Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-30
DIGS
BODIES Of DEAD
FROM DEBRIS
City a Scene of Devastation.
Rescue Work To Be Com
pIete To-day.


four days in the upper stories of
houses, who had escaped as if by mir
acle, were being reached by rescuers
during the morning hours. Many of
| those rescued to- day were in a critical
condition.
Accurate figures of the dead will be
impossible for several days. Safety Di-
rector Bargar this morning claimed
! that not more than 100 had been
drowned, Coroner Benkert asserted
that the loss of life would reach 200,
while former Mayor Marshall, COM
handing the rescue workers in the
southern end of the flooded district,
held that both estimates were too high.
There are probably more bodies in
| the debris, but do not think the num-
Der will reach one hundred" said
Marshall
OF the fifty-siX bodies recovered to-
day, twenty seven have been identi-
fed.
Those who fear that the death list
will grow point out that as yet no
search of houses or wreckage has been
made, that many homes were swept
away and that many bodies have been
carried down the river and may never
be recovered. Some basis for this be-
lief existed in the fact that one of the
recovered bodies was found four miles
down stream.
Completing Rescue Work.
1t was believed by rescue workers to-
day that their work would be COM
pleted by nightfall
Big wagons, drawn by horses wad-
ing knee deep, are patrolling hitherto
UNEMPLOYED sections and rapidly COM
plotting their work of succoring ma
rooned survivors.
A trip in one of these wagons re-
vealed wreckage piled up to the second
stories, fronts of stores caved in, build
ings collapsed and burned, houses
moved into the streets. whole sides of
structures torn out and places where
rows of houses had been swept barJ
of any marks of habitation, The loss
| viii run into the millions.
Estimates place property damage
from S15OO0.OOO to $4,000, 600.
The city is staggered by the enor-
nous weight of human suffering
/ Militianien are patrolling the entire
west side district
] Soldiers shot and killed a looter here
before daylight. The shooting occurred
! just south OF the Baltimore and Ohio
| tracks. near Mound and Center streets
on the west side. The looter had left
| his boat and was climbing up a tele-
phone pole when the shooting occurred
His body dropped into the water and
was not recovered.
The guardsmen were busy during the
night firing on hooters.
An element adding to the difficulty
| Of the situation to-day was the refusal
/ Of hundreds to leave their homes in
/ the submerged district now that the
/ danger has passed
Refused to Leave Their All.
We've saved our bedding and furni-
ture, and that's all we have" said one
of these. I'VE are not going to Ike
any chance of losing that"
The flood waters are falling rapidly
! but they may continue to run through
| the west side for weeks or until the
/ numerous breaks in the Scioto river
levee are repaired.
! City Health officer. DR.. outs Kahl
/ has ordered an immediate cleaning up
/ 1t was hoped that city water would be
restored to the stricken district some
| time to-day. The health authorities
| have called attention to the necessity
of boiling all water for drinking pur-
] poses to avoid a typhoid epidemic.
! The Scioto river has cut a new chan
/ mel through the heart of the west side
! residence district and sentiment is
being expressed by prominent citizens
| favoring the retention of this new
course for the river bed. Ii is be-
Heved that would make the west side
! free from danger Of food in the future
Wild reports Of people being carried
I off when their houses gave way before
I the swollen torrents Of water are being
| denied to-day. The supply of fresh meat
has given out and the city faces a
/ vegetable diet mostly of canned stuff.
Relief Plan Changed.
! Governor George NJ Cox this morn
ing issued the following proclama-
/ ton.
In order To simplify the situa-
! ton growing out of requests COM
! ing from every direction with ref
erenCe to funds and supplies. We
! suggest the following arrangement:
/ That all supplies in the future be
] consigned TO Colonel Edward T
! Miller in charge Of general relief
depot, Columbus Ohio; and all
/ funds 10 Colonel NJ. l. Wilson.
| treasurer Of the commission rep
resenting the Red Cross. the state
and the citizenship. II is desirable
/ that there be submitted by wire a
] statement giving car number and
character Of supplies that are
/ shipped.
There is every indication that the
Ohio river VIII reach the highest
! stage IN its history. Wire commu-
nication is now being established
and calls for food and clothing are
coming from unexpected parts Of
-rr state 4 critical Sl-uaff0r1 has