omaha to assist in relief work in that city, Ernest P. +Bicknell, of the American National Red Cross, halted in Chicago. +Informed of the serious situation in Indiana and Ohio, he telegraphed to +Omaha and received word that the relief work was well in hand. He then +decided to go to the flood-stricken districts in Indiana and Ohio. +Reaching Columbus, Mr. Bicknell had soon established Red Cross +headquarters and the corps under his direction was working in closest +harmony with the state flood relief committee, the Governor of Ohio and +the United States army and navy relief officials. + +The disaster in the Middle West was the greatest the Red Cross Society +was ever called upon to deal with. The amount of suffering entailed by +the flood far exceeded that of the San Francisco earthquake and fire. + + +RAILROADS BRAVELY HELPING + +Bravely the railroads worked their way into the stricken territory. +While a blizzard raged in Ohio from Cleveland to Cincinnati, with the +temperature down to twenty-eight degrees above zero, the +railroads--which means all the railroads in every section, the New York +Central, the Pennsylvania, the Erie, the Baltimore and Ohio, and their +allied lines--threw into the battle thousands upon thousands of men, +trainload after trainload of machinery, and money rewards as a stimulus +for the repair of miles of washed-out tracks and shattered bridges. +Every division superintendent of every line in the district, his +assistants, usually with some high executive officer of the system in +control; every man and boy able to handle a pick or shovel or crowbar, +to carry his end of a girder or drag a coil of rope, was out on the job. + +It was not for any selfish purpose that the roads threw this immense +power into the work. Their object was to open up rail communication +with the desolated cities, towns and villages and send relief trains +with bread, with blankets, with medicines, doctors and nurses. It was +not a race for money. + +"We will carry every pound of supplies for the devastated district free +over any lines" announced the Pennsylvania, and it added free passage +for doctors, nurses and every other good Samaritan. + +"No charge," was the echo of the New York Central, and that order went +to every freight and passenger agent of the big system everywhere. The +Baltimore and Ohio, the Erie, and every other line followed in an +instant. The railroads helped all they could. + + +RELIEF FROM STATES AND INDIVIDUALS + +If the nation was generous and prompt in its relief, neighboring states +and individuals were not less so. Governors in many states and mayors of +many cities, following the noble example of the President, issued +appeals for help. Mayor Dahlman of Omaha and Governor Morehead of +Nebraska bravely declined the help offered by President Wilson and +others for sufferers from the tornado; but the flood-stricken districts, +for whom recovery was far less easy, in many cases were obliged to +appeal for aid. From towns throughout Ohio and Indiana came desperate +cries for help, and to all of them a sympathetic nation listened and +responded. + + +AN ARMY OF PEACE + +If the great calamity stirred the hearts of the nation with pity, so did +the prompt and splendid relief inspire enthusiasm. Even though the +despatch of United States troops to the scene of devastation in the West +lacked legal sanction the whole country unanimously approved the +movement which thus itself becomes a signal to all nations, and a +corroboration of the truth that the American is not hidebound by +fantastic traditions when some serious achievement is to be done. Our +soldiers in this case for the nonce became missionaries. Under the +leadership of the Secretary of War, the troops carried clothes, food, +medicaments, tents, blankets, and in short all the paraphernalia +necessary to succor the distressed, assuage the pangs of suffering and +restore normal conditions within the wide areas battered by the +destructive elements. + +This peaceful use of our fighting men brings into realization the vision +so strongly cherished by John Ruskin--the vision of the time when +soldiership should develop into a form of modern knight-errantry, and +the "passion to bless and save" should inspire those who were formerly +drilled only in the exercises of conquest and slaughter. Americans may +well be proud to reflect that this era, which a few decades ago seemed +but the chimerical dream of a doctrinaire, has found its pledge and +promise in the generous endeavors of our standing army. + +"Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war." + +In narrowing the dimension of suffering, and lending a strong hand to +those overwhelmed by calamity, our soldiers raised up the defeated from +the sore battle of life. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXII + +PREVIOUS GREAT FLOODS AND TORNADOES + + THE JOHNSTOWN HORROR--THE GALVESTON TRAGEDY--THE MISSISSIPPI ON A + RAMPAGE--DESTRUCTION IN LOUISVILLE--THE ST. LOUIS TORNADO. + + +Floods are not usually so dramatic and awe-inspiring as tornadoes, but +they are even more destructive of life. The Johnstown flood of 1889, +however, was dramatic and even spectacular--so swiftly did it come and +so certainly could it have been avoided. It destroyed 2,235 lives, swept +away ten millions of dollars worth of property, and carried unutterable +grief into countless happy homes. + +Lying in a narrow valley were eight villages, aggregating 50,000 to +80,000 inhabitants, the largest of the eight being situated at the lower +end, with about 25,000 inhabitants. + +Far up in the mountain, 300 feet above the chief village of the valley, +hung a huge body of water. As nature had designed it, this had been a +small lake with natural outlets, which prevented it from