The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-30
WORK Of RESCU|NG
DAYTON SUFFERERS
ALMOST COMPLETE
Process of Rehabilitation
Begins-Fair Weather
Prevails
APPREHENSIVE OF.
WATER FAMINE
Issue Appeal to States to Ship Boiled
Water to City-Medical Sup
plies Short-Continue
Relief Work


Mobilization began here today as the work
of rescue approached it's end. The all
important weather showed improvement
as viewed by refugees. for it was warmer
and pleasant to frost and water chilled
bones, but the sanitary experts accepted
the rise in temperature with mixed feel
position of animal matter and refuse
Secretary of War Garrison conferred
with various officials and heads of COM
mittees. wired President Wilson that the
death list would not reach 500 and other
wise epitimized the situation and departed
for Cincinnati after fitting view of the
city from an automobile. 1t is probable
that he will go to Columbus tomorrow. w.
e. Blackwell, in charge of morgues, esti-
mated the dead at $50.
While the corps of undertakers still
maintained today that the death toll
will aggregate 500 as given in their
estimate last night, there appeared
nothing to indicate that the number
OF victims will exceed the more con-
servative estimate given out yester-
day by those in charge of rescue work.
Thousands of persons. who have been
missing since the flood came Tuesday
morning, were registered today and to-
night. only two more bodies had been
taken TO the morgue at the National
Cash Register company's plant in South
Dayton up to 10 o'clock this forenoon,
although it was reported that numbers
of corpses had been taken to impro-
yised morgues in different sections of
the city. The streets in many Sec
tions are so blocked By debris tllat It
is with extreme difficulty that bodies
are taken from one part of the city to
another. In many instances to go a
distance of only few blocks one must
travel two and three miles. II.
AS many men as could be organized
in few hours were set to work to-
day in the downtown section clearing
away the wreckage. The railroads and
the municipality have employed thous-
ands of men. Whatever bodies yet are
to be recovered are under mountains
of debris and in the houses of the res
idence sections which suffered the
most severely from the rush of wa
ters.
In Riverdale and North Dayton, par-
tcularly where yesterday rivers
rushed through all the streets, it was
expected today to make a thorough
search of all the homes for the bodies.
Cut in Three Places
The levee. which was supposed to
protect Riverdale from encroachment
by the Miami river. was cut in three
places yesterday and this forenoon ad-
ditiona1 cuts were made. Squads of
workmen were set to work trenching
and facilitating the work of draining g
the district.
Ia \
effect the draining of North Dayton by
artificial means until the river subsidies
several feet more. For this reason the
situation in that suburb was not so
satisfactory as elsewhere
Reports from North Dayton indicated
that the loss of life there would not
greatly exceed the estimates of yester-
day.
AS the district was Inhabited for the
most part by working people and the
men went to their work as early as
6 O'Clock in the morning, at least three
hours before the flood broke the deaths
largely will be confined to women and
children.
Careful inquiry In the business dis
trict today failed to verify the state
ments of police officials and marooned
persons in that section of Dayton that
there had been great loss of life on
account of fires which ragged there the
better part of three days.
Suggest Federal Control
The citizens relief committee at noon
decided to place before Secretary of
War Garrison and Colonel Lilly, gov
ernment health expert, the advisable
ity of placing the entire city under
federal control. 1t was announced that
the electric lights probably would be
turned on Monday night. 1t will be
many days before the gas is turned on.
At present gasoline stoves are being
distributed.
The citizens committee issued this
statement:
Authorities in other cities are urged
to do all in their power to keep people
from coming to Dayton. We do not need
more people. They would only be in
the way and furnish more mouths to
feed. Let all out town relatives of
Daytonians remain away"
Plans for the reconstruction of Day-
ton We're completed today when a COM
mittee OF 15, under the chairmanshin
of John II. Patterson was organized.
This committee will direct the work.
acting in a legislative and executive
capacity.
One Of the first problems it faced
was the clearing of 120 miles OF CITY
streets. which were submerged by the
iioou WATERS. Next the rebuilding OF
the sewerage system. How much of
this was damaged, engineers who had
made preliminary surveys declined 10
say.
Fear Water Famine
Members OF the citizens relief commit
tee are apprehensive Of water famine.
1t Is believed there is little chance that
the present supply can be made to last un-
til the water mains are In use again. r.
II: Grant. head Of the relief supplies com-
mittee, tonight issued an appeal to all
cities in the country. asking that az
much bottled water as possible be shipped
to Dayton Immediately. II is especially
desired that this water be strictly pure
as it 10 practically impossible to boil the
water for drinking purposes.
Medical supplies were reported woefully
short by Mai. T., v. Dupuy, who Is In
lContluuoh N RnRo Rn.N