The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-04-12
BRIDGEPORT MAN
TELLS OF DAYTON
FLOOD DISASTERS
Continued from PAGE 10

/
wards the hotel. We had not gone
more than a block or so before the
water was at our waists. Directly
ahead of US were the station and
tracks.
I'VE could see horses foundering
about whipped by excited drivers,
whose wagons were being swirled
around and around. In most cases
the men appeared to be humane, as
they cut the traces and straps, and
themselves SWAN to spots of safety.
The horses in frantic madness seemed
to plunge without thought of their
goal and We're in most instances swept
away. Thousands Of them seemed to
pass us either dying or dead that
morning and afternoon.
| with about 25 or 80 other refugees
we had sought safety in a brick no
tel called the Giddings House. near
the railroad tracks 1t was impos-
sible to stem the tide at that point
US from the first to the second floor of
the building.
None seemed to think Of provis-
ions, and we were on the second floor
in the afternoon, when the first
| thought Of food was mentioned. 1t
was then found that nothing had been
| reserved for emergency. A bar-roorn
| and restaurant were on the floor be-
low, but when we went to Sc what
could be done there remained but a
i 1890
the ceiling. Luckily there were no
| women in the party, as we had to seek
refuge upon the third floor and as the
waters advanced some were fearful.
| "a small frame building in the rear
collapsed and added to the fright, but
! as ours was sof solid brick with good
foundation, the only thoughts which
| arose in our minds after the first
| twenty-four hours, was when Will we
be rescued Even that thought SEEM
| Rr %ea6 "a
| crowded to the windows at the front
| and watched with awe the many OBJ
iects carried swiftly to destruction in
the eddying maelstrom of muddy wa
! ter.
ssr1othfne could live in its awful flow.
and not even a motor-boat could have
| stemned it's tide, though its surface
| had been cleared Of the debris torn
from houses, stores, churches and ev-
cry other conceivable nook. 1t seem
ed that nothing was sacred to It's
grasp.
| s'From the broken forms Of houses
which grated along on the bottom, to
| the domestic cat, everything was
| there AS house after house above
Ius sank into the food innunerable
hoated by. j.,
| 'swhd1e I did not see any human bod
les drifting upon the surface, there
were many carried from the north end
! Of the city, which suffered the most.
| These were taken down the main
stream which moved all the bridges
out. shortly after we had left the rtv-
er bank The weighted freight cars
did not save the railroad structure.
Towards evening on the first day OF
our Imprisonment, hunger possessed
us, and every means of getting food
was devised, without avail. 1t seem
ed that starvation was to. be our lot
and it was a. gloomy outlook, which
Nh 7fc-7R
spent in meditation and observing the
waters, which constantly rose until
they were ON a, level with our second
story. was told that the estimated
depth where we were located was
twenty-five feet. Pack and I were
together and we often thought of
Bridgeport and wondered what would
be the final outcome.
I'm the morning pangs of hunger
were felt and it seemed the principal
topic of discussion. Chance, however,
was in OUT favor, as boxes of different
kinds of groceries were seen in the
flood. Many were way beyond the
reach and seemed to mock OUT efforts.
FINALLY with pieces of sticks. which
had doated close to the building, a
one of the foraging party vino had
been stationed at every available
spot in the openings, and though raw.
and bringing tears to the eyes as they
were eaten, the onions were ravenous
~ devoured by the hungry crowd
"A barrel of apples was later towed
to the grasp of the watchers and sup
plemented the preliminary feast.
Though watch constantly kept
nothing else was taken from the out
sides and until the flood had receded
sufficiently to make progress possible
at O'Clock Thursday afternoon, that
was all we had to eat. There were
beds in the upper floors but few of
US slept during the first or second
days
ceding almost as rapidly as they had
risen, but we did not see a boat until
Thursday noon. People shortly after
that began to get about the streets
and with the others we ventured out
and, in water above our knees and
sometimes to our WAISTS we waded
over to our regular hotel. We were
glad to get change of rainent and
find many we knew congregat1ng
around the corridors.
"'It seemed odd, that everything
should be wet, dirty and topsy ts1rvy.
Odd scenes presented themselves to
the eye, and people wandered about
aimlessly, not seeming to know what
to do with themselves.
+'Wild tales were in the air about
the loss of life, and strange sights
presented themselves to the eye. On
every hand were muddy walls and
ruined buildings. Fire had also swept
a portion of the city, the first start
ing, it was said. through the explosion
of chemicals in a drug store. At
one time it was believed that dyna-
mite would have to be resorted to in
order to stop its spread.
Shortly after the waters had sub
sided the militia were called out, and
relief stations were established for the
distribution of food. All persons were
ordered off Of the streets after six
O'Clock except those who held per-
mits.''
Business was at a standsttH when
Stengle and Pack finished their work
at the car. barns, though railroad con-
struction and bridge building was go
ing on with the general work Of SAM