The Washington herald., 1913-03-26
NINETEEN KNOWN DEAD
In CITY OF DELAWARE

Columbus. Ohio. March 25.-A wall OF
water seven feet high is rushing through
the main section Of Delaware tonight
Five bridges connecting the East and
main sections of the city have been
washed away. Nineteen persons are al
ready known to have been drowned and
there is a list OF hundred more miss
ing.
The Olentangy River suddenly over
flowed its banks this afternoon and Del
aware is completely overwhelmed.
Tonight, according 10 mCager dis
patches received from the town, the sit
uation there is frightful. Four hundred
families have been rendered homeless.
OF the 1000 population. at least two
thirds Of them are maroOned in trees. on
housetops. or other points above the VA
ter lines. WouId-be resCuers are shout
ing words OF announcement to them. but
the boats are said 10 be practically un-
manageable in the swiftly moving cur
rent. Debris. with which is mingled dead
bodies. floating by. adds 10 the hazardous
task of the rescuers.
Mnny Hcart-rendinE Scenes.
With the exception OF a crippled tele-
graph service. the town is cut of from
the surrounding country.
Most eNCruCiating scenes are reported
from the stricken city. AS darkness
gathered this evening weeping women
and children lined the East banks Of
the river waving handkerchiefs and
shouting words Of announcement to
loved ones marooned in houses and
trees in the swirling waters.
In one tree, where six people are
cllnging TO the branches. repeated ef-
forts to throw them a rope have failed.
Four persons were thrown into the nv
er when the Big-Four bridge gave way
at 1l:30 n. n. Three were rescued, but
Ralph Reigs. a printer. who caught on
a tree after being carried two hundred
yards down stream. is still narooned
there.
Just as the bridge was swept out, a
man. clinginG TO the roof OF a house
which was heinS swept down stream.
waved his shirt at the people on the
shore and then was lost 10 view as the
house crumpled when 1t struck the
bridge.
Make Daring Rescues.
Several buildings of Ohio Wesleyan
University are inundated.
One baby. not yet identified. was rescued
as il foated down stream. Another baby
was seen in midstream, but could not be
reached.
Silas Smith whose wife and children
were drowned. grasped the roof of a
house as It foated down stream and
drifted safely into a lumber yard.
Ry climbing into a tree. the Rev. Eu-
gene Bush. pastor of Grace Church. res
cued two babies and several adults
Taking a rope with him. the minister
fastened himself to the tree and threw
the loose end TO a man, who with sew
eral women and children. was being car
ried down stream on a house. All were
hauled ashore.
Mayor V. B. Ieas, who was reported
drowned. and who saved himself by
catching hold of the roof OF a shed in
a lumber yard. estimates the number OF
dead anywhere between q and -.
The flood was preceded by a cloud
burst. All wire communication went by
the board and in panic the tOwnspeople
at once took to the hills.
Two hundred homes were swept away
in the first rush OF the waters. and more
than a million dollars worth of prop
erty was destroyed.
Mayor Lees was painfully injured in
leading a rescue party. He was thrown
into the water when his boat capsized
and saved himself by grasping a pass
ing house.
The river is twenty feet above its