Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-27
Scioto River Floods West
Side Of Ohio's Capital
City, Dealing Death and
Destruction in Wake.
SEE BODIES FLOAT
DOWN THE STREAM
Conservative People Esti-
mate Scores Lost This
Way and Dozens Carried
Away With Their Homes.

Columbus, March 26.-At least $50
persons were drowned in Columbus as
result of the flooded Scioto river,
according to reports from the flooded
west side section of the city this
morning. These reports came as a re
suit of the partial restoration of tele-
phone communications with the west
side.
Numerous persons who are consid-
cred conservative, assert that they
saw scores Of bodies float down
stream and dozens of persons carried
away in houses.
List Grows In Columbus.
The death list in Columbus began to
grow early today when communica-
tion with the west side was practically
restored News of the drowning of
twenty-five persons is confirmed ap-
parently and the list of missing and
believed to be drowned numbers al
most a score.
Reported dead:
WIN. A. ZAXTON, probation officer.
EDWIN D. DANIEL
ALBERT GORE, Mail carrier.
MR.. AND MRS. E. M. HAYES.
MRS. GEO. COOK AND BABY.
CHILDREN.
MR.. AND MRS. GEO. ECKERT
AND SEVEN CHILDREN.
Forecaster Warns Public.
Warns were issued today to all
points on the Muskingum river below
GAINESVILLE. The warnings were issued
by United States Weather Forecaster
Smith on the strength of kilograms
from GAINESVILLE and other points show
ing that the Muskingum river early to-
day stood ten feet above it's highest
point.
That pressure on the natural gas
was indicated by a message sent by
Edward w. Hanley, head of the gas
company, urgently instructing a sub
ordinate to get out north of the city
and cut down the pressure.
Federal aid in handling the Ohio
flood situation was asked today when
Governor Cox telegraphed the war de-
partment at Washington asking that
fifty thousand tents and one hundred
thousand rations be made available
for use and distribution by the Ohio
national guard.
Adjutant General Speaks with a
small detachment of troops and a
squad of linemen and operators left
here early today in effort to reach
Dayton. The attempt will be made by
means Of motor boats and automobiles
in the hope to establish adequate tele-
graph or telephone communication
with Dayton.
Find 200 Dead at Dayton.
Gov. Cox received message by tele-
phone from Dayton shortly before II
o'clock today from John Bell, the Bell
telephone operator, in which it was
stated that two hundred bodies had
been found. The bodies were located
by men who were in patrol boats.
Bodies were found as far out as Wayne
avenue which is more than mile from
the river At Fifth and Brown streets
the water reached height of ten feet.
At least one Of those drowned met
death in the Algonquin hotel. The gov
ernor also established communication
with the relief committee in Dayton
and was told that the greatest need Of
the food sufferers at present was wa
ter. The city water supply has been
cut off.
Factory Building Falls.
The flood in the Muskingum river at
GAINESVILLE, has swept away large
number of buildings. A family con-
sisting Of seven persons is believed to
have been drowned and great havoc Is
being wrought as the flood continues
to rise. The Sixth street bridge and
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad bridge
were swept away this morning. A
large woolen factory collapsed, but en-
ployes already had fed to safety. At
1890 o'clock the food began entering
the business district. National guard
soldiers are on duty.
Fifteen at GAINESVILLE.
GAINESVILLE was cut off from the out
side world today by the flood in the
Muskingum river. An unconfrmed re-
port from there says it is believed that
fifteen persons had been drowned.
Troops are on duty there. The Mus
kingum river is ten feet higher than
was ever known before.