being a menace +to the valley below. But the hand of man sought to improve the work of +nature. An immense dam, 110 feet in height, held back the water till the +lake was more than quadrupled in size. + + +THE SWOLLEN WATERS + +These were the conditions on May 31, 1889. There had been heavy rains +for several days. The artificially enlarged lake was really a receiving +reservoir of the water-shed of the Alleghany Mountains. Every little +stream running into it was swollen to a torrent. The lake, which in +ordinary times was three and a half miles long, with an average width of +over a mile, and a depth in some portions of 100 feet, was swollen into +a volume of water of enormous proportions. Between it and the valley +below there was a dam nearly 1,000 feet wide, 100 feet high, ninety feet +thick at the base and twenty at the top. This barrier gave way and the +water rushed into the valley in a solid wave with a perpendicular front +of forty feet. + +It swept away the seven smaller villages like straw, hurled them, +together with uncounted thousands of their inhabitants, upon the larger +village, and then, with the accumulated ruin of the whole eight, dashed +upon the stone bridge at the bottom of the valley. The bridge withstood +the shock, and a new dam, as fateful with horror as the first had been, +was formed. It held back the water so that the whole valley was a lake +from twenty to forty feet in depth, with the remains of its villages +beneath its surface. The wreckage of the ruined villages, piled from +forty to sixty feet high, against the bridge, spread over a vast area, +with countless bodies of the living and the dead crushed within it and +struggling for life upon it, caught fire, and burned to the water's +edge. + +When the flood came--a terrific punishment for the carelessness of the +past--the doubters saw their homes washed away, their dear ones +drowned; in some cases they did not even live to see the extent of the +havoc wrought. Whole families were drowned like rats; houses were +shattered to pieces or floated about on the water like wrecked ships. + +Intolerable was the suffering that followed--grief for the loss of dear +ones, actual physical hurt, hunger and want. The problem for many in the +eight towns was to begin life all over--and that without hope. Immediate +suffering was in some measure prevented by the speedy help rendered by +neighboring towns, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the entire nation. +But nothing could undo the fearful damage of the past. + + +THE GALVESTON TRAGEDY + +Great as was the Johnstown flood, it shrinks into insignificance before +the appalling hurricane-brought flood of Galveston, which devastated the +city and swept thousands of its inhabitants to their death. There is +little in the new city which arose to remind one of the awful +tragedy--unless it be the strong sea-walls constructed to keep out +future floods. + +The storm came over the bay from the gulf before daylight Saturday +morning, September 8, 1900. At 10 A. M. the inundation from the bay +began, but even then no alarm was felt. The wind took on new strength +and the waters were carried four blocks through the business section +into Market Street. Ocean freighters dragged anchors in the channel and +were soon crashing against the wharves. The wind reached the hurricane +stage, blowing at something like one hundred and twenty miles an hour, +and buildings began to crumble. By this time the bay water had reached +a high point on Tremont Street. The gulf, however, was quiet. + +Then a remarkable thing happened. The wind suddenly shifted from the +north to the southeast, the hurricane increased in fury, and, picking up +the waters of the gulf, hurled them with crushing force against the four +miles of residences stretched along the beach. There was nothing in the +way of protection, and houses were knocked over like so many toy +structures. + +By three o'clock the gulf had spread over the city and mingled in the +streets with the waters of the bay. The violence of the wind continued. +Higher and higher rose the water. Buildings began to collapse. Shrieks +of agony were heard. One family of five took refuge in four different +houses, abandoning each in turn just in time to save themselves. +Hundreds, struck by the flying wreckage, fell unconscious in the water. + + +SCENES OF HORROR + +When night settled down over the city the whole bay side was in process +of destruction. Wreckage was thrown with the force of a catapult against +houses which still offered resistance. Electric light and gas plants +were flooded and the city was in darkness. + +In the cemeteries the dead of years were washed from their graves and +carried across to the mainland. A tramp steamer was carried over to +Virginia Point, then sent like a shot through three bridges. The +steamers "Alamo" and "Red Cross" were dropped upon Pelican Flats, and +when the waves retreated were left high and dry upon the sand. Yachts +and sailboats were driven over the mainland and could be seen in the +grass far beyond Texas City. Railroad cars loaded and empty were carried +into the bay, and miles of track torn up and washed away. + + +THE RECEDING WATERS + +Between ten and eleven the wind fell and the water began to recede, +almost as rapidly as it had come. Before daylight the streets were clear +of water, but covered with slime and choked with wreckage. It was not +necessary to go to the beach to find the dead. They lay thick along the +streets. + +A Committee of Public Safety was organized, and all men, white and +black, were asked to assist in the removal of the dead. The +superstitious negroes refused, but were finally compelled at the muzzle +of guns to gather in the bodies. It was suggested that the burials be +made at