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


was being registered there was
brought into headquarters a man who
had to be held up and who was very
wet.
Jim" shrieked the woman. That's
you! It's you! You aren't dead? Say
you aren't dead!" Jim had been res
cued from drowning. The return of
James Cassidy was the one bit of joy
in the awful gloom at the rescue head
quarters, where gathered the victims
of flood, fire and famine.
A woman, maddened by the sorrows
of the day. fought with Bill Riley and
his companion, Charles Wagner, who
had rescued her in a boat. She bit
Riley in the hand and choked Wag-
ner. who sought to restrain her. The
little boat swayed and was on the
point of capsizing when the woman
suddenly became calm and began to
pray.
Blown Into Eternity.
Al Saettle. owner of the house in
which the fire started after gas eX-
ulosion. is reported to have been
blown into the air and killed instantly.
Mrs. skunk, a neighbor, was blown
out of her home into the flood, ana
after clinging to a telegraph pole for
half an hour finally succumbed ana
Vas sucked away under the waters,
according to a report received at res
cue headquarters.
Tho nxnIosion blew a stable filled
with hay into the middle of the flood
ed street. and this carried the flames
to the opposite side of the street.
The next house to burn was Harry
Tjndsav's. then Mary Creidler's, ana
then the home of Theodore C. Lano,
saw. Houses that had been carried
aTay from their foundations floated
into the flames and were soon bon
fire. The flames burned without re
straint. Engines could not get near
enough to it to stop it.
The search for the dead will not be-
gin until all the living have oeeh
helped. &c
The most heart-rending feature OF
the situation is the pitiable terror OF
the women and children. Many Oh
them sat up and sobbed through tne
night, refusing to believe that thel5
husbands and fathers who missed
wives and children cried their gr1eI IN
the nerve-shaking way that strong
men have of voicing sorrow. Ihere
was no one to give consoiatioh' pc
cause no one knows nor Will know Ior
several DAYS what the loss OF lie is
children are lost, being parted from
their mothers in the turrnon.
DAYTON is a lost city. 1t is com
nIeteiy separated from the rest of the
World Its isolation is almost prime
val. Only one telephone line was
working last night and that is a pr1-
vate wire between Dayton ana Leoan-
on. The city government is complete
" imprisoned by water Nothing mas
been heard since the flood descended
upon the city. 1t came down so quick
" that no one was prepared.
Only Force of Relief.
The only organized relief movement
is that which is being conducted by
the National Cash Register company,
whose plant is outside the flood and
fire zone.
The entire force of this organization
has been thrown into the relief work
Not a wheel has stirred in the factories
of the Register company since Tues
day morning and every employee is
engaged in relief work.
The huge plant has been turned into
a rescue mission and hospital and
thousands slept on their straw covered
floors last night The dining room and
rest rooms of women employees were
turned into a dining room for the
refugees. Nearly all available food was
bought up by the company for the bene-
fit of flood victims.
Dayton has found new cause for it's
faith in John H Patterson, the man
who put Dayton on the map. Bare
footed yesterday he waded through the
flood to save families from flooded
houses. He rowed the boat himself.
He is nearly 20 years of age. He has
two children, a son, Frederick, and
daughter, Dorothy.
The son led a rescue party and Miss
Dorothy, her hair streaming with wa
ter, stood in the rain for hours receiv-
ing the refugees as they were brought
in automobiles. The 81 automobiles of
the Cash Register company were
pressed into service for rescue work.
1t was found that Dayton didn't have
enough skiffs, so Patterson forthwith
had his carpenters make 100 small
boats They were ready by nightfa1l
]. c. Hale. head of the welfare de-
partment of the plant. became head of
the flood welfare work and the entire
working force has become a charity
organization.
A hospital department has been es-
tablished with two physicians. There
are two hundred sick persons at this
temporary hospital and $50 at the Mia
mi Valley hospital and in the schools
of the Brothers of ST Mary.
The reports of deaths in the flood
continue to come in with the arrival of
every rescue worker. Most of the
deaths reported We're due to inability
on the part of the refugees to fight the
flood on RATS on which they sought
to reach places of safety. Others were
overwhelmed by the rush Of the water