Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-03-26
Wall of Water Seven Feet High
is Rushing Through Main
Section of City Of Ten Thou
sand Population,
PEOPLE NARROWED IN
TREE TOPS RESCUED
PitiabIe Scenes Ensue When
Families Are Separated by
Swidi0g Waters Of Raging
River
.ny Morn,ns sou,nnl special Leased wire

II, Morning Jou,nnl special Leased Wlre)
Delaware. o.. March 2a,--Nlul
nineteen persons reported dead, swep'
away In the flooded Olentangy river
scores Of others missing and between
500 and 900 families homeless. TINS
town of about 10000 Inhabitants to-
night with the exception Of crippled
telegraph service. Is cut of from SUR
rounding territory Mayor Leas. who
was reported drowned but saved him
self hy catching hold OF the roof OF
"a shed. estimates the number OF dead
AT between twenty-five and seventy
five. scores of persons are marooncd
m trees and ON house tops.
4 wall of water seven feet high u
rushing through the main section OF
the city. The five bridges connecting
the east and main sections have been
washed AWAY. East Delaware ne-
ports the following drowned there
X. NJ. MELCHlNG, wife and seven
children
MRS. sILAs CHli.DERs and three
children
MRS. SAM JONES.
MISS ETHEL JONES.
MRS. QulRK.
JERRY McArLlFFE
-. BILLS
MRS. BILLS.
THREE CHILDREN.
UNIDENTIFIED GfnL.
Three unknown women.
An unknown man.
As darkness gathered, weeping
women and children lined the east
bank of the river waving hnndker-
chiefs TO their loved ones marooned IN
houses ana trees IN the swirlng river
In one tree whore six persons were
ciinglng to the branches repeated et-
forts to throw them q rope failed.
-Four persons were thrown Into the
river whom the Big -Four bridge gave
way.
Thrce were rescued but Ralph
Roige, printer who caught on tree
after being carried 200 yards down
stream IL stll marooned there. Just
as the bridge was swept out a man,
clnging to the root Of house which
was being swept down stream, waved
his shirt at the people on the shore
and then was lost 10 view as the house
struck the bridge and crumplcd, Sew
cral buildings Of the Ohio Wesleyan
university are inundated.
one baby unidentified, was rescued
as il floatcd down stream. Another
baby could not be recovered. slas
smith, whose wife ana children We're
! drowned. graspod the roof of a house
as II floated down stream and drifted
safely into a lumber yard. By climb
ing into "a tree the Rev Eugene Bush
rescued two babies and several adults.
| The minister fastened himself to a
tree and threw Il rope to man who,
with several women and children was
| being carried down stream on a
/ house All were hauled ashore.
Tonight fires were built along the
/ banks Of the river To cheer the ma
rooned ones while desperate efforts
10 rescue continued. Llfe-saving
| crews from Toledo ana Cleveland lake
stations have been summoned When
| they arrive breeches buoys VIII be
1 fired from cannon to those IN isolat-
/ ed houses and tree tops. COmmuni-
cation with the main section Of the
| city was still unobtainable tonight,
The number of deaths on that side
Of the city Is still unknown
Walter Raiues, who was thrown
into the river when the Big Four
bridge was washed out Is stll In the
tree top where he caught, He has
clung there more than eight hours
Hundreds of persons along the banks
stood IN drenching rain and cheered
would be reaCucrs who tried I'm vain
TO reach MIN
Scores OF the stranded have been
clinging 70 trees ana house tops with
ont food and Ia Il drcnching ram
since o'clock this morning