sea. Society men, clubmen, millionaires, longshoremen and +negroes took up the work, loading the bodies on drays and conveying them +to barges. The dreadful procession lasted all of Sunday and Monday. +Three barge loads of dead were taken out to sea and given back to the +waves. The weights, however, were not properly attached, and soon the +corpses were back in the surf, washing on the beach. + +After the storm the weather turned milder. By Monday the city reeked +with the smell of a charnel house and pestilence was in the air. The +bodies of dead animals lay in the streets; the waters of the bay and +gulf were thick with the dead. All the disinfectants in the city were +quickly consumed. An earnest appeal for more was sent to Houston and +other places. Tuesday a general cremation of the dead began. Trenches +were dug and lined with wood. The corpses were tossed in, covered with +more wood, saturated with oil, and set on fire. Later, bodies were +collected and placed in piles of wreckage, and the whole then given to +the flames. Men engaged in this horrible task frequently found relatives +and friends among the dead. The men wore camphor bags under their noses, +but frequently became so nauseated that they were forced to stop work. +The fire purified the air, however, and disinfectants began to come in +in answer to the appeal. The streets were covered with a solution of +lime, and carbolic acid was showered everywhere. + + +GALVESTON NOT THE ONLY SUFFERER + +And not only Galveston was a sufferer in this storm. For fifty miles +along the coast, on both sides of the city, the storm found victims. The +waters of the sea were carried inland ten miles all along the coast. The +total loss of life in Galveston and near-by places amounted to 9,000; +the property damage to $30,000,000. + + +THE MISSISSIPPI ON A RAMPAGE + +"The Mississippi River in flood," says a recent writer, "takes +everything with it. To watch the endless procession which the swift +current carries by is to see all the properties of tragedies. The +Mississippi in flood is the despoiler of homes. Houses come floating +down the stream, outbuildings, furniture and myriads of smaller things, +tossed by waves in the 'runs' or sailing on serenely in the broader +stretches. Great trees go by. They are evidence that the Mississippi has +asserted its majesty somewhere and has cut a new channel to please +itself, eating away bank, growth, and all. Carcasses of cows and horses +and dogs float down the stream, carrying a pair of buzzards, those +scavengers who have so much work to do after the floods have receded. It +is a terrible and a melancholy sight." + + +THE FLOOD OF 1912 + +In April and May, 1912, the Mississippi reached a height never before +equaled, and the great river went tearing through levee after levee on +its resolute course to the sea. The river reached a maximum width of +sixty miles, killed 1,000 persons, rendered 30,000 homeless, and caused +damage to the amount of $50,000,000. + +By April 2d, Columbus, Missouri, was buried under fifteen feet of water, +and in some parts of the town residences were wholly submerged. New +Madrid was not much better off, and Hickman, Kentucky, looked like a +small city of Venice. President Taft sent a hurry call to Congress for +half a million dollars, and within fifteen minutes after his message was +read, the lower house had passed an appropriation bill and sent it to +the Senate, which laid everything else aside to give it right of way. By +April 5th, the Reelfoot Lake district, covering 150 square miles of +Kentucky farm land, was an inland lake and the river at Cairo, Illinois, +had risen to nearly fifty-four feet, the average depth from St. Louis to +New Orleans being ordinarily but nine feet. Cairo was for days +surrounded by the torrents from the Ohio and the Mississippi beating at +the levees, while to the north of the city factory buildings were +immersed to their roofs or even entirely covered. By April 7th, the +levee in Arkansas, seven miles south of Memphis, had a gap a mile long +and Lake County, Tennessee, had no ground above water but a strip six +miles long by four wide. By the middle of the month, the levees at +Panther Forest, Arkansas; Alsatia, Louisiana; and Roosevelt, Louisiana, +had succumbed, and a thousand square miles of fertile plantations were +from five to seven feet under water. + + +FARMS AND PLANTATIONS SUBMERGED + +Rain-storm after rain-storm caused the stream to swell, undermined +dikes, and broke new crevasses all the way from Vicksburg to New +Orleans. Hundred of farmers and their families, a majority of them +negroes, were cut off and overwhelmed by the flood. For several weeks +the people of New Orleans were under the fear that a large part of the +city might be submerged and ruined. Near by vast sugar plantations were +under water, while the prosperous town of Moreauville was inundated. +Refugees' camps were established and relief work began. Many vessels +assisted the army. Pitiful stories of famished and suffering victims of +the flood were told, and the miles and miles of desolated country struck +horror to the heart. They have a pregnant saying down there: "Come hell +and high water." Some day, it is to be hoped, we are going to take the +force out of that expression. + + +DESTRUCTION IN LOUISVILLE + +Disaster by tornado is not so easy to avoid as disaster by flood. One of +the most destructive storms of recent years was that which swept over +Louisville, Kentucky, in the evening of March 27, 1890, killing 113 +persons, injuring 200, and destroying property to the amount of +$2,500,000. The storm came from the southwest and cut a path through the +heart of the city three miles long and nearly a half mile wide. Nearly +every building in its course was leveled