The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-30
Paul Comstock Returns
From Flooded City After
Spending Three Days Aid
ing the Rescuers.
CITIZENS SHOWING
THE TRUE SPIRIT
Troops Maintain Good Order
and a Company of Regu-
lars Arrived on the Scene
Saturday.


After spending three days in Day
ton, working with the relief commit
tee of the city, Attorney Paul Com
stock returned to Richmond last night.
He had oportunity to study conditions
in the stricken city as they exist at
present and he visited every part of
the flooded districts during his stay.
"The Dayton citizens who are di-
recting the relief work are respond
ing we'll, to the needs OF the hour
said Mr.. Comstock to the Palladium
last night, though as matter OF
course the task is gigantic one and
the only wonder is that the systematic
relief work has been established SO
quickly.
Saturday afternoon when left the
committee seemed to think that food
supplies were on hand in quantities
sufficient to tide over a day or two
and il the contributions from the out
side continue to pour in as they have
there should be no danger of suffer-
real needs of the hour is to procure
means by which families re-estab-
lished in their homes may prepare
food themselves.
Need Freshly Cooked Food.
The need for freshly cooked food
must be apparent to everyone who re-
alizes what it means to live for days
on food already prepared. Until some
facilities for cooking in the homes is
provided for, however, the prepared
foods will suffice.
1t is beyond the range of ones i'm
agination to conceive the conditions
of those homes that were under water
% fe.. Gays, aana which now are clear of
water but are literally filled with
mud and filth that were deposited by
the flood.
II saw in scores of homes, men and
women with shovels scooping out the
deposits of mud.
'It will be days before these homes
can be made comfortable again, but
their tenants are absolutely without
complaint and have entered into the
general work of cleaning with the
same spirit Of hopefulness that is ap-
parent on every side.
Contrary to the general belief in
Richmond and elsewhere, outside of
Dayton, the waters have not vanished
all over the city. In the sections of
North Dayton that lie very low, water
still is to be found at considerable
depths and still covered houses al
IN fhn cf0 Iox
The levee was cut in two places dur
ing the day to drain the water into
the river, and yesterday afternoon the
fall was rapid.
In Business Districts.
'Tn the business districts the cha,
otto conditions that exist are enough
to discourage one, yet Dayton busi.
ness men view the ruin about them in
philosophical way and with that de-
termination to push on despite the
great handicap thrown upon them
they are in readiness to take up their
work. Along the business streets
where the largest and finest stores are
located, plate glass windows were
shattered by the force of the waters
and floating debris. The interiors OF
these places of business are in the
same condition as the homes that
We're Enthusiastically covered from
one end to the other with muddy de-
posit. Easements filled with costly
stocks of goods have been ruined and
worst of all no insurance aplies for
disasters of this character
The question as to the number OF
dead is one that cannot be answered
with any degree of accuracy. though
the relief committee today seemed to
believe that the total would not
roAch 800. Many rescues were made
yesterday by life saving crews from
Toledo and Louisville Instances
where occupants of houses had been
marooned in attics for days were com
mon and in many cases the method
of rescue was simply to reach these
ings in the upper parts of the houses
through which the occupants escaped
10 Little Lootina.
*.The troops have maintained good
order though there was need ap
parent on Friday night for more men.
"ithCSSCo TIC alAis0a VI du-
ditional troopers, among them com,
pany of federals and conditions will
be much improved in consequence
There have been some cases of loot
ing, but the troopers have succeeded in
keeping crime of this nature at the
minimum and the business houses
have been well guarded against
thieves