Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-03-27
FIRE ADDS. TO THE.
se - ,-aT
.II.I'DAYT0N HORRORS
Wide Section Of City Burn
ing Last Night and
This Morning.
FIVE HUNDRED DEAD,
Snow and Cold Weather Add to the
Distress-Housetops Barely Ap-
pear Above Water in Places.

Dayton, Ohio, March 27.-The fire
which started in the business section
of the city late yesterday form a bust
ed gas main was still raging at 5 a
m., today unchecked. The food seem:
to have made only slight recession
during the night. Many of the big
downtown buildings were burned to the
waters edge during the night. The
death list early today was variouslJ
estimated from 200 to 1000. At best
it was only guess work.
A United Press correspondent made
trip through the flooded area in ca,
noe during the night, btu alter pro-
crossing a few blocks was forced to
abandon it until daylight because OF
the swift currents racing through the
streets.
It Isl now feared that the fire will
take as large toll of death as did
the flood.
Many of the buildings consumed by
the on-rushing flames are said to have
contained marooned refugees.
One man who ventured few blocks
in boat reported tina the ahd seen ten
persons leap from one fame-swept
building into the torrent, never to
come up.
Refugees across the mile-wide strip
of rushing water which separates the
portion Of the city now in flames from
the outside world, stood most of the
night watching the flames as they
leaped from one building to another.
The suffering throughout the night
was intense. The temperature took a
sudden drop and thousands forced to
spend the night in open buildings
without heat or proper clothing pre-
sented spectacle of the most object
misery.
The basis of the claims OF death
list reaching into the hundreds is
the burning of the Beckel Hotel II
which is was that three hundred people
had taken refuge.
The fire consumed the building and
the fate of many of the people ma
rooned within is unknown today
Dayton, Ohio, March 27.-Fire still
ragged in this city at daylight today.
Durin gthe night it consumed several
o fthe business blocks Of teh town.
1t was spread by at high wind, leaping
from building to building across the
rushing waters still from eight to
twelve feet deep in the streets. Many
refugees huddled in the downtown Of
fee buildings and hotels are thought
TO have perished in the flames.
Estimates of the list Of dead, with nc
definite facts to base them on, wa:
base them on, were raised today ant
placed at from 200 to 1000.
Columbus, O., March 27.-Uncon
frmed reports reached here during th'
night from Troy that Piqua was IL
flames. Latest reports from the lat
ter city said that the death list woule
be heavy as the result of the flood
but no direct word has been received
up to an early hour this morning, con
cerning the fire.
Cleveland, O., March 27.-Follow
ing the foods heavy snowstorn
which has swept northern Ohio short
ly after midnight prostrated tele
graphic wires and seriously interfere
with railroad traffic.
Columbus, O., March 27.--Flood con
ditions in Ohio were not improved to
day. If anything they were worse
The rain which had been almost
steady downpour in the flooded west
ern and northern section of the stat
continued up to a nearly hour thi
morning and then suddenly turned t
snow. This sudden drop in tempera
ture caused intense suffering anon
the homeless, now estimated at fror
100000 to 250,0O0.
Cleveland, O., March 27.-Couple
with the floods a heavy snowstorl
which has swept northern Ohio sine
shortly after midnight prostrated tell
phone and telegraph wires and ser
ously interfered with railroad traffi
Cleveland, o., March "a sun
mary of the Ohio food situate
Continued on page six.)