to the ground or otherwise +damaged. Outlying towns were also devastated by the storm, and flood +calamities occurred simultaneously along the Mississippi. + +About eight o'clock the storm was raging with tremendous force. The rain +fell in sheets, the lightning was constant and vivid, the wind blew +ominously. The streets were soon miniature rivers, and telegraph and +telephone poles began to snap. By 8.30 there was alarm all over the +city, but before any measure of safety could be adopted the body of the +mighty tempest dashed itself on the houses along Fifteenth Street and +tore itself diagonally across the city, leaping the river at Front +Street to Jeffersonville. + +The passage across the city was not continuous and in uniform direction, +but the storm lifted itself up, fell with furious force on a block, then +rolled over into adjacent blocks, when it rested a moment, then dashed +furiously up and forward again, launching to the right and left with +demoniacal whimsicality. + +Everything it touched suffered. Church steeples fell, crushing beneath +their weight the buildings over which they had stood guard. Wrenching +warehouses to fragments the tornado passed to the river front, leaving a +broad swath of wreckage and dead bodies. The belt of destruction +extended from the west side of Seventh Street as far as Ninth and Main +Streets, and an equal width across to the point where the city was first +touched. Along this path were demolished homes and wrecked business +houses--the annihilated work of years. On the river the storm found full +sway. The tawny water of the swollen Ohio became a lake of seething +foam. Steamboat after steamboat was driven from its moorings and tossed +like a drop of spray in the boiling stream. + + +CITIZENS MADDENED WITH GRIEF + +Almost immediately after the storm had passed thousands crowded into the +distressed district; maddened men and women fought and struggled through +the debris trying to find some loved relative or friend. From every side +arose the groans of the wounded and dying. About the Falls City Hotel +groups thronged waiting for news. + +Fires burning in several places added to the horror, though no great +damage was done by these. Crushed and blackened ruins marked the spot of +the Union Depot, which collapsed during the storm, crushing a train +which was just ready to depart. Every building, tree and telegraph pole +in the district struck was leveled, and almost all the railroads +entering the city were obliged to suspend all passenger and freight +traffic. + + +RESCUE, RELIEF AND RECONSTRUCTION + +The work of rescuing the mangled dead was bravely carried on the +following day and before many hours the American genius for +organization, order and action had met the demands of the overwhelming +disaster. While the dead were still lying awaiting burial, plans were +made to rebuild and resume again the work of life. + +The local police and militia kept order. The city authorities and board +of trade organized relief corps. The brave spirit of self-reliance +triumphed over the appalling calamity. Money for relief was sent to the +city from many sources, and it is interesting to note that the citizens +of Johnstown, who had suffered from the great catastrophe of the +previous year, were among the first to offer help. They knew what +desolation meant. + + +THE ST. LOUIS TORNADO + +A far more terrible story of death and destruction is that of the St. +Louis tornado of May 27, 1896, which lasted but half an hour, killed 306 +persons and destroyed property to the amount of $12,000,000. + +The same tornado visited many places in Missouri and Illinois, causing +an additional property loss of $1,000,000. + +The sky grew black at 4 P. M., the sun was eclipsed in the whirl of +driving dust and dirt, mingled with the branches and leaves of trees, +the boards of buildings and other loose material torn off by the wind. +At times the wind blew eighty miles an hour. In that mad half hour, +while property was crumbling and hundreds of human lives being snuffed +out, thousands of maimed and bleeding persons were added to the awful +harvest of devastation. + + +FREAK DESTRUCTION + +Over in East St. Louis, where the houses were all frail structures, the +destruction was greatest. The great Eads Bridge was twisted all out of +shape, and freight cars were tossed to and fro, tumbled into ditches and +driven sometimes into the fields many yards from where they had stood. +The great Vandalia freight house fell in a heap of utter ruin, burying +beneath it thirty-five men who had there sought refuge. + +The swath cut was three blocks wide and four miles long. The top of the +bridge was knocked off as well as the big abutment. The Martell House +was blown into the Cokokia Creek and many were buried in the ruins. + +To add to the horrors of the night the electric-light plants were +rendered incapable of service, and the gas lamps were also shut off, +leaving the city in utter darkness. Fire broke out in several portions +of the city, and the fire department was unable to make an effective +fight because of the choked condition of the streets and the large +number of firemen who were engaged in the imperative work of rescuing +the dead and wounded. + + +ANNIHILATION + +The City Hospital, which fortunately survived the storm, was filled to +overflowing with the injured. In addition to those who were killed in +their houses and in the streets, scores of dead were carried away by the +waters of the Mississippi River. Many steamers on the levee went down +in the storm. From the "Great Republic," one of the largest steamers on +the lower river, not a man escaped. The word "annihilation" is perhaps +the only one that can adequately describe the awful work of the tornado. + +The rising of