The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-26

ers in the halls of its Office building last
night. Main street, near Apple, was
one of the concentration points. In the |
woodworking department of the Nation
al cash register company boats were
| being turned out at the rate Of TO an
! hour, and these were being rushed to
where the waters had crossed Main
street in a sort of gully. But the
waters crept up, and the strength OF
/ the current was far too strong for the
| crude punts, though they were the best
| that could be made III a hurry.
Houses Catch Fire.
Trip after trip was made aud hun
! dreds of the refugees were taken from
| this stretch of houses. Then came the
path of the flames, starting at Vine
| and Main streets. Ii jumped Main
| street, and the houses on the other
side were soon aflame. In the middle OF
the street were few frame houses that
had been washed from their foundations.
| These were swiried about for time
and as though to aid in the passing of
the section by fire they were cast into
the path of the flames.
/ Persons hurried from their roof-tops
where they had been driven by the
flood, to the roOf-tops of adjoining
houses. Then the sun went down, leav
ing a desolate, weird light from the
fire, showing as from one isolated spot
against the sky.
The first to seek safety by sliding
his body along the telegraph conduits
was Il man.. Then came four women.
The first of the women was Mrs. Luella
Meyers. She is a widow with one son.
a boy in knee breeches. He got uot
on the wire, and with the agility of a
cat was soon across. But the Widow
Meyers was not SO Young as the boy and
; possibly more aware of the danger be-
low. When she was over the boiling
, torrent beneath she Swayed as though
faint, slipped, amt the crowd stood 10y
with bated breath.
~ lucky chance her senses came
back to her in time so that she could
grasp one OF the wires. Hand over hand
She was able to slowly pun herself to
the nearest pole, where she rested her
/ Iachiug arms before making the trial
This time she did not falter. but when
she was picked up by rescuers n the
fartherest pole toward safety she was
limp from nervous and physical exhaust
p ION.
a Then came two more women who had
. watched the performance of the Meyers
woman. and under the advice of the
u people standing on safe ground. they
f kept looking up and were not subjected
4 to the faintneSs of the first woman pas
% Scugcr. Then. came a young man and
~, his wife The wife he sent first and
- when she reached safety she refused
a TO get into the ambulance without hel
le baby. Another five minutes and her
i husband had been brought ont to safe
f., ground. He had the baby in a pillow
slip and the youugster celebrated his
H. arrival on safe ground by a lusty veil
or Others followed to safety.
y Worst Part of Flooded District.
If The worst of the flooded district in.
cludcs all of North and West Dayton
T. all of the downtown section, the south
S. side as far as Oakwood and all of the
III residence suburb of Glendale. The dis
nc trict has a normal population of NOR,
Il than 10000 Rescuors and those at tho
IN hospitals said an estimate of 500'
b. deaths might be as accurate as an es
IS innate of 100 At the edges of the in
&C. undated districts the water ran from
he to 10 feet deep. Judging by this tha
ed would bc 20 or 80 feet down town
re While those marooned in the office
and hotels are in no Immediate DANCE
90 of drowning there is no way food o
en- drinking water can reach them unit
yh the water rccedes.
II Those in the residences however ar
be IN constant danger both by flood an
ut fire. First the Trailer buildings swep
al into the stream, many showing faces o
ial women and children peering from tn
he windows These were followed by NOR
ed substantial brick buildings until it y,
nj came evident that no house in tn
ed flood zone was safe. The houses as
nd rule lasted but a few blocks before di
ne integration.
700 The body of one gray haired woma
ne foated down the stream only a fer
feet from the watchers at South Par
ef- street. 1t caught on guard rope, bJ
er, swept clear and was gone before
nc could be recovered.
OF The flood came soon after dayligl
.er. yesterday morning after the resident
leh had spent Monday night in terror. TT
on main levee of the Big Miami brol
pts at Webster street at about cloc
ow An hour later the water went throuc
Iay in dozen places and a wall of wat
led 10 feet deep swept through the ma
ltll street lust above the luncture of Il
Big Miami and the Mad river. al
uth where the water of Saltwater riv
'ter poured into the Miami the flood reac
;ue, ed its height and rolled into the bu,
ong ness section q wall 20 feet high. Tl
the DAYTON News was soon under 20 fe
the of water the food rose to the secol
the aoor of the Alaououin hotel. and ;
he'd. along Main street occupants were dri
hat al "a the third floors What has IA
axe nenad ~ them since no one on 7
,ept on+side can tell
lers House looting began early in t
ave night and while the local militia q
TO on duty, they are wholly incapable
res handling the situation.
the Incidents without number are NJ
rated of persons in the flooded distr
ON waving handkerchiefs and otherw
the signalling for aid being swept aw