Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-03-26
INDIANA AND OHIO
TOWNS SUBMERGED.
Hundreds Perish and Many
Thousands are Rendered
Homeless.
HOMES WASHED AWAY.
Weather Bureau Can Give no Hopes
of an Early Change in Meteorolo-
gical Conditions.

Cleveland, Ohio, March 26.-Char-
acteriZed by President Wilson as a
national calamity" the the gigantic
floods that have Simultaneously en-
quilted whole cities in Ohio and Indi-
ara, today appear to have surpass-
ed all records of recent years in the
scope of their destructiveness.
Reports from the stricken sections
today show that the loss of life has
been heavy but so far no accurate
estimate of the total number killed
is possible That 100000 persons
have bene rendered homeless and
property damaged to the extent of a
half billion dollars appears certain.
The Miami River Valley, including
the towns of Dayton, Hamilton and
Piqua, is an eighty mile long strip
Of devastation.
The Wabash river, bursting itl
banks at Peru, Indiana, has brought
havoc upon town after town through
out its length. indianapolis and
other cities ON the White River are
inundated.
Throughout other sections Of both
states the smaller rivers have flood
ed towns and hamlets by the score and
passing eastward the rising waters
now threaten to visit similar destruc-
ton upon the vicinity of Pittsburgh,
Wheeling and other cities on the Ohio
and Alegkany rivers.
Columbus, o., March 26.-With
more than 25O,O00 driven from their
homes. while towns laid waste, and
loss of life that cannot be estimated,
Ohio lay PROSTATE today before a
flood that showed no signs Of abate-
ment.
Reports that reached Columbus to-
day from the different stricken cities
were meagre because railroad faci-
lities were paralyzed and only oc-
casionally was Columbus able to get
telegraph or telephone connection.
Scene of indescribable horror are
reported from Dayton. Loss of life
is estimated from $50 to 5000 accord
ing to various reports fikering in
here. One report is that a school house
is inundated and that nearly 400 chill
dren who were in it at the time the
lcvee broke were drowned. This,
however, has not been confirmed.
The entire city is under from ten to
thirty feet of water and people have
sought the tai! buildings and the hills
as places of refuge.
The flood that hit Dayton was due
to the breaking Of the Loramie res
ervoir, in Shelby county, about seven
o'clock Tuesday morning. Rushing
down the Mama Valley, the water
carried everything before it in Piqua,
Troy, Sidney, Dayton, Carrollton,
M:amisburg and Hamilton.
That there has been great loss Of
life in the Mama Valley is certain
but the exact extent is at this time
largely guess work.
In Columbus the west side is prac-
ticaly wiped out, $4,000 or more are
homeless, and the reported loss Of
life ranges from half dozen to two
hundred. Houses are floating down
the river with people on their roofs.
Several fires in the submerged dis
trict have added to the horrors.
A man marooned with his family
or the roof of his home shot and kill
ed his wife and three children and
then himself rather than to suffer
death in the flames.
A big man is crying like child
here at the Offices Of the National
Cash Register Company, where near
" one thousand homeless flood VIC
rims are sheltered He has been to
the hospitals and schools, where ref
ueees are housed, to the churches
but at none of these is his family.
The money loss is heavy, but no
body cares about money loss, though
It runs into the millions.
indianapolis, Ind, March 26.-Para-
lived by tie-up of industry and
sportation, heavy loss of life re-
ported from several cities, with prop