the sun in the morning revealed a scene of indescribable +horror. The work of carrying out the maimed and dead immediately began, +but it was a task of big proportions, as many bodies were totally buried +under the debris. Hundreds of families were rendered homeless, and the +business portion of the community was almost in absolute ruin. + +Lack of food added to the misery. Bread sold for fifteen cents a loaf. A +large number of military tents were shipped into the city and many +families found shelter in freight yards. The Ohio and Mississippi +railroad companies issued permits for the use of their empty cars. +Contributions to aid in the work of rebuilding and relief were received +and the city council voted $100,000. + +It was several weeks before the city began to resume a normal existence. +The presence of armed men and endless piles of debris, the suspension of +traffic, the grief for departed dear ones, and the sight of the many +injured, all contributed to a condition of solemnity and sorrow. "The +memory of the strange and awful scenes that have been presented by East +St. Louis for the past three days," said one clergyman of the city, +"will live in the minds of its inhabitants for years. But our people are +too courageous and energetic to be deterred from repairing the physical +havoc wrought." + +- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + + PREVIOUS GREAT DISASTERS + + FLOODS + + Johnstown, Pa., breaking of the Conemaugh dam, May 31, 1889; 2,235 + killed. + + Galveston, Tex., tidal wave, September 8, 1900; 9,000 killed. + + Mississippi Valley, May, 1912; 1,000 killed. + + + WIND STORMS + + Adams County, Miss., May 7, 1840; 317 killed. Same county, June, 1842; + 500 killed. + + Louisville, Ky., March 27, 1890; 113 killed, 200 injured; property loss, + $2,500,000. + + Cherokee, Buena Vista and Pocahontas Counties, Iowa, July 6, 1893, 89 + killed; property loss, $250,000. + + Little Rock, Ark., October 2, 1894; 4 killed; property loss, $500,000. + + Denton and Grayson Counties, Tex., May 15, 1896; 78 killed and 150 + injured; property loss, $165,000. + + St. Louis and East St. Louis, Mo., May 27, 1896; 306 identified killed; + property loss, $12,000,000. Same tornado visited many places in Missouri + and Illinois, causing an additional property loss of $1,000,000. + + West India hurricane, September 29 and 30, 1896, covering Florida, + Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, + Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York; 114 killed; property loss, + $7,000,000. + + Eastern Michigan, May 25, 1897; 47 killed, 100 injured; property loss, + $400,000. + + Galveston hurricane, September 8, 1900; 9,000 killed; property loss, + $30,000,000; estimated wind velocity, 120 miles an hour. + +- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII + +LESSONS OF THE CATACLYSM AND PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES + + NOT A VISITATION OF PUNISHMENT--THE HELPLESSNESS OF MAN BEFORE + NATURE--THE KINSHIP OF HUMANITY--INCENTIVE TO ENTERPRISE--THE GREATEST + LESSON--MEASURES AGAINST REPETITION OF DISASTER--UTILIZING NATURAL + RESERVOIRS--PROMOTION OF FORESTRY--CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS--SECRETARY + LANE'S PLAN--A PROBLEM FOR THE PANAMA ENGINEERS. + + +With each succeeding dispatch from the districts stricken by flood and +tornado it became clearer that the first impressions of the disaster, +shocking as they were, fell not far beneath the dreadful reality. + +Hundreds overwhelmed in the rushing floods, hundreds of thousands spared +from sudden death only to suffer hunger and thirst and hardship and the +perils of fire, cities submerged, villages swept away, countless homes +and vast industries destroyed, miles upon miles of populous land drowned +under turbulent waters, and over all the grim shadows of starvation and +disease--this catastrophe defies picture and parallel to express its +desolating horror. + +The widespread calamity, which smote with its cruelest force the +beautiful city of Dayton, is one of those for which no personal +responsibility can be placed. Like the tidal flood which devastated +Galveston and the earth upheaval which laid San Francisco in ruins, it +is a convulsion which could not have been foreseen or stayed. + + +NOT A VISITATION OF PUNISHMENT + +In the presence of such a fearful disaster there are few persons who +will say, but there are some who will think, that this is in some manner +a visitation decreed upon the communities which suffer. The very +magnitude and superhuman force of it will suggest to many minds the +thought of an ordered punishment and warning for offenses against a +higher power. + +Such a concept, happily more rarely held than in earlier times, is, of +course, revolting to sober judgment and to the instincts of religious +reverence. For it would imply that multitudes of the innocent should +suffer indescribable cruelty; it would attempt the impossible feat of +justifying the smiting of Dayton, where the inhabitants lived lives of +peaceful, helpful industry, and the sparing of communities where men +serve the gods of dishonest wealth and vicious idleness. + +This was no vengeance decreed for human shortcomings. It was superhuman, +but not supernatural. It was but a manifestation of the unchangeable, +irresistible forces of nature, governed by physical laws which are +inexorable. Nature knows neither revenge nor pity. She does not select +her victims, nor does she turn aside to save the good who may be in her +path. As her concern is not with individuals, but with the race, so she +is moved not by mercy, but by law. + +To the limited vision of man, with his brief life, nature seems +incredibly cruel and wasteful. Her teachings must be learned at fearful +cost. Men will ask