The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-03-28
Entire Business Section Of
Dayton, Ohio, in a Blaze.
PERSONS FLEE OVER ROOFS
To ESCAPE BEING ROASTED
Latest Estimates Place Number Of
Dead in DesoIated City at from 500
to 1,0oo-crest of Flood Passes and
Water Is Subsiding-very Few
Bodies Are Recovered.

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Toledo, o., March 27.-"Latest est
mates received here place the mum
Der of dead in the Dayton flood a
more than 500. l have received re
ports from my men all along the lin,
that indicate an estimate of 500 deaf
is conservative" said Frank Brandon
vice president and general manage
| Of the Dayton, Lebanon and Cincin
| natl railroad.
Columbus, O.. March 81. - A tele
| phone message to Governor Co,
states that the entire business sec
ton Of Dayton is on fire and probably
will be destroyed. Many persons i'm
prisoned in upper stories of business
buildings could be seen jumping from
roof to roof, trying to escape the
flames.
The governor upon receipt Of the
message notified the mayors OF all
cities and towns surrounding Dayton
who could reach that point in any
way to make haste with boats, as
buildings in Dayton are burning up
with people in them.
Explosion Starts conflagration.
From Woolf Creek comes the in.
formation that there had been an ex.
plosion in middle of Dayton: the
town was on fire and loss of life had
been increased. People were burning
up and there was no way to get to
them or the fire either.
The fire is reported to have started
from the explosion of an oil tank con
tanning hundreds Of gallons. and
which bumped into submerged
building near Fourth and Jefferson
streets
The Beckel House was reported to
be burning and Jefferson street is on
fire on its east side from Third street
as far as the Western Union office.
The Dayton informant confirmed the
information that refugees driven
from the places where they had
sought safety from the foods were
leaping from roof to roof to escape
the new terror. The fire was RAPIDLY
approaching the Home telephone
plant. whence came this information.
The crest OF the flood has passed
Dayton and the waters have fallen
noticeably since then.
High as it is expected the death
list will be. there are almost no bod
les recovered and still practically
none Of the dead are known.
Fireman Tells Story Of Flood.
A story of the break of the levee
and the onrush of the waters was told
by Eddy Vicent, member Of the fire
department. His frehouse is located
within a few doors of Taylor street,
where the break occurred
The department watchers. fearing
being flood bound, sounded the fire
call simultaneously with the break in
the water wall.
when the horses, which were
hitched in record time, reached the
street." he said. 1--WE were met by
wall of water which must have been
ten feet high. The driver was forced
to turn and flee in the opposite direc-
ton to save the team and the ap.
paratus."
Heavy Mississippi Floods Predicted.
Washington. March 27.-Weather
bureau scientists here confirm fears
expressed by Forecaster Emery at
Memphis Of heavy Mississippi food.
If rains continue for the next TWEEN.
ty-four hours they look for disastrous
developments.
Relief Sent from Washington.
Washington, March 81. - Cots for
10000 persons, blankets. medical sup
plies and stoves have been sent to
Columbus, o., by the war department
in response to an urgent request from
Governor Cox.
Hamlet Reported Wiped Out.
Cincinnati. O.. March 27-The ham.
let of Coke Otto. with population
of 100 persons, is reported wiped off
the map.
100 Dead at Mount Vernon. o.
Mt. Vernon, o., March 27.-This
town is entirely cut off from the out
side world the telegraph and tele.
phone wires being all down and Balti.
more and Ohio trains unable to get
into the city by reason OF miles CT
track being washed out. The list OF
drowned here will reach one hundred
Fifty Dead at Tiffin.
Tiffln, o., March 27.-Fifty are dead
here in the food. Chief of Police
Myers and Mayor Kaeppell are miss
ing and thought to be drowned Every
bridge is down and water is seven
feet deep in streets,
Refugees Suffer in Cold.
Xenia, o., March 27.-The weather
turned colder. bringing greater SUI
fering for the refugees. The cold
however. brought hope that It would
abate the flood by freezing the upper
tributaries of the rivers.