The Washington herald., 1913-03-27
FLAMES RAGEIN
STRICKEN CITY
Continued from PaEs One.

the persons who are huddled in the
water for miles around Dayton has been
polluted.
At $50 o'clock this evening an employe
Of the telephone, company named Ander-
son. who Is stationed at the foot of the
nearest telephone pole to Dayton. re-
ported that from the accounts which had
been turned in to him during the last
few hours. that the first account OF the
loss of life was exaggerated. He said
that the conservative estimate placed 1t
at not more than 500 known dead
The Miami River at Dayton Is rapidly
going down. At Cincinnati a heavy rain
Is falling and the Ohio River has risen
to the fifty-six foot level. the highest
reached in many years. Unless the rain
abates shortly the river will reach sixty
feet by daylight.
At Terra Haute the water around the
city Is standing at a level. but a few
miles north of the city at Clinton the
river Is reported as rising rapidly. At
Columbus the water Is reported as fall
ing and the weather Is growing colder.
A drizzle, which has been falling all day.
has turned to sleet and rain.
River Rising at Hamilton.
The water Is still rising at Hamilton.
Ohio.
A report coming through Cincinnati
has just reached here Of heavy wind
and rain storm at Hartman, Tenn. The
report states that many families have
been driven into the storm through their
homes being wrecked. Freezing weather
Is reported over almost the entire State
OF Iowa. The rain which has been fall
Ing in many places Is changing to snow.
Colder weather is reported from all parts
Of Ohio and rain or snow in many places.
II is reported that a boat engaged in
rescue work capsized tonight and all the
crew with the exception Of one man were
drowned The man saved Is said to be
Robert Patterson, son OF John II. Pat
erson. of the National Cash Register
Company. Both Patterson. sr., and his
son have been aiding the sufferers in
every way possible, the younger man
captaining a boat crew to rescue those
marooned by the food.
River Is Falling.
The Miami River is falling rapidly to-
might The levels of the Mad River and
the Erie Canal and Saltwater Creek. all
Of which fow through Dayton. have been
considerably lowered. The water. which
yesterday attained maximum OF fifteen
feet in the streets OF the city. has re-
ceded TO an average OF four feet tonight.
rent is swirl!ng through the city pre-
vents all but the most daring from leaV-
ing their places OF safety.
Several parties OF rescuers in boats
have been wrecked.
Forty boats have been requLsltioned by
the safety committee, and are patrolling
the streets IN an attempt TO save life and
property.
The district containing the high food
ypa &c hOttrHai nv RiVe- Street the
north. Summit Street on the south. High
Street on the cast, and beyond the city
limits on the west More than fifteen
square miles are covered with water.
The Rike-Kumler dry goods store has
been destroyed by fire. The building
housing the Fourth National Bank. the
Lattiman Drug Company. and the Evans
this afternoon. All except two of the
many railroad bridges leading into the
city have either been dynamited or car
ried away. The Union Depot is still un-
der several feet OF water.
The Western Union company established
an Office at the National Cash Register
plant, at Miam!sburg, and another at
Wolf Creek.
A large number OF messages have been
received, but delivery has so far been i'm
possible. Twelve hundred persons are be-
ing cared for IN the plant OF the National
Cash Register Company.
Several known Dead.
Not house is standing on Linwood
Avenue in Riverdale. and the major por-
ton OF the houses in that section are
either wrecked or have been carried
away. The known dead in that section
OF the city are: Anton Saetell. grocer,
and his wife; the entire Bish family.
with the exception OF a son, Joseph Bish,
has been drowned. including Mrs. Bish.
the mother: Florence Bish, twenty-seven:
Viola Bish. a niece. and Muriel, wife Of
John Bish. Mrs. Lucy Abel, fifty. died
shortly after being rescued.
Explosions OF oil and gas tanks. Just
before noon today, started the fire which
threatens to complete the destruction Of
Dayton. Several Thousand persons i'm
prisoned on the tops OF buildings by the
food are in danger from the flames.
The fire is reported to have started
from the explosion Of an oil tank which
went adrift and struck a submerged
building near Fourth and Jefferson
Streets. Intermittent explosions OF gas
escaping from gas mains burst by the
food shook the inundated city. and at