The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-03-29
CLIMBED TO SAFETY
ALONG PHONE WIRE
Dayton Flood Survivor Tell, ol
Thrilling Escape From
Rising Warcr.
NARROWED on HOTSETvv
Family Cut OFF From Rest o.
City by Ragin.
Whirlpool.
NARROWED ON HOrSETu.

DAYTON. ohio. March 2S Gouf.,.
Zimmerman of 224 East Clifton ....
Springfield. related to-day ~. t..
experience nc underwent IN myt.u.
escape from the flood and namrs IS.
onvcloped Dayton on TUESDAY .r.
Wednesday He Is employed IN nal...
81 did not go to work on Tu..,.
morning, as the water was runniu. r...
the house where ! was boarding u' 81.
Wayne avenue" he said. "It wa AJAX.
deep all over the street. but tho r..p..
of that vicinity said that IL was nu'a.u.
unusual, as It had happened after an
usual rains
Along about . o'clock tho croa' W.
OF water bore down upon US without IT,,
lcas, warning and we had all vc could
do TO climb to the second floor ~ Tho
dwelling before being submerged We
were quickly forced TO the attic end
were safe there for several hours
Finally after repeated calls for help
boat came 10 our assistance. and after
serious difficulty woman. three Chu.
dren and myself managed to get into
the boat. We were the only ones IN the
house at that time
boat Caught In whirlpool.
THE boat became unmanagCdb,e and
after drifting into the current and whlr'-
Ing around and around with the bodies
Of men and horses, busgies. wagons.
&c, we managed to grasp the top of
a porch on one OF the houses after re.
peated efforts to anchor.
I'VE climbed onto the top OF the porch
and into the attic of the house, whor.
we luckily found something to eat. We
stayed here for possibly two or three
hours. when We heard "a terrific oN-
ploson directly across the stree. We
looked out In time to see the walls Il
"a grocer store collapse. Fire started
"A NOV full of hay abaze. Tho call Wa.
in vain. as the bravest dared not bune.
the torrent that poured down the stree,
AS the last resort We attempted %
| escape by tho roofs Of the adioinin.
houses. | assisted the woman and oh"-
dren over the roofs of possibly dozen
houses, spurred ON by the awful though,
, uf being Cr"mated in the flames tAa.
approached us in the rear.
AT last We came 20 the end of this
string of dwellings and were forced to
seek some other way OF escape
Climbs Nl0nn IcIenl,,ns
The only thing in reach was drt,
wood. a possible body of "A horsn u. ,u,
or human being, and the t'l,pnu.,
wires suggested the possibility Of
climbing along these wires To- safety
but of course it was impusshlo Tor 'N,
woman and children to do this. | finally
! decided to try it myself and bring JId
to my companions In distr, So There
were about six squares to cover I'm a..
manner over the raging torrent auI
| long before came To dry land the uro-
| pie there had sighted me and were
shouting words of cncourGE GEelncu'.
| Time after time | thought | would have
to give up.
| once ! dropped my cap and tho spec
| tators gasped as they thought my time
had come. After repeatedly resting as
best | could on the swayinG wires !
| nndllN cam" to the pole that grounded
/ ON dry land. | was carried into il'
plant OF the National cash Rrg.str.
Company until partially revived after
which | was taken TO the home of rola-
tlves i'll the more fortunate parts Of the
city
"onc of the first people I saw after
getting TO dry land was Lucy pccror
and her sister, my cousins. II was 'H
their house that ] was finally taken