The Washington times., 1913-03-28
SURVIVORS TELL
DISASTER STORY
Describe Flood Horrors at Columbus on Arrival at Cleveland
Special Trains-Women and Children Lost
When Overwhelmed BY Waters.

! CLEVELAND. Ohio. March 2s.-The
| curtain of mystery that has enshrouded
| the fiood-stricken district of Ohio for
| more than forty-eight hours. began
| slowly to unfold today. Refugees from
| Columbus, worn by their experiences,
reached this city on two trains, bring
! ing stories of suffering and hardship
seldom equaled. They told graphic
stories of men, women, and children
diving. entrapped in their homes while
would-be rescuers were forced to watch,
unable to do anything toward rescuing
4 the dying.
! w. B. Kirkpatrick, State representa-
tive of Trumbull county, and John c.
Cooper, of Mahoning county. pieced out
together picture that brought into
bold relief the happenings in the, capi-
/ tai, even though they agreed that the
estimates of the dead had been eXaS-
gerated.
! "Only one bridge remained intact In
Columbus when We left there late last
night" said kirkpatrick. 1T is the Rich
street structure, the Oldest in the city
and one that has been condemned for
years. The work of rescue has been
systematized. Boats are being sent
through the flooded district. AS fast as
the people are taken from their unin-
habitable homes they are rushed to the
city hall and registered.
Factory buildings were undermin-
ed and collapsed in heaps. A West
Spring street car with passengers
on board. was caught on the east
side of the Spring street bridge. The
car was swept against a building and
M q M D
window to safety. None was drowned.
1.-TWO women franticaIly waved for
rescue from the upper windows of
house that was carried down the
not overcome the current and the
women were carried away.
zone youth in a frail skiff rescued
thirty persons on West Spring street
and was SO exhausted by his efforts
that he collapsed in the arms of a
friend as he completed his last trip.
The worst Of the damage seemed to
me to be along Central avenue"
Ready to Give More.
Representative John G. Cooper stated
that the State Legislature is prepared
to make a second appropriation of $780,
600 should the money be needed. He
praised the work of the governor.
which, he said, has saved many lives
and prevented much greater suffering.
&. F. Barton Pittsburgh travelling
man, declared he saw seven persons who
had been swept into a tree top slowly
succumb to the intense cold and drop
one by one to death yesterday.
First to collapse was a man." said
Barton. Then two women and a
man fell. Their position was such
that rescue boats which strove des-
perately to reach them We're tossed
out of reach. At last the tree was
cleared of its human freight with
the exception of a thinly clad
mother frantically clasping her
baby. The sight drove the watchers
in their places of safety
frantic and at last by almost su-
perhuman endeavor a boat was
swung under the. tree just as the
mother dropped into the water The
babr was dead. in the mothers
arms. from exposure, but the moth
er clung to 1t until policeman ten
derly forced her to unloosen her
grasp, and she was taken to the
hospital.
j. P. Hoelzel, another Pittsburgh
travelling man., skirted the flooded dis
tTict of Columbus in an automobile last
night before starting for this city.
Eight Bodies in House.
Il saw eight bodies taken from one
house." he said. "A woman and her
baby were caught in a crowd Wednes-