The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-27
WORST CALAMITY
SINCE GALVESTON
Late Reports Detract Little From
Size Of Horror in
Dayton.
ENTIRE CITY SEEMS DOOMED
Buildings on Fire, and People
Leap in Water to Escape
Flames.
ENTIRE CITY SEEMS DOOMED
Especial to The Tlmes-pispatch. ]

Columbus. Ohio, March &c, t8,3O +.
M.)-Govcrnor Cox Left here late this
afternoon In command of special truius
of miiitiamen In an attempt to reach
Dayton md rescue the hundreds of
persons who are muroOned In buildings
in the business centre of the city,
which WINS reported to the Governor
ms being swept by fumes.
This report was confirmed In two
dispatches received by the Governor.
One reads;
"Thcrc has been an explosion in the
centre of Dayton. The town is ON fire
and people are burning up. We have
no why 10 Ect to them or 10 the fire
eithcr.n
The other message stntcd that the
entire business sectiOn of the city ap-
penrcd 10 be doomed.
The total death list in Dayton re-
mains problematical. The most. au
thentic and latest report received to-
day was made to Governor Cox by his
secretary. George L. Burbank, whom
he sent TO Dayton in the first stages
of the food.
The report is rs follows:
Deaths may run as high as 1000.
= four miles wide. Difficult to get any
{ where near the centre of the city.
: Water up TO the second story of the
Phillips House. Worst calamity in the
country since Galveston"
When he left here with the troops
this afternoon. the Governor planned
10 go from here To Troy and If impos-
sible to get from there into Dayton
by railroad the troops would be taken
across the flood districts in boats and
on RATS.
People Lcnpiug Into wntcr.
telephone message received here
late this afternoon. reported that
many persons who were marooned on
the burning buildings were jumping
into the water and being swept away
by the force of the food.
Hundreds OF starting reports have
been received here during the day
from cities and towns throughout
ohio and Indiana, and indicate that THE
loss Of life has been enormous. The
most conservative estimate made this
afternoon, placed the fatalities in the
two states at 3,61l.
Frantic appeals are being sent from
Dayton for drinking water and food.
The Mayor of Dayton has appealed to
the world for aid, saving that his cityn
Was on the verge of a famine The
"ater system has been completely de-
moiished and ii is impossible to drink
the thick. yellow food which is
s"irline about the buildings.
= decided drop in the temperature
has added 10 the suffering OF The flood
victims \ slight snow storm occurred
IN Dayton this afternoon. and indica
tons are that "a blizzard will envelop
the entire flood district.
The Ohio Legislature increased the
appropriation for relief fund this af
ttrnoon.
Tiffn, Ohio. was added to the long
list OF stricken towns. when a report
was received from there this after
noon stating that fifty persons had
been drowned there including Mayor
Kennel and Chief OF Police Myers
PIqua. Ohio, where $40 are reported
Ia have been drowned, had not been
communicated with at o'clock. cen
trail time, to-day.
An unconirmed report reached Della
ware. Ohio. this afternoon that The
village Of Stratford, five miles below
tina, town. had been wiped out with
Z loss OF 200 lives
\ wireless. message from Mount
Vernon reports "A +oss of life there OF
zoo The PENNSYLVANIA and Baltimore
and Ohio tracks have been washed
out All wires are down and the town
is completely ISOLATED
Dayton Worst Sufferer.
Reports received from ali sections in
the flooded area show that Dayton has
heen by far the worst sufferer The
crest OF the food is reported as having
rean announced that heavy rains or
snow storms are expected to follow
tonight, which will tend TO incycase
the food waters
The first news received from Dav-
ton to-day telling OF the disaster dis
closed the fact that large number OF
persons were caught unawarcs The
greatest loss Of life occurred in North
Dayton and Kiverdale suburbs Dan
ger warnings Of the OnComing Hood
had been sent out, and militiamen
We're patrolling the banks Of the Miami
River watching for the rise While
every precaution was being taken 10
guard the town from the natural food
source az the river. the Lorraine reser-
Noir. IN Shelby County. gave way and
a terrific torrent Of water rush ed into
the already swollen rivers
This was the cause OF the food
which so completely covered Dayton.
Before the food from the broken reser-
vo!r could ahate the torrents we're
added TO b. the heavy rains over a wide
area. which is drained by the Miami
River above Dayton This was in
creased ny the Mad River, the Erie
Canal and saltwater Creek. ali Of
which We're swollen and are reported
rs having burst through their leyees
in several places
The topography Of the city MADE II
impossible for hundreds TO escape