themselves what lessons are taught by this +overwhelming sacrifice. + + +THE HELPLESSNESS OF MAN BEFORE NATURE + +There is made plain, first, the utter powerlessness of man when he pits +his strength against the full demonstration of the laws of nature. It is +revealed, again, that there are forces which before all the might of +human intellect remain unconquerable. The same grim lesson confronts the +scientist whose babe is snatched from him by death; it confronts the +millionaire who feels the chill of age creeping upon the frame that has +upheld the finances of a nation and has made and unmade panics with the +crooking of a finger. + + +THE KINSHIP OF HUMANITY + +But there flows from such a catastrophe a brighter and better influence +than this. With all its horror and shock, there comes inevitably a great +joining of minds and hearts. The whole world feels the thrill of kinship +and a common humanity. For the time being all conceptions of social +caste and class distinction, the most unworthy thoughts of beings +fashioned all in the image of their Maker, are leveled and forgotten. +Indifference and selfishness disappear. Throughout the nation, +throughout the world, there thrills the uplifting current of +brotherhood, the consciousness that "we be of one blood." + +Wherever civilization has exercised its beneficent influence upon the +minds of men there is felt, for a little time at least, the sense that +all humanity is one; that the strife of man against man and nation +against nation is but a pitiful thing, and that we may better concern +ourselves with trying to make the common lot brighter and so soften the +rigors of the existence we all must face. + + +THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WEALTH + +Specifically does not such an appalling event serve to awaken +responsibility among the wealthy and powerful toward the poor and the +weak? When all goes well, when there are no thunderous warnings such as +this of the helplessness of man against the forces arrayed against him, +the fortunate do not realize that for millions mere existence is a +poignant struggle; that hunger and cold and disease prevail even when +there are no ghastly floods to make them vivid and picturesque. We do +not doubt that there are many who will be stirred by the shock of this +dreadful story to a deeper and more sympathetic understanding with the +conditions that surround them on every side. + + +INCENTIVE TO ENTERPRISE + +If any further good can come from a catastrophe so cruel, it may be in +the stimulating pride of race which it engenders. Such experiences have +a unique effect upon the American nature. The greater the calamity which +falls upon a community the greater seems to be the rebound. Destruction +and hardship seem to open great reservoirs of latent energy, +inventiveness and enterprise. + +Galveston, suddenly overwhelmed by a convulsion of nature, apparently +was doomed to molder away in forgotten ruins; but her people cleared the +wreck and built a greater city than before. Before the ashes of the old +San Francisco had cooled the vision of a better community rose before +her inhabitants, and they made it real. + +Calamity sets free such a flow of creative power that destruction itself +makes for progress. These disasters concentrate upon constructive +enterprise stories of emotional energy that in other times are expended +in the fierce struggle of competitive existence. + + +THE GREATEST LESSON + +But the great hidden teaching of disaster is that the laws of nature are +eternal and inexorable; that they move with unerring precision and +resistless force. And this truth applies not only to the tremendous +powers of the hurricane, the flood and the earthquake, but to economic +principles, which are simply a translation into human terms of the laws +manifested in inanimate nature. + +The woman whose health is wrecked by overwork, the child whose body and +mind are stunted by early labor, the tenement dweller who falls victim +to disease because of unwholesome conditions of living--these are +sacrifices to natural laws as much as are the thousands swept away in +the floods. But, while the flood deaths are due to an outburst of the +elements which man cannot control, these others are the result of his +defiance of the laws of nature. + +There is another difference: The victims of economic wrongs due to +cupidity and indifference outnumber a thousand to one the victims of +natural causes beyond control. All the deaths in these fearful floods +are less than those caused every year in a single large city by +conditions that might be remedied. + +Nature decrees that those who do not have certain amounts of fresh air +and food and rest shall die; the law is inexorable. But it is +civilization which defies it and brings down the penalty. + + +THE AWAKENING TO OTHER LAWS OF NATURE + +A stranger thought is that many whose hearts are melted by this disaster +and whose checkbooks open to the suffering survivors are habitually +indifferent to the more deadly conditions existing on all sides of their +homes. Men contribute generously to the relief funds who, if asked to +surrender a fractional part of their dividends in order to make work +safer and more healthful and more humane for employees, would berate the +suggestion as anarchistic. + +This is not due to hardness of heart; it is due to faults of vision. Men +display such sympathy in one case and such ruthlessness in another +simply because civilization has not yet advanced far enough to create +generally the sense of responsibility which is called social +consciousness. + +There are those who believe that the good impulses aroused by such +events as now appeal to us tend to awaken this consciousness; on the +other hand, a $5,000 contribution to a