The Washington herald., 1913-03-27
governor LEADS
MEN TO DAYTON
Cox Heads Militia to Aid the
Stricken People Of
Dayton.
HEARS FROM SECRETARY

Columbus March 26.-Gov Cox has left
here in command OF special trains Of
militiamen in an attempt to reach Dayton
and rescue the hundreds of persons who
are marooned in buildings in the business
center OF the city. which is reported to
the Governor as being swept by flames
This report was confirmed in two dis
patches received by the Governor One
reads:
There has been an explosion in the
center of Dayton. The town is on fire
and people are burning up: We have no
way to get to them or TO the fire. eith0 E"
The other message stated that the en-
tire business section OF the city appeared
to be doomed.
Business Section Doomed.
The total death list in Dayton still re-
| mains prOblematical. The most authen-
tic and latest report received today was
a report made to Gov. Cox by his secre-
tary, George F. Burba, whom he sent to
Dayton in the first stages Of the flood
The report is as follows:
deaths may run as high as ccon.
Property loss slo.coocoo. River four miles
wide. Difficult to get any where near the
center of the city. Water up to the sec
ond story OF the Phillips House. Worst
calamity in the country since Galveston"
When he left here with the troops this
afternoon. the Governor planned to go
from here to Troy, and II possible to get
from there into Dayton by railroad. The
troops would be taken across the food
districts in boats and on RATS.
Startling Reports Received.
Hundreds of startling reports have been
received here during the day from cities
and towns throughout Ohio and In
diana. and indicate that the loss OF life
has been enormous. The most conserva-
tive estimate placed the fatalities in the
two States at $500
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 city
was on the verge of a famine The
water system has been completely de-
molished.
A decided drop in temperature has add
ed to the suffering OF the food victims
A slight snowstorm occurred in Dayton
this afternoon. and indications are that
blizzard will envelope the entire flood
district. The Ohio Legislature increased
the appropriation for a relief fund from
$50, ,0o0 to s5o10o0 this afternoon.
Di>nster in THIN.
Tiffin. Ohio, was added to the long list
of stricken towns when a report was
received from there this afternoon stat
ing that fifty persons had been drowned
there including Mayor keppell and Chief
OF Police Myers.
Piqua, Ohio. where ~ are reported to
have been drowned, had not been COM
municated with at o'clock today.
An unconirmed report reached Della
ware. Ohio. this afternoon that the viii
lage Of Stratford, five miles below that
town. had been wiped out. with a loss
of ooo lives
Report Flood in Mount Vernon.
wireless message from Mount Yer
non reports a loss Of life there of 100
The Pennsylvania and Baltimore and
Ohio tracks have been washed out. All
wires are down. and the town is COM
pletely isolated.
p Reports received from all sections in
the flooded area show that Dayton has
been by far the worst sufferer. The
crest of the flood is reported as having
passed Dayton. but the Weather Bureau
announced that heavy rains or snow
storms are expected to follow tonight,
which will tend to materially increase the
flood waters.
The first news received from Dayton
today telling Of the disaster disclosed the
fact that large number of persons were
life occurred in North Dayton and
Riversdale, suburbs. Danger warnings
of the oncoming Hood had been sent out
and militiamen We're patrOlling the banks
Of the Mama River, watching for the
rise. While every precaution was being
taken to guard the town from the natural
flood source of the river, the Loramie
Reservoir. in Shelby County, gave away.
and terrific torrent of water rushed into
the already swollen rivers.
Reservoir Break Blamed.
This was the cause of the flood
which so completely covered Dayton.
Before the flood from the broken reser-
voir could abate. tine torrents were
added to by TIE heavy rains over a
wide area which is drained by the |
increased by the Mad River, the Erie |
Canal. and Saltwater Creek, all of
which were swollen and are reported |
as having burst through their levees |
in several places.
The topography of the city made it |
impossible for hundreds to escape when |
the waters poured over the city. Those |
that were not drowned or swept away !
by the rushing waters were marooned |
in buildings and on house tops. Terror |
reigned among the marooned persons |
as building after building was swept |
from its foundation and collapsed, car
rying many persons down with the |
debris into the water.
Two Hundred Bodies Recovered.
Two hundred floating bodies have !
been recovered from the water. The |
small number of boats in the city and |
the inability of many to cope with the !
fast flowing waters has prevented the |
relief work from proceedinR a. fast as |