The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1913-04-18
Tells of Experience in Dayton
Flood.

writing to his parents In this City.
tells in narrowing detail his expeh-
ences when that city was swept by the
water. Mr.. DOty recOunts his expert
euce from the time the water began to
rush into the city. until he was able to
return to his home, and tells OF the
suffering he and his companions from
cold and hunger,
| He with a number of companions
was marooned on the housetops for
| three days, with nothing but stick
candy ito sustain them and without
drinking water. Here they lwere
forced to remain until the receding
waters permitted them TO leave the
buildings. His letter is as follows:
Dayton, o., April 10.
Dear Mother, Father and All: -
recknn you thought you would
never hear from me again, but have
been so busy in the day time. At
night the gas il out and am $50 Rtired
and worn out. We are getting on our
! feet again and at present everything Is
going along fine. / have gone through
with lot in the last few day.
No doubt you will be interested lin
| little description of the flood and of
my own experiences during that excit-
| ing time. Rain hadsbeen falling flor
day or 80 and on Moday, March "a, the
river reached a high stage. That
night large building collapsed and on
Tuesday kmorning about 6 80 O'Clock
whistles sounded a warning of the I'M
ending danger. Aunt Matte called
US at this time and in company with
William, / went up to look at the
river and then went to the store where
succeeded. in getting large portion
of the stock of winter hats to the third
floor. Had been in he Istore one half
hour when the river broke, and water
rushed down all the streets. People
were running like mad to escape the
onrushing water. / was then stand
ing in water up to my waist and was
compelled to go to one of the upper
stories.
Here we looked out and all we could
see was water and houses. Windows
were crumbIed by fthe swift waters
and horses in great numbers drowned
in the streets. The sight was some
thing awful.
People sought the housetops to es-
cape the floods and from our position
we could see houses floating down.
This was about 8 80 Tin the morning.
Noon came and then levening. We
were still marooned in the building.
1t must have been 7 80 o'clock when
we saw fire in the sout part of the
city. 1t illuminated the whole city,
which seemed doomed to either fire or
water. We tried to sleep but there
was no sleepSfor any of Jus. l thought
daylight would never come and when
building across the street collapsed
we thought the building in which we
were marooned, would soon suffer the
same fate. Expecting every minute to
meet the same fate of so many others,
we calmly awaited the result. We had
nothing to eat all day and tbs Ioangs of
! hunger and thirst increased our suffer
ing. After waiting what seemed an
age daylight came, some men came
and took me out of the building. We
travelled from roof to roof and finally
secured a quantity of stick candy.
This was all the food we had. We
could see from the roots people in
| Riverdale battling with the flood,
men, women and children were engaged
| in the struggle.
Wednesday morning three more
buildings collapsed and fire destroying
three blocks. added to the horror. We
stood on the roof of building all
night. The wind was blowing and
driving cold rain or sleet Upon the
sufferers. The hardship and agony en-
dured this night are indescribable. |
stood with others watching the fire
which was rapidly eating its way to-
ward US and fully expected every mo-
melt for the building to catch fire.
AS final effort to save our lives we
secured l0r of rope. tied it about our
bodies and prepared to jump into the
water and swim the distance of four
blocks that had been burned. Two
large whisky houses and two paint
factories went up in smoke that night
The morning found US still safe, but
numbed with cold and weak from
hunger. We consoled ourselves with
the thought that there.were others in
the same condition.
By this time we were able to get
out on the street in front of our place,
but the waters had receded no farther. |
When my feet touched the street for
the first time in three days, thanked
God for my safe delivery and breathed
a prayer for those who were less for
tunate.
At this time all those who were
physically aDIe were sWOrH I'D aS
special police. Twas forced to take
the oath and placed on duty. We were |
told when we were able to see the
Third street car tracks we could go
home. l was on duty all of Thursday
night and Friday morning when | was
permitted 10 go. When | reached
home l found the wateridid not reach
the,house. After'I had been accounted
for, Aunt Hattie sent the telegram.
was glad to see all safe and well.
The sights revealed by 1.-THE preceding
waters were beyond description. 1t is
impossible for me to describe my ex
perience. the.hours of suspense, the
hunger and suffering from the cold
1t will take Dayton.years to irecover
and when ste does she will be pTacti-
cally new city. Without light and
gas people are greatly incoDveni-
enced, but the work of reconstruction
cues quietly on. Will close for this
time. Regards to all.
RUSSELL.