Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-12
.0TTUMWAN TELLS
FLOOD EXPERIENCE
LETTER FROM L. A. SNYDER
GIVES VIVID RECITAL or
DAYS OF SUFFERING.
NARROWED IN ATTIC.
Family Of Ten With Insufficient Food
Exposed Il, Cold Until Rsscusd
by Patterson's Boats; Praise
For Cash Register Head

A vivid recital OF the hardships and
dangers attending the recent floods al
Dayton, Ohio, Is given in a letter re
ceived by G. H. Hartley, 209 Clayton
avenue, from hts son-in-law, l.. A
Snyder. Mr.. Snyder, his wife and
family and others, ten all told were
forced to take refuge In a "cubby
hole" that was not roomy enough tc
be termed an attic, and they were kept
in these cramped quarters. In fear OF
death or starvation, from Tuesday
until Thursday afternoon
when they were rescued In boats pro-
vided by John Patterson, president OF
the National Cish Register Co., whose
flood rescue work has been widely
praised. Mr.. Snyder in letter to
Mr.. Hartley gives the following &C
count Of his experiences:
I'VE got up Tuesday morning
March "a at 5 O'clock and water was
two feet deep, but neighbors who had
lived in Dayton several years said 1t
never got over three feet deep so we
did not attempt to get out. We were
on the second floor and carried as
much as possible up stairs from the
first floor. Then, another man and |
waded out to save some horses which
belonged to his employer and were
gone about two hours. The water was
over our heads when We started back
So we hired man to take us back IN
a canoe. It was the last person or
boat we saw until Thursday about ten
o'clock when they came around with
bread. About one O'clock Tuesday, we
were forced to vacate the second
floor and went to an attic or 'cubby
hole which had never been used. It
was full of spider webs etc. We took
all the bedding in the house Tor the
girls to lay on and all the covers we
could get, and then very nearly froze
as there was nothing between us and
the cold but Misunderstanding and a
leakv roof. We had two loaves OF
bread and some butter and raw eggs
to eat for ten people and a little cold
milk for a nine months old baby Had
an old lady over eighty years old and
though she was in poor health, she was
the bravest of all.
-i.v. Fire Brings Added Peril.
early Tuesday morning, an explo.
sion occurred little west OF us, and
burned for hours, 1t burned several
fats and houses and I can't under
stand how the people who lived IN
them ever escaped. The water was
about 6 feet deep in most places then
Tuesday night, there was another ex,
plosion at the south of us where lady
was blown through the roof and hung
by her hair for half an hour and then
fell into the water Several houses
burned on both sides of the street.
This was in the 700 block on South
Main and we lived in the 500 block.
Wednesday night was the most ter
rible of all. The water was at its
height and a paint store and several
other business houses caught fire.
There was so much oil on the water
it almost choked us, and we knew II
1t ever caught fire, we would all be
burned like rats in trap. The wind
was blowing our way at the time. but
finally changed to the southeast. Then
It started to snow and covered the
roofs 80 the flying embers didn't ignite
the houses on which they fell Then
about eleven o'clock the cry came
turn out your light Those who did
not do so, had theirs shot out. There
were four men in our attic and they
took turns sitting at the window and
watching the fire. People talked over
house tops and that is the way we got
news Of the fires. The whole city was
as light as day and people who lived
In the hills were afraid the whole city
would burn.
Rescued From Home Thursday.
1--WE got the girls out about one
o'clock on Thursday and the men got
out at six o'clock. l was put on pc
lice duty as soon as I got out and
didn't see Winnie until three O'Clock
Friday and she was frightened t
death, fearing that had been drowned
water was over thirty feet deer
where our house was. Floating autos
and freight cars struck big house:
knocking them of their foundations
The people went from house to house
on ropes, telephone wires, thin planks
or any way to get there. We saw
horse after horse go by trying tt
swim, but the current was too strong
and they would finally go down. ST
far they have found about LOO deat
horses Beautiful furniture ant
clothes, in fact everything rushed by
as every busin ess house in the, down
town district was wiped out on the
first floor. 1--WE were just three blocks
from the business section on MAR
street.) Four of the big business
blocks were wiped out by fire. Houses
were piled on top Of each other. PEG
pie who had been down with rheuma
tism walked for blocks to get away
if they were fortunate to be on dry
ground. -. o-
eve gave up hopes several times
when the house began to shake with
the terrible current.
"There were also some comica
sights such as turkey gobbler on q
raft and a rooster on bundle OF
shingles, and some horses would swim
cASTORIA