The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-03-27
Flames Add Horror to
Stricken City of Dayton;
Proclaim Martial Law

Continued From First Page.)
less had been housed in various places
OF refuge.
Dayton is devastated. The dead no
one can even estimate. Beneath the yell
low sea that is seething through the
once gem-like city may sleep several
thousand drowned or nnayhaps the
death list may not exceed one thou
sand. No one can picture the siclxen-
ing situation. Last night Dayton was
a marine hell. Fires lighted the sky,
Illuminated the rushing waters and the
swish OF rain and swirl OF currents
sounded funeral requiem for the un-
known and uT1counted dead.
Fifty thousand people jammed in
the upper floors of their homes, no gas.
no fresh water. no light, no heat no
food. This Is the situation today.
John Fl. Patterson, of the National
Cash Register Company, has $50 Gar
penters building boats. He himself
has saved numbers of lives.
Miamisburg is under water and
taking them food. Twelve hundred of
them are being lodged and fed IN the
National Cash Register plant. Scores
OF automobiles and boats are carrying
the marooned TO safety at many points
but up to Ii o'clock this morning no
boat could venture into the heart of
the city.
The awful story of Dayton's de-
struction can only be told when the
flood subsidies. The water dropped two
feet this morning, but there liz much
more water. Not a telephone Is in
commission.
All road that were m sea f,lf s.er1ed
To lead to this sudden city of mystery
today. From north. south, east or
west persons bent on rescue work
wendell their way to Dayton. The road
from Cincinnati, for instance, led
through Lebanon. All day and all
night strings of automobiles were
going back and forth. Those going to
Dayton were searching for friends and
relatives. Those coming back had peo-
pie to bring back with them To Cincin-
natl 1t was almost like a flood in the
city itself, SO many and varied are the
points Of human contact with that city.
George W. Burba, representing Gov.
James M. Cox. and j. II. Patterson.
who Is at the head OF the relief work
here, agreed at noon that the loss OF
life from the flood here would be over
1000 persons. Both declared, however,
that these estimates were based solely
on conjectures and rumors and that
the death list might be much greater
or much less. The flood still presents
am impenetrable barrier that prevents
rescue boats reaching nearer than a
mile from the center of the city.
CREST or FLOOD PASSES.
The crest OF the flood passed at mid
night and the waters have fallen no.
tlceably since then. The rain, which
has persisted for forty eight hours.
stopped at daylight At noon, how
ever. it was raining and indications
were that It would continue. High as
it is expected the death list win be-
few bodies have been recovered.
Relief workers who penetrated few
blocks into the downtown district re-
turned to shore with the assurances
that there would be little loss of life
in the business district.
Those who are flood bound in the
offices and stores will sIsfer from hun
! ger and thirst unless the flood soon
subsidies, but they are in no danger
from the water.
1t was also decided that the greatest
loss of life would be along the river
in North and West Dayton. where the
residents are almost entirely foreign
born and where they refused to obey
the warning OF the militia to leave on
the night before the levee broke
Except in few instances where houses
were notably unstable, there will be
less loss Of life in RiverdaIe or the
south and east sections, where resi-
dents had warning OF the waters APP
proach.
ISSUE A STATEMENT.
Relief committees today issued the
following:
An awful catastrophe has overtalxen
Dayton. The levees have broken. The
districts from the Fair Grounds Hill
to the fair grounds north OF the city
are under water.
Some OF our buildings are used as
shelter for the homeless and sick OF
the south side.
Bring potatoes. rice beans, yese-
tables. meats and bread and any other
edibdes that will sustain life
we have cooking arrangements for
several thousand We are sendin = |
trucks to nearby towns, but ask that
you haul to US. as far as possible
Red Cross officials also sent out
urgent requests for assistance
STORY or LEVELS BREAK.
A story of the break Of the ievee
and the on-rush of the waters was told |
By Edzy Vincent. a member OF the
Dayton fire department. His engine |
house was within q few doors of Taylor |
street. where the break in the levea oc-
CURED.
The department watchers. fearing
being bloodhound. sounded the fire call |