The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-03-28
Women Leap Into Flood
Preferrins Drowing
TO Cremation Major
Operations Perform
ed in Rowboats.
an Federal wlreless TeleEraph.l

(By Federal Wireless TeleHAph.)
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 26.-(Spe-
cial to The Advertiser wolfe
Creek, two miles from Dayton, mes
sage came today that, with its flooded
streets like millraces, what is left of
the stricken city is doomed by a fire
which started with an explosion In
which many perished.
The mayor of Dayton has sent an
appeal to all surrounding cities to send
boats.
1.-THE houses are burning with their
inmates imprisoned in them" was his
message.
The flames, in spite of the soaking
the buildings had, are sweeping rapid
ly and women and children are leap
ing from the houses into the flood, pre-
ferring death by drowning to death
from fire.
The explosion was caused when hun
dreds of gallons of gasoline stored in
the flooded district became ignited. 1t
was found impossible to reach the scene
of the explosion, Its force was so great
that nearby houses which had with
stood the food were razed, this alone
swelling the death list. The fire is
fast increasing the number of the dead
in the stricken city.
TRAPPED HoPELEsSLY.
In many cases men and women per-
ished in the fire without the slightest
chance of fighting for their lives, be.
cause their refuges were so isolated.
Where help is most needed, no small
boat can live in the flood. Every boat
available, even houseboats, has been
commandeered for hospital and rescue
work.
Major operations have been per
formed in rowboats.
Survivors have been picked from
wreckage, saved from crumbling houses,
from telegraph poles and from trees
by this hotilla, yet all that is done
seems puny before the magnitude of
the needs.
QUARTER MILLION HOMELESS.
by Federal Wireless Teegraph.)
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 26.-(Spe-
cial to The Advertiser) Nearly all
wires to the flooded districts are down,
but estimates of the dead in the State
received here range from 1900 to 5000,
though it is impossible to give accu-
rate figures.
Governor Cox estimates the number
OF homeless people throughout the
State at 100000.
PIQUA FLOODED.
The hydraulic dam at Ptqua is re.
ported to have collapsed last night and
is fooding the city. One report said
that 5000 met death in Piqua alone,
but this has not been confirmed.
A telephone message to Governor
Cox from Bellefountaine said the Lew
istown reservoir had burst and that the
Miami Valley was being swept by a
veritable tidal wave This volume of
water is believed to have caused most
of the damage at Sydney and Piqua,
NATIONAL GUARD OUT.
The entire Ohio National Guard has
been ordered out today and $500 sol
diels are ready to move as soon as
trains can start. Governor Cox has
appealed TO the neighboring States for
aid and also will ask the legislature
to appropriate S25o,OOO for the suf'
ferers.
HAMILTON HARD HIT.
Thirteen persons are known to be
dead at Hamilton and one hundred
Others are reported missing, The prop
erty loss there is estimated at one
million dollars.
Seven are known TO be dead at Mid
dletown one hundred others are miss
ing and property damage OF at leasi
five hundred thousand dollars has beer
done.
60
ppRu DEATH TTsT