Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-27
COLUMBUS HAS DEATH ROLL
ESTIMATED AT 900 TO 1000;
REFUGEES TELL OF HORROR

III uUIVIVVuV
from which more than one death has
been reported.
Gen. r. B. Brown, late republican can
didate for Governor of Ohio and a promi-
nent resident of GAINESVILLE, telephoned to
personal friends here from GAINESVILLE this
morning Just before the wires failed that
the reports of casualties in that city had
been exaggerated, and while the property
loss was tremendous and conditions were
constantly growing worse, he felt conf
dent that no great number of persons
had been drowned.
The Tuscarawas and Walhonding rivers
unite at Coshocton to form the Muskin-
gum river, and 1t is the water from these
streams that poured down on GAINESVILLE
thirty-tWo miles below. Bridges were
washed out between Coshocton and
GAINESVILLE. and railroad traffic has been
suspended and there is no wire cOnnec-
ton.
Bridge Reported Down.
At Coshocton the Walhonding Valley
branch of the Pennsylvania railroad
crosses the valley on a long steel bridge,
and it was reported here this morning
that 500 feet of the bridge went down
soon after midnight. The water was still
rising at that hour.
Above Coshocton, on the Walhonding
river, many villages are flooded and the
loss to farmers will be very heavy.
Conditions in the Tuscarawas valley
are even worse. as the river is larger and
the valley wider
From point near Uhrichsville, about
100 miles west of Pittsburgh, to Coshoc-
ton. a distance Of thirty miles. the val
ley is one great lake, in some places
about five miles wide. The villages of
Port Washington. Newcomerstown and
lsleta are flooded. with some damage IN
the vicinity of West Lafayette. Canal
Louisville is under water and conditions
at Coshocton were reported to be bad, al
though there is no report as to loss of
life.
No trains are running out of Cam
bridge, and reports from points along the
Musklngum river as far as Marietta, on
the Ohio river, all tell the same story OF
destruction, flooded towns and great prop
erty damage.
Days will pass before railroad COM
munication can be restored. There is
some suffering because of the scarcity of
food in isolated communities.
Middletown Is Paralyzed.
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio. March "a
paralyzed community of $1,000 souls, Mid
dletown awoke this morning to face perils
that threaten her very existence. Ten
thousand persons are homeless and un-
sheltered. Cooked food is unobtainable,
but relief may come during the day, as
trains and automobile trucks are reported
to be rushing to this city. After a night
of labor under trying conditions the re-
lief committee this morning reported that
thirty known persons are missing.
Eleven more are said to be unaccounted
for. This does not include the people
who may be housed in their own homes
whom the relief committee has not yet
been able to reach.
The reflections of the fires at Franklin
and Dayton last night only served to in
still more fear into the hearts of the
people here. Middletown is entirely with
out fire protection and, while fortunate
enough thus far to have escaped con-
fagration, yet those who are in charge
of the work are in hourly dread lest
fire break out
The work of rescue and relief was
started at daybreak, despite the fact
that thin snow was falling and it had
turned bitterly cold during the night. 1t
is believed that all those marooned will
be reached with food during today and
perhaps rescued from their nearly SUBJ
merged homes.
Hotel Collapses at Hamilton.
HAMILTON, Ohio, March Q7.-The
town has just collapsed. 1t is said that
fifty people had taken refuge there earlier
in the day.
Ten bodies were uncovered from the
ruins of this city In the first hour of the
search this morning. Figuring on this
average it is believed no less than 25O
persons have lost their lives here. Among
the first to be recovered were two de-
tectives. three policemen. One was the
body of a woman and the remaining
four We're men.
GAINESVILLE Deep in Water.
GAINESVILLE. Ohio, March q (via tee-
phone to Pittsburgh).- .-Fiftyfour feet of
water is rushing through this city. divid-
ing it into three separate communities.
No communication by railroad is avail
able and only once or twice day has
it been possible to establish telephone
communication with outside points.
There is but one telephone wire that
works spasmodically, and over this it Is
most difficult to hear. All the bridges
between this city and the Ohio river in
the Muskingum valley are out. The big
bridge is under twenty feet of water,
and it is not known whether that is still
standing. All railroad tracks are like
wise submerged.
Food Entirely Lacking.
Separate relief committees have been
organized in the three sections Of the city,
but there is little these can do because
of the absolute lack of food and wearing
apparel.
There are no gas or electric lights, and
only motor boats can stem the current
of the river, which is rushing through
the town at a rate of twenty-five miles
an hour.
The river rose about five inches an
hour so that many families were enabled
to flee from the flood. and it was thought
at noon that it had reached the crest
from the Tuscarawas and Walhonding
| from Wills creek
S. Cushryock, marooned newspaper
man. telephoned the Associated Press
| that while no actual number of lives
| lost is known, the general conviction OF
| the community is that hundred or more
| have been drowned Before any names
| of missing could be obtained the wire
failed.
Akron Has 200 Homeless.
AKRON, Ohio March "a heavy rain
| last night has increased the flow Of the
Little Cuyahoga river and the cold to-
| day has increased suffering among flood
victims.
Two hundred families are homeless and
six persons are reported dead. The dam
near Willow creek burst in such a way
| that the canal was able to carry of
most of the overflow.
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