flood relief fund may, by salving +the conscience of the giver, close his mind to the need for changing +industrial conditions or expending some of his tenement rents for decent +sanitation. + +Our own belief is that each calamity brings the minds of the nation into +closer sympathy and hastens the day when all men will understand that +the society they have builded is guilty of causing miseries just as +great as those we are now witnessing, the defying the laws of nature +because of indifference and greed. + + +THE NEED FOR ACTION + +This country has suffered from many great floods in past years, but none +so awful in its scope and terrible consequences. The present calamity +must bring the country to its sober senses and make us see the positive +necessity--the inevitable MUST--of taking immediate and adequate +measures to guard against the repetition of such a disaster. "Strike +while the iron is hot," has been the battle-cry of men of action +throughout the world! And today, while the iron of adversity is hot in +the bosom of the Republic, is the time to strike upon the ideas that are +to make the heroic surgery of healing. + +What is the remedy for these mighty floods that are sweeping and ruining +the interior country? Beyond the supreme consideration of the loss of +life they are the financial tragedies of the century. They occur at rare +intervals in Ohio and Indiana and in New York. But in the valley of the +Mississippi and in the Ohio Valley they are almost an annual or +bi-annual scourge of waters, terrific in suffering and appalling in +cost. + +NOT A QUESTION OF COST + +No expenditure of public money is too great that will strengthen the +defenses of the people against the giant forces of destruction in the +Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. No cost in national expenditure for +permanent defense against such catastrophes would approximate the cost +in a single decade to the pockets of the people, not to speak of the +uncountable value of human life. Governor Cox, of Ohio, estimated that +the damage in Ohio alone by the recent floods was more than +$300,000,000--nearly as much as the cost of the Panama Canal. The total +cost of the recent flood is vastly greater than that of the Panama +Canal! + +The American Government can no longer stop to consider money in dealing +with the problems of internal economy and of elemental humanity. The +floods create an emergency as definite and imperative as war. It is time +now to start some movement for the preservation of life and property +against such occurrences. + + +MEASURES AGAINST REPETITION OF DISASTER + +It is not the mission of this book to prescribe plans for meeting the +situation. That must be the work of a corps of trained engineers who +shall study the whole problem comprehensively and in detail. Rather it +is our purpose here to bring home the overwhelming need for prompt +action. We may be permitted, however, to point in a general way, and on +high authority, the general lines that the necessary remedies must take. + +The river problems in the great central valleys present certain +difficulties which engineers have been unable to overcome. If levees are +constructed, it is found that the bed of the stream rises also, so that +the situation is not materially changed. If channels are deepened, the +fury of the floods is increased. If the construction of reservoirs is +proposed, there are very important questions of location and danger. + + +UTILIZING NATURAL RESERVOIRS + +In many places the Mississippi River, closely diked, flows high above +the lands adjacent. Even at New Orleans, 107 miles from the Gulf, it is +during high water ten to fifteen feet above the level of the city. +Obviously the levee system, while useful everywhere and in some +localities adequate, is not a universal remedy. Reservoirs properly +constructed should be of service in storing the waters of many such +rivers as those that have caused the havoc in Ohio and Indiana, but to +meet the requirements they would have to be of enormous size, very +numerous and costly, as Professor Willis S. Moore, chief of the Weather +Bureau, points out. + +Nature itself has provided in lowlands throughout all of these valleys +receptacles which, before men came, took up the surplus waters. We have +reclaimed millions of acres of these lands on the theory that we could +confine the rivers which once overflowed them, but thus far we have +failed to establish the theory. + +It is probable that any successful national work for the control of +rivers will have to start with the idea of utilizing some of these +natural reservoirs. The lands would not be habitable of course, but for +agriculture they would be enriched instead of, as now, devastated. To +depopulate some such tracts would not be as costly or as terrible as to +leave them to the sweep of irresistible torrents, repeated year after +year. + + +PROMOTION OF FORESTRY + +Despite Professor Moore's very positive denial of the value of +reforestation as a preventive of floods, it is claimed by many +authorities that much of the destruction is due to the fact that the +states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois have been almost denuded of such +forests as originally stood there. No impediment is offered to the flow +of water and disastrous results follow. But in any event there would +have been great floods because of the location of the rainstorms as +noted. + + +CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS + +The topography of the country must be taken into account. Both valleys, +the Miami particularly, are veined with streams tributary to the rivers, +and in times of flood the water rises with amazing rapidity and spreads +far and wide over the valley floor. The level character of the