The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-31
BELIEVED ALL FLOOD
SUFFERS ARE NOW
WELL PROVIDED FOR
CONTINUED from page One)


Hamilton today, coming over from Gin
cinnati by automobile. So impressed was
the war secretary with the manner in
which the situation here is being handled
by the citizens and Ohio National Guard
| that he announced he would telegraph
President Wilson that nothing needed for
the present emergency is lacking. The
Secretary was told that the death list
here will not number more than so, with
the property loss estimated at 100000
Secretary Garrison found that the work
OF rehabilitation was going on under mar
tial law.
With Secretary Garrison were Major
General Wood, chief Of staff of the army,
and Major Mccoy They permeated
every part of the city through scenes of
devastation which in many respects riv-
allied in horror those through which they
passed in Dayton.
1t has been noted that the swollen vol
ume of the Miami's waters early left
their ordinary course, gouging out for
long extents what for the time being was
virtually a new river course. This was
taken to indicate that the force of the
flood was immeasauraole and was a feat
ure which greatly interested Secretary
Garrison's 8 party.
General Wood, who went over part of
the ground twice. thought the railroad
bridge above the city, which remained
fast during the onslaught may have been
responsible for the diversion of the mighty
current far away from its regular
course. lie went into this phase OF
the situation with Lieutenant Finch of
the army engineer corps and asked for
full investigation and report.
Garrison Views Scene
AS soon as Secretary Garrison's car
reached High street the panorama OF
desolation was laid bare to the visitors,
and by the time Second street had been
gained the full horrors of the flood were
apparent on all sides. Near the Young
Mems Christian association the car was
stopped to permit the passage of a van
load of dead animals.
A tier of coffins running half a block
in length stood in front of the court
house yard, the basement of the court
house having been turned into a morgue.
A long line of all sorts and conditions, in
cluding men, women and children, was
moving slowly through the courthouse
yard past two open coffins. One con-
tained the body of woman and the other
that of baby girl. When Secretary Gar
rison's party left for Cincinnati both of
these coffins were marked unidentified.
AS fast as bodies were identified they
were being taken out of the courthouse
yard to the cemetery.
Secretary Garrison WAS tOlu tilat 10
bodies had been recovered. Fear was ex-
pressed that the mud and debris along the
river bank still held many more who per-
ished. as most of the bodies already re-
covered were found in that locality.
The whole situation for the work of
sanitation and reconstruction was laid
before Secretary Garrison and General
Wood in the Chamber Of Commerce build
ing, which has become the headquarters
for relief work. Major I1endley of the
Ohio militoa explained the manner of di-
viding the city into FIVE sanitary districts,
which in turn are subdivided into some 40
smaller areas, both the military. hospital
corps and the men of the regular army
medical corps, under Captain Whaley of
Fortress Monroe working with the ut
most harmony. Colonel Zimmerman or
the Ohio National Guard, who is at the
head of the militia administration of af-
fairs in Hamilton as well as Ben Straus,
chairman of the citizens committee, re-
ceived words of commendation and ap-
proval from Secretary Garrison and Gen
eral Wood.