The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-27
THOUSANDS NARROWED
Inhabitants of Dayton Hemmed in by Raging Waters Now Menaced by Numerous
 Fires

Dayton, March 27-A small portion
 of -Dayton's citizens, today, from their refuge on the highest point in the
 city, awaited anxiously to learn of the
 fate of at least 65,0O0 Of the city's in habitants hemmed in by raging wa
 ter and n1enaeed by fire.
 Although only little more than a,
 mile from the section where it is feared there has been great loss of
 life, hundreds of willing men and
 women looked on help1essly. Even
 during the early hours of the third day of the flood, any estimate of the
 number who have perished would be mere guess work. Thousands have
 been marooned. How many have
 survived one knows.
 Numerous fires have sprung up since the water from bursted res
 ervoir penned in tens of thousands but the worst blaze started, yesterday afternoon, about 4:3O o'clock, and this morning still was claiming it's toll of
 property and doubtless many lives.
 The water went down perceptibly
 each hour after noon, yesterday, and
 during last night and unless other
 reservoirs break, which is feared, the well organized force of relief workers should have a large section of thes city
 explored before nightfau
 Fire, the extent of which is un- known, added a grim menace, last
 night and today. From what could be seen through a field glass from the top of a tall building, nearly a, mile away, it seemed as if the fire started in the Patterson Supply Co.'S plant at Third and Jefferson streets. | Early today, it had consumed at least parts Of three blocks.
 | The fire burned northwest for a time and then shifted to west It has been conservative1y estimated that 250 persons were zmaFooned in the sBecke l hotel, which was believed to have l gone up. in flames. This fact how ever, could not be definitely stated. l Whether many persons were in other | buildings in that vicinity is not known.
 Two expert boatsmen took a boat | into parts of Third and Jefferson Sts., | yesterday, and saw persons in every l building who pleaded to be saved.
 They did not traverse that portion be- lieved to have been burned. Word was received, early today, that 60 mo- ] torboats, with men to operate them, | were coming from Cleveland and 1 some from Cincinnati Unless conditions become worse, it
 is believed practically all of the sub l merged section can be explored, today I That conditions will improve is not | assured, however.
 1 Reports, today, from the vicinity ot Lewiston were that the huge reservoir l there was expected to break any min 1 ute.
 A high wind was blowing the water over the reservoir banks, the dams l were weakening rapidly and Lewiston 1 people were fleeing from their homes | for high ground. Lewiston is 7( 1 miles from Dayton but it is predicted ! here that if the reservoir there gives 1 way a worse flood than has over | whe1med the city will sweep dowT 1 upon the inha bitants now fighting fol
 life. Should this catastrophe come be
 fore the water now hemming in thou l sands subsidies enough to allow boat: | to get to the stricken people, it is pre- l dicted that it would be impossible tt
 reach them for days.
 l Most of them have been subjected
 to. a cold, penetrating wind, drivini
 rain before it, since Tuesday noon 1 Early today, there was snow and :