The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-27
FIRE ADDS TO HORROR OF
SITUATION IN DAYTON;
APPEALS FOR DYNAMITE

burned buildings. Soon afterwara
notice was posted in headquarters of
the emergency committee announcing
that the city was under martial law,
and several companies of soldiers ar
rived from neighboring Ohio cities.
The soldiers were employed to patrol
edges of the burned district and pre-
vent further lOoting of homes freed
from the flood 5 grasp. Up to late
hour last night there had been no ma
teriaI disorder.
Rescue squads worked frantically
Yesterday to throw back the veil that
hides the true story of the Dayton
disaster-the number of dead. Late
last night the arrival of motorboats
gave hope that by today the northern
section of the city, now cut off by the
/ big Miami 5 impossible barrier, may be
Ipenetrated and then may be learned
/ the fate of hundreds imprisoned by
the torrent that poured down from the
/ broken reservoir.
The Work of Rescue.
1t was impossible to ascertain, even
approximately, the number of persons
I who might have been marooned in this
section and who died after being trap
ped by the flood and fire. Nevertheless,
rescue work went steadily on, and
| about 5000 persons were housed in places
of refuge last night. At least
90, 900 persons are imprisoned in homes
and in business buildings. 1t is fear
ed their two-days' Imprisonment, with
accompanying hunger and fright, have
caused tremendous sufferings. The
flood came with such suddenness that
food supplies in homes were whisked
laway by the torrent that reached to
second floors in almost the flash of an
leye. Skifs skirted the edge of the
flooded district attempting to take food
to those whom it was impossible to
lcarry off, but the fierce current dis
lcouragingly retarded this work.
| Dayton was practically cut off from
wire communication until late yester-
day afternoon. Then two wires into
Cincinnati were obtained and operators
plunged into great piles of kilograms
from Dayton citizens, almost frantic
in their desire to assure friends outside
of their safety. Operators at opposite
ends of the wire reported that thou
sands of kilograms were piled up at
relay offices. These were from people
anxious over the fate of Dayton kins-
men.
While thousands of persons still were
marooned in houses and on opportune
roofs in the central part of the town
only a few bodies had been recovered
and it was believed that in the north
ern section of the submerged city, tC
which rescueing parties had beer
unable to penetrate would b'
) found the greatest life loss. At
o clock last evening, c. II. Miller, see
, retarv of the board of health, estimat
ed that the death list would reach 500
While the flood steadily receded yes
terday afternoon the terrific curren
RETARDED rescue work and a cold smart
ing rain added to discomforts of tn,
lalready overburdened storm victims.
Expert oarsmen who braved the tide il
the business section of the submerged cit
l yesterday afternoon came back nerve
= racked to relate narratives of pitiable al
peals made by hundreds marooned in NJ
Per floors of tall buildings about who's
4 lower stories swirled a flood that threat
Gled Illt lolUddllOllS. 1 llt hdAh to40iH a
: the narratives were lightened here an
Il there by stories of bravery exhibited b
many of the food prisoners. Twice til
u boats attempted to take them food, bu
waves which eddied about the submerge
house pushed them back Further on j
L the exclusive residence district they wer
offered fabulous sums for rescue by man
- of the floods prisoners. Their narratiy
D. inspired an effort yesterday afternoon I
launch a boat for navigation on the va
river, but up to a late hour the craft ha
# been unable to pass beyond areas alread
reached on the fringe Of the flooded di
g trict.
Rescue work efficiently managed ana
which John Patterson, president of Il
= National Cash Register company, was
he leading spirit, proceeded smoothly throug
m ont the day. Missing members of fanili
ba were restored to their relatives throul
= human clearinghouse established at Z
cb eral points on the edge of the food 4
trict. Great ledgers filled with Gam
presided over by volunteer bank clcr
We're at the disposal of persons seeki
missing kinsmen. If these had register
~ in the clearinghouse their address
ID We're quickly given to the inquirers
sb Up to o'clock last evening 5000
the homeless were housed in differc
places of refuge, most Of them be-
cared for at the plant of the Nation