The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-27

National Cash Register building.
1t is reported temporary morgue
has been established at Fifth and Eagle
streets 1t is impossible for the many
griefstricken men and women to reach
this point. The suspense at the Nation
al Cash Register company where hun
dreds of the homeless are being housed
! is intense.
Columbus. March 27.-Five hundred
lives were lost at Piqua according to
informa ton received at 1890 by Sem
ator S. E Kiser of Piqua. His inform
ant was ]. Guy O'Donnell, prosecuting
attorney of Miami county.
The entire east side of Piqua was
swept away, according to Mr.. O'Donnell.
Senator Kizer and Mrs. Kizer were in
Columbus before the flood and Attor-
ney ODonnell, in talking with him over
the telephone today, said his informa-
ton was authentic.
! Dayton, Ohio, March 27.-A small
| portion of Daytons citizens today,
| from their refuge on the highest point
in the city, awaited anxiously to learn
1 of the fate of at least $500 of the
| city's inhabitants, hemmed in by rag
! ing flood water and menaced by fire.
Although only a little more than
mile from the section where it is fear
ed there has been great loss OF lie,
hundreds of willing men and women
Even during the early hours OF the
third day of flood, any estimate of
the number who have persisted would
have been mere guess work. Thou-
sands have been marooned. How
many have survived mo one knows
Numerous fires have sprung up since
the water from a burSted reservoir
penned in tens of thousands, but the
noon about 4:3O O'Clock, and this
morning still was claiming its toll of
property and doubtless many lives.
Although water from swollen streams
slowly had been creeping upon the
outlying sections of the city for hours,
the catastrophe which resulted SO Sc
riously came within 80 minutes after
the Tarleton reservoir broke.
The streets soon became basins for
swelling torrents of water in which
the flood have had to wait until the
water subsidies. The water went down
perceptibly each hour after noon yes
terday and during last night, and un-
less other reservoirs break, which is
feared, the we'll organized force of
relief workers should have large
section of the city explored before
nightfall.
Fire. the extent of which is un-
known. added grim menace last
night and today. From what could be
seen through a field glass from the
top of tall building more than
IL
started in the Patterson Supply COM
pany's plant. Early today it had con-
sumed at least parts of three blocks.
Lives Destroyed in Hotel.
The Patterson plant is on Third
street near jefferson. The fire burn
ed northwest for time and then
shifted to directly west. 1t has been
conservatively estimated that $50 per
sons were marooned in the Beckel
hotel. which was believed to have
gone up in flames. This fact, how
ever. could not be definitely ascer-
tanned. Whether many persons were
in other buildings in the vicinity is
not known. Two expert oarsmen took
a boat into parts of Third and JEFF
ferson streets yesterday and saw per-
sons in every building, who pleaded
with them to save them. They did
not traverse that portion believed to
have burned. Word was received
early today that sixty motor boats
with men to operate them. were COM
ing from Cleveland and a few from
Cincinnati. Unless conditions become
worse, it is believed practically all of
the submerged section can be explor-
ed today That conditions will i'm
nrove is not assured. however. Reports
today from the vicinity of Lewiston
were that the huge reservoir was ex-
Dected to break any minute. A high
wind was blowing water over the
banks the dams were weakening and
Lewiston people We're fleeing from
their homes for high ground
Lewiston is 20 miles from Dayton,
but it is predicted here that If the
reservoir there gives way worse
food than has overwhelmed the city
viii sweep down upon the inhabitants
row fighting for life. Should this
catastrophe come before the water now
he1nming in thousands subsidies enough
to allow boats to get to the stricken
people it is predicted that it will be
impossible to reach them for days.
Cold Creates Misery.
Most of them have been submitted
to a cold penetrating wind. driving
rain before 1t, since Tuesday noon.
Early today there was snow and a de-
cided drop in the temperature The
city was proclaimed under martial law
Yesterday afternoon. Last night a
thief was caught robbing homes of
food victims who had been taken to
refuge stations. He was shot to death
by state guardemen, doing police duty.
Persons taken from flooded homes
have been we'll cared for.
Although all grocery stores outside
the flooded area sold out their stocks
yesterday afternoon, food soon was
supplied by other cities. Doctors and