Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-11

plumbers. carpenters. inspectors. etc.
and there was little chance OF one get
ting away from US when We had our
hands il.
some idea OF the sanitation work can
be obtained when | say that we used
twenty carloads OF chloride OF lime and
double that amount o. pure lime for dis
infection. This was al paid for by the
War Department Tire receipts that we
gave for articles taken from the business
houses Of nayfcn were handed IN to the
Dayton city government and the money
paid oLt from tina: end The same process
was gone through with when We were
forced 10 wreck a house. For instance. an
overturned house might have blocked Q
business street and the best and quick
est way 20 get II out OF The way was to
wreck IL II We were able TO find the
owner he was given a receipt and the
latter was turned over to the Dayton city
government for payment.
Two refugee camps were established
near Dayton one on the fair grounds and
another or the high ground about the
National Cash Register Company. The
refugees Were given 10 army tents for
shelter. Then there were medical aid
stations throughout the flooded district,
where over 1000 cases were treated.
Il spoke OF the way the women ala
incident that surely deserves mention.
One day / was taking a trip OF inspec-
ton through the flooded district when I
came upon the Academy of Notre Dame.
Roman Catholic institution, where
there are no men. The building had been
damaged TO the extent OF $4,000 and the
chapel was in ruins. Six feet OF water
had entered on the main floor
Il went into the building and a strange
sight met my eyes. There were a dozen
or more Catholic sisters. in water up TO
their knees, cleaning OFT the place They
had asked for no help, but had taken up
the work themselves and were doing
their best to make the building worth liv-
ing In. 1t struck me as one OF the most
touching scenes of my entire stay in Day
ton. and L shall never forget it,
1T has been mentioned that we held a
conference with John Patterson. presi.
dent OF the National Cash Register COM
pany, when we first arrived in Dayton
This man certainly did much for the SUI
ferers OF his city.
''On the day before the great flood
came to Dayton John Patterson. from
high up In the National Cash Register
building. looked out Of the window near
his desk. He saw the waters creeping up
inch by mch-whirling. yellow flood wa
ters. He then and there decided that
Dayton was going to have n flood: that
the city musf face a calamity such as
she had never had before. And having
made up his mind John Patterson vast
ed no time.
He went out to his great plant on the
nigh ground and called together a group
OF his employees. telling them that they
were TO take wagons. autos and carts
and go into the surrounding country.
Following the instructions OF Patterson.
the employees hurried In their work.
bought all the provisions from farmers
they could obtain and then placed these
In the National Cash Register plant
The country for twenty miles around
Dayton was searched for edibes, and
Pattersons employees carried the prod
ucts OF the farmers To Dayton
John Patterson was right In his pre-
diction. The flood came, as he had said
1t would come, but not before Patterson
was somewhat prepared for It. He had
telegraphed 10 his agents in all OF tho
large cities of the United States telling
them to Immediately buy provisions ana
clothing to be shipped to Dayton. His
commands We're complied with. and thou
sands Of the homeless. the hungry and
the sick found relief through his fore.
sight and generosity.
You ask what / would recommend "a
prevent a repetition OF the calamity in
Dayton. Well that is difficult question.
Nowadays we are striving to prevent
disasters and all work IL taken up along
those lines. Dayton was very insani-
tary city before the food An abandoned
canal, property of the state, runs through
the city. and il is nothing more than an
open sewer.
This canal should be done away with.
1t can be made into a railway subway. Q
roadway-anything TO change IL from
what il now is. The sanitation laws were
not lived up to I'm Dayton and the flood
will make all sorts of changes in this
alone. Dayton can never have another
flood as bad as the one of a short while
ago. The sanitation laws will be en-
forced. The city will be cleaner and bet
ter to live in. The people have seen
their mistakes.
In the report which Maj. Rhoads has
just handed to President Wilson is the
following: One hundred and thirty-five
thousand wagon loads of debris hauled
away, 6J0.000 government rations dis
tributed. S.o31 houses. cellars and prem
Uses cleaned by property owners under
supervision of the sanitary department.
40 dead horses removed, over 1000 other
dead animals removed. s4.325 house in
spections made. So carloads of disinfect-
ants used, 102 comfort stations erected.
With this report goes plan OF how the
sanitary department was organized. with
eleven departments. all under one head.
the chief sanitary officer.