The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-28
REFUGEES TELL
OF THE HORRORS
People Who Escaped From Columbus
Have Grewsome and Pitlfui Tales
to Tell Of Past Few
Days.
ONLY ONE BRIDGE LEFT
False Report That Dam Had Burst
Undoubtedly Frightened Several
Timid People to
Death.
ONLY ONE BRIDGE LEFT

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service. ]
CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 28-The
curtain of mystery that has enshroud-
ed the flood-stricken district of Ohio
fer more than forty-eight hours began
slowly to unfold today. Refugees
from Columbus, worn by their ex-
periences, reached this city on two
trains, bringing stories OF suffering
and hardships seldom equalled. They
told graphic stories of men, women
and children dying. entrapped in their
homes while would-be rescuers were
forced to watch, unable to do anything
toward their relief.
| W. B. Kirkpatrick, legislative repre-
sentative of Trumbull county, and
/ John G. Cooper. Of Mahoning county,
pieced out together picture that
brought into bold relief the happen
ings in the capital, even though they
,agreed that the estimates of the dead
had been exaggerated Said Kirk
patrick.
Only one bridge remained intact
in Columbus when we left there late,
last night. 1t is the Rich street
tstructure, the oldest In the city and
one that has been condemned for
years. The work of rescue has been
Isystematized. Boats are being sent
through the flooded district AS fast
as the people are taken from their un-
/ inhabitable houses they are rushed to
the city hall and registered.
4 Last night saw a mother and her
4 youngest three months, brought into
the hall SO faint from exposure and
lack Of food they could hardly stand.
4 They had not heard from their hus.
band and father since the storm
broke
Whoever was responsible for the
wild rnmors that the Columbus stor-
age dam had broken on Wednesday
afternoon may have been responsible
for several deaths from fright alone.
i We were in picture show when
suddenly the film stopped, then the
light went out and the Cry that the
dam had broken was set up. When
reached the street people we're run
ming in all directions. Half dressed
women from the resorts on Front
street were scattered through the
crowd. Some carried bird cages, 9TH
ers had pet dogs under their arms.
Il One saleonkeeper with his cash reg
lister in his arms, took refuge In the
dome of the state house. Fifty
horses from livery stable were
turned loose in the street and dashed
|. through the crowd.
& "Just before / left Columbus, Gov
ernor Cox received message from
Dayton telling him that all that was
wanted there was coff1ns and food
S. G. Randall, a Big Four trainman,
said:
"One thing that stands out in my
memory was the sight of man on
, horseback floating down the river
absolutely unable to stem the fast
rushing current. The water came SO
fast that men on the east side who
reach the bridges before they were
! swept from their foundations. Load
ed freight cars were tossed on the
, top of the rushing waters like corks
! Factory buildings were undermined
!, 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 building and the pas
! sengers clambered through window
to safety. None were drowned
u Two women frantically waved fol
rescue from the upper windows of 9
) house that was carried down the
/. stream. but the rescue boat could moi
: overcome the current, and the WON
l. en- were carried away.
4 Zone youth in frail sliff rescued
3 thirty persons on West Spring street
Y and was so exhausted by his effort!
. that he collapsed in the arms of {