Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-29
TODAY BRINGS
HOPE TO DAYTON
Continued From Page -

1
Riverdale, the other section that bore
the brunt of the flood.
North Daytons population consists
largely of foreign-born people. The
first rescue party took off many of
these. The refugees conducted them
selves in orderly fashion and aided
their rescuers in every conceivable
manner
Persons situated I'M the business Sec
ton appear to have escaped except in
very few instances.
| Identification of the dead and COM
pilation of the number Of fatalities are
| in the hands of the militia under
charge Of Adjutant General Wood, but
this work hardly will get under way
before tomorrow. No accurate esti-
mates can be made until the North
Dayton situation Is cleared up.
Historic Cabin Unframed.
The log cabin, 115 years old, the first
house built in Dayton, withstood the
| flood, although it is situated on the
south bank of the Miami, right in the
path of the torrential waters
Looters are Armed.
Alarming reports that looters, we'll
armed, were active in the district from
which water had partly receded, have
reached the emergency committee.
Militia are preparing an expedition to
quell disorders.
A score of motor boats and life
saving boats were in the flood district
early today, and by tonight it was
hoped relief would be extended to all
flood victims that were still alive. No
efforts was being made to take out
any bodies, the first care being to
provide help for the living.
The boats began to return early
from the nearest sections, each de-
positing it's load of from fifteen to
twenty survivors. Most of the peo-
pie rescued were so weak from depri'
walton and suffering as to be scarcely
able to move. At s o'clock several
hundred had been brought to the Cash
Register hospital on stretchers from
the south side of the river.
Urqed to Go Home When Possible.
The flood situation was much
brighter today. The trucks sent out
from the Cash Register Co. manned
by men with military orders to con-
flscate potatoes and food from the
farmers brought back good supply
reached the city with supplies. The
rescue work also had taken on a
semblance of system and all the
streets from which the flood had re-
coded were patrolled by militia. Peo-
pie were urged to get back to their
houses whenever possible.
Warned Against Thieves.
Beware of thieves and burglars"
said an official bulletin given wide
circulation. Don't leave your houses
without protection. 1t was thieves who
scared you about the reservoir and
natural gas explosion. The natural
gas has been turned off and there is
no danger Of explosion"
Without Food Since Tuesday.
Sixty Catholic sisters at the academy
of the Sisters of Notre Dame and
eighteen persons for whom they had
provided refuge we're found by the
Louisville life saving crew today to
have been entirely without food or
water since Tuesday. There were
several cases of illness.
200 May Cover Loss.
South Dayton, O., March 2S.-Com-
paratively few dead were found IN
North Dayton today by the Louisville
life saving crew, the first to cross the
Miami into the section where 1t was
thought the heaviest loss Of life would
be found. Indications there and In
Riverdale now are that the total loss
of life by flood will not be more than
two hundred persons.
This was the general agreement
here today after government life saw
ing crews had penetrated every part
of the water bound city. Up to the
present time, forty-five bodies have
been recovered. Twenty of these
were in, Riverdale, fifteen in West
Dayton, five in the business section
and five in the south side residence
section. ..
Three deaths from diphtheria were
reported today and there is fear of an
epidemic.
Among the refugees taken out of the
Algonquin hotel today were steven
Patterson and his wife, who were
guests at the hotel when the flood wa
tiers swept down upon the Inflated
city. Mr.. Patterson is brother OF
John H. Patterson, the manufacturer.
Anxiety had been felt for Mrs. Frank
Patterson, a sister-in-law. The latter
was found safe in her home on West
Fifth street, although the water had
almost invaded the second story.
An attempt to reach the Algonquin
hotel late yesterday by the son and
nephew of John H. Patterson, was sue
cessful and to the establishment of the
two young men, they found that the
marooned guests were in need of no
food. Supplies which the would-be
rescuers had brought with them were
declined.
200 Bodies Recovered.
Celina, O., March 2S.-The waters
have receded in Piqua and 200 bodies
have been recovered. It is believed
there are no other victims.
This information, the first to reach
here, came by telephone today. Relief
measures have been taken by the city
authorities. The property loss will be
great as most of the manufacturing
plants were destroyed by the flood.
There is no such distress in Piqua
as in Dayton. A company of militia
from Covington is in Piqua, maintain