region in +which Dayton itself lies and the fact that there is not enough pitch to +the land below to carry off the water accounts for the depth and extent +of the floods. Dayton has had many of them. What Congress can do to +prevent or minimize them in future by putting the army engineers at work +to construct dams for the collection and restraint of waters in the +valleys north of the threatened cities must be done, whatever the cost. + + +SECRETARY LANE'S PLAN + +Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, has outlined a plan for +preventing such floods as devastated Ohio and Indiana. The plan hinges +on the deepening and widening of the channels of all streams that are +liable to flood conditions. Mr. Lane hopes to see the idea carried out +through the cooperation of the Federal Government, with the aid of the +states immediately endangered. + +Aside from the perpetual protection against flood, which he believes his +plan would give to settlers in low regions, there are widespread +districts along the Mississippi and many other rivers that would be +thrown open to settlement. The land thus reclaimed from the swamps might +go a long way, in Mr. Lane's opinion, to reimburse the states for the +appropriations they would be called upon to make. Mr. Lane says: + +"The rainstorm, I know, was phenomenal, and even with the system I have +suggested would have doubtless resulted in material damage and the loss +of some lives. But flood conditions reappear every spring in some +noticeable way, and my plan would obviate most of the resulting damage. + +"It will not do for Ohio or Indiana or even the two states together to +spend their money generously in clearing the beds of the streams within +their boundaries. That would merely carry the flood more swiftly to the +state lines to the south, and the water would back more angrily than +ever into what would quickly be great lakes. The thing is too large for +the states alone. A harmonious, scientific system must be worked out by +the federal authorities, and the states must then make their +contributions in the way that will do the most good to the whole valley +affected." + + +SENATOR NEWLAND'S PLAN + +Senator Francis G. Newlands, of Nevada, who has made a long study of the +whole subject of reclamation and conservation, and who speaks with +authority on the subject says: + +"The appalling disasters in Ohio and Indiana bring home more forcibly +than ever the conviction that our present method of dredging, levees and +bank revetment in limited districts is fundamentally inadequate. These +things will not protect dwellers on the lower reaches of our rivers so +long as there is no control of the headwaters. + +"We must adopt an adequate system for the control of the run-off at the +headwaters of the tributaries of the Mississippi. The people of +Pittsburgh and Dayton are entitled to this, no less than the people of +lower Mississippi are entitled to levees. I trust these floods will +rouse the American conscience in these matters." + +Senator Newlands has urged that $50,000,000 a year be used for the next +ten years to develop a comprehensive scheme of storing the excess flood +waters at the heads of rivers. + +The Democratic platform contained a plank which promised the support of +the party to a national scheme of river control. This has already been +brought to the attention of President Wilson. With the horrible scenes +of the inundated towns of Ohio and Indiana before them, this pledge is +likely to become a living promise to the party in power. + + +A PROBLEM FOR THE PANAMA ENGINEERS + +There is one thing to remember. Our stupendous enterprise of the Panama +Canal will soon be completed. Its vast equipment of the world's newest +and best machinery for digging and filling will be unemployed. The +world's greatest engineer, Colonel Goethals, will also be at leisure. +Why not then provide for the transfer of all the wonderful machinery at +Panama, under personal charge and direction of Colonel Goethals, to the +supreme necessities of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys? The whole +American people would applaud and approve this disposition of our great +engineer and his great equipment. + +This new national necessity is as vital and even more pressing than the +Panama Canal. It is worthy of the great Republic and of the great +engineer--an achievement if successful which would twin with Panama and +make Colonel Goethals immortal and our country's beneficence and +enterprise famous through all time. + +We have no force and no leader in this tragic emergency more potent for +the defense of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys than Colonel Goethals +and his Panama machinery. Let us send cheer to the flood-ravaged regions +of our country by the assurance that this great man and this +incomparable equipment will soon be consecrated to their relief. + +----------------------------------------------------------------------- + +[Transcriber's Note: The following statement was a footnote against the +page number, page 352, on this, the last page. The page number on the +preceeding page was 319, requiring the following edxplanation.] + +The 32 pages of illustrations contained in this book are not included +in the paging. Adding these 32 pages to the 320 pages of text makes a +total of 352 pages. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The True Story of Our National +Calamity of Flood, Fire and Tornado, by Logan Marshall + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NATIONAL CALAMITY *** + +***** This file should be named 20455.txt or 20455.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/4/5/20455/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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