The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-02
SCENES Of HORROR
INCIDENTS OF The GREAT FLOOD
In TIE VEST.
SCENES OF SUFFERING

Fire and Cold Weather Add to uor-
| ror of the Situation-LeapedF From
Roof to Roof-Without Food and
| Water-Fate Of Many People in
Doubt.
Many pathetic and distressing
scenes were witnesses in Dayton and
other cities and towns in Indiana
and Ohio when they were overwhelm-
ed with the angry waters the first Of
the week. Fire that destroyed many
buildings in Dayton's submerged Sec
ton cast a red, wierd glow over the
food stricken city that added to the
fears of thourands of refugees and
| marooned persons and led to appre-
hension that there may have been
| many of the waters prisoners in the
burned buildings.
Rescue squads worked frantically
| to throw back the veil that hides the
true story Of the Dayton disaster
the number of dead. 1t was reported
that a number of dead had been
| found in houses at 5th and Eagle
streets, but when rescuers worked
| their way into the partially submerg-
ed dwellings they found number OF
the foods prisoners were weak from
fright and hunger.
Fire that appeared to threaten the
business section was confined to the
block bounded by End and 3rd streets
! and Jefferson and st. Clair streets.
In the block are the Fourth National
Bank, Evansville Wholesale Drug
Company and several commission
houses. It was impossible to get
within two miles Of the fire and from
that distance what appeared to be ex-
plosions, probably Of drugs, made the
| fire seem of larger proportions than
it was.
It was impossible to ascertain even
approximately the number Of persons
who might have been marooned In
this section and who died after be-
| ing trapped by food and fire. Never
| the less, rescue work went steadily
on, and about 5000 persons were
housed in places CT refuge. At least
$4,000 persons are imprisoned In
! homes and in business buildings. 1t
| is feared their two days impTison-
ment with accompanying hunger and
fright has caused tremendous suffer-
ing.
| Dayton was practically cut off from
wire communication until late We'd
nesday afternoon. Then two wires
| into Cincinnati were obtained and
operators plunged into great piles OF
telegrams from Dayton citizens, al
most frantic in their desire to assure
friends outside of their safety. OPP
orators at opposite ends Of the wires
reported that thousands of kilograms
were piled .p at relay offices. These
were from people anxious over the
fate of Dayton kinsmen.
| Two oarsmen who braved the cur
rent that swirled through the busi-
ness section of the city "Wednesday
reported that the water at the Algon-
ouin Hotel, at the southwest corner
| of Third and Ludlow streets was hf-
| teen feet deep. From windows IN
the hotels and business blocks, hun
dreds of the marooned begged pitily
for rescue and food. The oarsmen
said they saw no bodies floating on
the food tide, but declared that many
persons must have perished in the
waters sudden rush through the
| streets.
| Oarsmen who worked into the out
skirts of the business section Wed
nesday night reported that 25o per-
sons marooned in the Arcade build
ing, and 200 imprisoned in the Y. NJ.
c. A. building were begging for Wa
ter. A shortage Of provisions was
threatened Wednesday afternoon
when it was reported many relief
trains, bound to Dayton from neigh
boring cities had been stopped by
high water. Every grocer in the city
had been "sold out" before noon. 1t
was believed that the relief trains
might creep in during the night.
Encouragement was received wed
nesday night in message from the
mayor of Springfield, who said ne
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 dlstr1-
butte provisions among the marooned
soon after daylight. Messages from
the foods prisoners in the business
section, said children were crying
for milk, while their elders suffered
from thirst that grew hourly.
| phone message from a marooned
man said the Beckel house is burn
ing and Jefferson street is on ire on
| it's side from Third street as far down
as the Western Union office. Ihe
message said refugees, driven from
the places where they had sought
safety from the floods, were leaping
from roof to roof to escape the new
terror. The fire was rapidly ap-
preaching the Home telephone plant
whence came this information.
The man said he had rigged up a
telephone and got in on his vandalla
J circuit. He said the water was near
the third floor Of his building and
that he and about forty others were
marooned in the fourth story. The
only sign of life, he said, was in the
United Brethren building, across the
street where several men were ma
: rooned. The two parties were COM