Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-04-03

where there were persons cIinginE On
the roof These people would catch
the light line pull over a heavier enc
and pulley and set up a running line
OF cable by making fast 10 a chimney
or house tower
The boys must have known some
soon as they had line to a house
they would rig up chair and pass il
over. Then the people would be haul
ed across. ! guess they must have
taken more than 100 of the different
roofs. One woman, who weighed more
than 200 pounds started across in
chair The pulley was fastened TO
chimney and the chimney toppled over
The woman went into the water, but
they kept hauling her in and she chung
to the chair She was half drowned
when they got her up.
Take Refuge in Frat" Houses
"The men students have responded
nobly in time of distress, and the Phi
Kappa Psi, Sigma Chi. and Beta Theta
Pi fraternity houses. which are on
hills, have been turned over for sleep
ing places for women and children. A
MIR. Houseman and Mr.. Sulliyef
manned the boats sent down by the
life saving station at Toledo, and
saved fifteen persons. The students
are doing practically all of the work
OF saving people and bringing what
food there is to the starving men,
women and children
THE property loss In the city, not
counting personal property, is over
$4,000, 900. There is danger of fire,
because the goods are using candles,
for lights.
I'VE know of thirteen deaths: Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Melcher and their two
sons, Ralph, 6 years old, and Lewis, !
years old; Mrs Silas Smith and her
two sons and one little daughter, 1
year old: Miss Hazel Jones, a f5-year
old girl; Miss Hazel Dunlap, Mrs. Slos-
son, William Hessey, William Fielding
and James Maine
Dies After Being Rescued.
William Fielding chung to a tree
for three days and was rescued only
to die OF exposure. A Mr. Rainer was
marooned in the top of a tree for
three days and a half and was res
cued. He is now i'll from exposure
and it is thought he will get pneu-
monia
"a little girl was picked up from
raft on which she had f1oated five
miles from Stratford. She is i'll OF
exposure, but it is believed, she will
live"
Other Refugees Arrive.
Every train that came in from the
east brought men and women who had
escaped from Indiana after arduous,
roundabout trips and dishearteping
delays. Perhaps none of these ~du-
gees had a more exciting experience
than that of Frank Jameson, COM
mercial traveller of Muncie. Ind.
For thirty-six hours Jameson was
marooned with eighty-five other men
and women guests and employees Of
the Barnett hotel in Logansport. The
basement and first floor were flooded,
water standing eight feet deep in the
office. All there was to eat was some
corned beef and coffee, which one of
line stove. In the basement, under
water, was $3.506 worth of fine food
which could not be reached.
Wednesday afternoon man rowed
down the street near the hotel and
Jameson hailed him. He had only
small skiff and there was room for one
passenger. Jameson offered him $40
to be ferried out Of town and the
boatman accepted the offer. No one
else in the hotel dared risk the trip.
feeling safer in the building than
adrift On the waters. but Jameson
climbed out of the second story win
dow and took seat in the boat.
Five Miles in Row Boat
I'VE rowed for five or six miles,
should think" said JAMESON, in de-
scribing his experience. THE water
gradually grew shallow and finally I
debarked in a field, where I was about
knee deep in mud ani water. | got
farmer to drive me Il few miles fur
Their on, where l car ght a train at a
crossing of the steam and interurban
tracks.
LAS the train was passing Warsaw
we saw horrible thing. A farmer
was driving a team attached to light
wagon. He had a passenger appar-
emily a travelling nan, and they waved
| at the train, which slowed down and
was about to stop for them. The
| horses were knee deep in water and
| the bed of the wagon Tapped the flood
now and then, but they came on con-
| fidently and seemed likely to make
| the tracks in safety.
Suddenly, however, the wagon and
| horses disappeared from view, 1t
seemed as If they must have struck
a sinkhole or something, but the queer
| part of it was that they didn't come
| up. The train waited for ten minutes.
| but not even bubble came TO the sur
| face of the pool where the men and
| horses had disa peared. 1t was a ter
| rible thing, and several women on the
| train who saw it became hysterical
| and were restored with extreme diff
| Guilty"
Insanity ard Suicide.
At Brookville, where the loss of life
| is estimated at 20 to so, insanity and
! suicide followed in the wake Of the
/ flood Five parents who had seen
| their children drowned or who feared
| they met that fate are reported to
| have committed suicide.
: