davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05

Columbus, Ohio, April Half a
million flood sufferers in Ohio are
begging for relief The property loss
to date has amounted to $3.50, 100000.
This the estimate made by Governor
Cox after the state authorities had
prepared an inventory of the disaster
and destruction wrought.
The flood waters arc rushing down
the Ohio river and Cairo is near one
of the most disastrous foundations OF
its history. Citizens are taking warn
ing from Dayton and other towns and
are flying to the highlands. The fig
ures which were based on reports
gathered from all parts of the inun-
dated area, were handed to the gov
ernor by public utilities commission.
They show the following itemized
damages to property, almost total
loss, as next to nothing of it is GOV.
cred by insurance.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Whole Families on Roofs.

All of the first terrible night, while
the city of Peru, Ind, was In inky
darkness because of the cutting off of
the gas and electric light supply, men,
women and children, and in some in.
stances entire families, lay fiat where
they had crawled to the roofs of their
homes, waiting for daylight to bring
relief Hundreds Of others were
5ammed in the courthouse and lodge
buildings, which were in the only four
blocks of the city not under water.
The first thought Of rescue parties
was to send into the town boats to
carry to safety those who were threat
ened with drowning. Telephone COM
munication had been opened with
points in the residence and business
districts and from those marooned In
buildings it was learned that many
persons, including some women who
held their children in their arms, had
been on roofs exposed to an almost
freezing temperature all night. One
man telephoned he had seen several
fall from exhaustion and slip into the
water. 1t was the purpose of the res
cuers first to reach those in greatest
danger. Hundreds Of others huddled
together at the courthouse, although
In want of food and water, were to be
taken later.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
100000 THRoNe oMAHA's RUINS.
Hearts and Purses of Crowd Are
Touched by Scenes in Stricken.
City.

Omaha, March 31.-Omaha was the
mecca yesterday for about 100000
sightseers-who came in from the sur.
rounding country to view the district
devastated by Easter Sunday nights
tornado. All railroads entering the
city ran special trains with excursion
rates for the benefits of the visitors.
Brown-clad militiamen were on
guard at intersections of the tornado
zone keeping the crowds in check and
constantly on the move. Rehabilita-
tion and relief work was kept up all
day, the various relief committees
and the victims of the storm taking
no notice of the Sabbath.
Women of the city held tag day"
and in this manner swelled the relief
fund. The tags brought from 10 cents
to S. and gave the visitors an oppor-
tunity to help the sufferers of the
storm.
One of the novel sights to the out
siders was the services in the Trinity
Methodist church at Twenty-first and
Binney This church had whole side
literally sliced off by the twister, but
the enterprising parishioners patched
it up with tarpaulins and castoff
boards and the usual services were
conducted.
All appeals for help have been
promptly met by the relief commit
tee. Work goes on slowly in the storm
swept area and it will be some time
before it assumes a normal appear
ance.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Forty Dead at Bridge.

Richard Lee, an engineer on the
Pennsylvania, who brought in the last
train over that line from Logansport,
reported a terrible condition at the
Pennsylvania bridge over the Wabash
on the outskirts of Logansport.
This bridge is braced across an
island and is as near indestructible as
bridge can be made," said Mr.. Lee.
1T is eighteen miles down stream
from Peru and has caught all the
debris from that town
Il think we saw the remains of
more than 100 houses stacked up
against this bridge, with the current
tugging and pulling at them. We
could make out thirty or forty dead
bodies in the crushed lumber, and it
seemed as If some section of Peru
must have been overwhelmed sudden
ly and swept down stream to destruc-
Lion."
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
The Man on the Roof.


There were two heroes on the Day
ton foods. Their names are NJ. B..
6tohl and c. D. Williamson, and they
are employees Of the American Tele-
graph and Telephone company.
Stohl is wire chief at Dayton. He
reached the Dayton office Of his COM
pany late the night before the floods
came. The rush of the waters put all
the telephone batteries and power out
of commission. Forgetting thoughts
Of escape, Stohl rummaged around
until he found a lineman's test set.
With this he rigged up sending and
receiving apparatus. and cut in upon
the wire on the roof of the four-story
building. This wire connected him
with Phoneton. testing station eight
miles away. Thus he established CON-
munication with Williamson. whose
batteries were still working.
Then Stohl sent messages from the
flooded city, otherwise cut off from
communication with the outside world.
All night he stuck to his post. All next
day he remained. The following noon
found him still on the roof of build
ing whose foundations were being
sapped by the waters.
There he stayed in the rain and cold,
with the prospect Of death staring him
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
PEOPLE DESERT CITY
RIVER REACHES HIGHEST STAGE
AND GRAVE DANGER FELT
AT CAIRO, ILL.
western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Snawneetown, ILL.,, April 3-All that
is left of Shawneetown is the few
substantial brick and stone buildin IS
behind the main levee, and they are
considered unsafe.
Less than 100 persons remained IN
the town which formerly had 1000 in
hahitants. Those remaining are
perched in the second and third sto-
ries of Main street buildings.
A strong wind rising at ten o'clock
yesterday morning, completed the de-
struction begun by the opening of the
south levee Tuesday.
The forty tive mile an hour gale
lashed the broad Ohio into a rolling,
tossing sea until breakers dashed over
the already submerged levees. Be
tween the churning waters and the
southwest gales, frame buildings fell
to pieces and the more substantial
structures we:e shaken
A break in the northern levee also
added to the danger. A rift in the em-
bankment rapidly enlarged and soon a
swift current was rushing through the
residence section, carrying all before
it
The levee hotels, heretofore consid-
cred safe from flood attack. were de-
serted by the several hundred men
who had remained in them in prefer
ence to fleeing with their families 20
the highest buildings in the town.
Ohio Reaches Highest Stage.
Cairo, H., April S.-The highest
stage of the Ohio river ever recorded
here was reached when the river
gauge showed 54.4 feet. This exceeds
| the former high water mark by three-
tenths of a foot.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Passengers Give Refund Money.

The flood relief fund collected in
Chicago was increased $152 by the
two hours delay of the Twentieth
Century Limited from New York For
every hour the train is late the pas
sengers are given 81 by the company.
1t arrived in Chicago two hours be-
hind time.
]. L. Daube OF Philadelphia con-
ceived the idea of giving the 81 which
would be refunded by the railroad
company to the fund. He made known
his intentions to Joseph Horowitz of
New York and Fred X. Townsend of
Rochester, who also were passengers.
They became enthusiastic and formed
a committee to collect the refund
slips of all the passengers on the train.
Out of eighty passengers seventy
six readily gave up their slips. Among
the four was an Englishman just ar
rived. The flood situation was ex-
planned to him and Daube pictured the
sufferings OF the victims.
II don't believe It," declared the
Englishman. "It is some bally Ameri-
can scheme to derraud strangers.
Show me your credentials. / never
heard OF any food. l know all about
your schemes in this country to de-
fraud travellers"
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Robber Prices Of Boatmen.

Boatmen in Peru, Ind, reGped for
tunes by carrying flood sufferers
from the danger zone at exorbitant
prices, according to M. S. Scott, a
travelling salesman of New York, who
arrived from Peru with two other
travelling men.
"The condition at Peru" said Mr..
Scott, cannot be told. l was at a
hotel across the street from the court
house and last night six babies were
born to women who lay on the bare
floor Of the building. When we learned
of this we had them rowed across the
street and gave them our rooms. The
boatmen charged s5 each to row three
women across the street. We paid
SIS to be hauled three miles, and
were lucky to get off that cheaply."
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Heroes In ALI cIassea.

II great loss of life was averted
at Peru, this is due to some heroes of
the Owen Wister type, river men and
water rats from surrounding lakes,
who by unbelievable prowess with a
pair of frail oars rescued the doomed,
and in splendid harmony with their
virile efforts shines the spirit Of wom-
en- who valiantly helped, supremely
oblivious to distressing surroundings.
Among the latter are Mrs. r. H.
Bouslog, Mrs. R. G. Edwards, and
Mrs. Albert Shirk, all three wives
of local millionaires, and also leaders
In the self-sacrifices required to pro-
vide sandwiches, coffee and smiles to
q panic stricken multitude in emer-
gency quarters.
Among the boatmen two brothers,
Charley and Ted Knight, are praised
on the corners left in Peru. Ted, with
w. A. HUFF, a dentist, braved the tur-
bulent waters of the Wabash river,
cutting off Peru on the south side
and rendering uncertain the fate of the
Inhabitants of South Peru. According
to the report the two rescuers reached
the opposite shore alive, after having
been overturned several times.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05

Railroads - Bridges. s25,OOO,OOO
tracks, s5,OOO,OOO; equipment, s5.-
100000; terminal systems, slO,-
100000; railway telegraph, $4,000
600; buildings. s5,OOO,OO0; miscel-
laneous. S5,OOO,OOO; county bridges.
100000 1000; county roads, S5,0OO,OO0:
city streets and sewers and side
walks, S15,OOO,0OO buildings, $4,000.
600; merchandise in business houses,
s6O.0O0.000.
Tractions-Track, cars, wire ami
power houses, $20,00O,000.
Public Utilities-Gas, electric lights,
waterworks. wires, pipes, generating
stations. gas works, s25, 5,OOO,O 900.
Levees, dikes and dams, $4,000 900.
Personal Property-Furniture jew
elry, money. clothing, etc. $15,OOO,-
600; miscellaneous, intangible, $5,OOO,-
900
In addition to this list, the state
highway commissioner, James r. Mar
ker, has prepared an estimate by
sections of the loss exclusive Of
bridges, railways, highways and can
ais:
Damage Miami valley, $50,0O0,0O0.
Damage Muskingum valley, s5O,OOO,-
OO0
Damage Scioto valley, s5O.OOO,OOO
Damage other valleys of rivers flow
ing south, $1O,O00OOO.
The great problem now is that of
food supplies. They have been mov-
ing in as fast as railroad tracks could
be prepared; still some cities have
thousands of famished. Communities
that lavish their generosity upon the
flood swept cities are now in turn be-
ginning to run short of provisions.
With the Ohio river, already above
the record flood mark of 1884 In
places, the situation is becoming
graver.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05

places OF safety, and on the roofs
of buildings, only to die from expos.
ure.
The suffering of the survivors hud.
died together in the marooned build.
ings was awful. Food and water
could not be taken to them.
Foreigners killed their country.
men and even members of their fam.
lilies in their desperate efforts to OBJ
tain food, according to John Volbrecht
Of Yukawa street, In North Dayton,
who was taken from the one remain.
ing abutments of the Herman street
bridge. Volbrecht said he was at his
home with his family when the food
struck North Dayton. The house was
picked up by the current and car.
ried against the Herman street bridge.
Volbrecht said he chung to the bridge
and didn't know what became of his
family.
One woman with a ten-day-old baby
climbed over the roofs of three houses
to reach the rescuers.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Heroic Rescues Common.

From all parts Of Dayton come sto-
ries of heroic rescues. The stolid
volunteers pay no attention to them
All of them for three days have con-
stantly offered their lives to save
others. Several of these men have
given their lives on rescue work
Their names are unknown. Watchers
on the banks saw them trying to
reach persons in floating houses, saw
their boats upset and the men go
down.
Late in the day large frame house
floated down the river. Four women
were in the windows. AS they neared
the Main street bridge they waved at
the crowd on the banks and the build
ing struck the pieces. There was a
swirl In the murky waters and lit
tie farther down stream the debris
appeared, but none of the women.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
A Big Gift TO the Public
THE DENVER
REPUBLICAN
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Neither money nor labor will be
spared to make THE REPUBLI-
CAN, as it has always been in the
past, the best and most reliable pa
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THE REPUBLICANS news
service has no equal. The Assoc
lated Press, supplemented by the
splendid New York Herald news
service, gives our readers every
morning all the news gathered from
every part of the world.
THE ILLUSTRATED SUN
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THE REPUBLICAN contains
stories by the leading authors and
humorists of the day and many
pages of photographs of great in
terest.
SEND IN YOUR SUBSCRIP-
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The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
ALL TELL" STORIES
OF HEROIC DEEDS
Survivors of the Flood Disaster
Proud of Record Made by
Brothers
NEEDS OF OTHERS PUT FIRST
No Ono Has Cause to Be Ashamed of
Spirit Displayed In AgonlzIng
TIme-Some Fearful Expert
ences Brought to Light.

Chicago.-"Women and children
first"
This world-old cry, made more men,
orable when the Titanic disaster
thrilled the world. echoed over the
nood-stricken districts of Ohio and In
diana. Refugees who reached Chicago
told innumerable stories of men risk
ing their lives to save the women and
children.
The unwritten law Of the sea was
observed on the inland rivers. The
entire tenor of stories told by refugees
was ono Of bravery. self-sacrifice and
devotion to the weak and unprotected.
Women and children first"
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Many Rescued by a Cable.


Many thrilling stories were told by
the Dayton refugees who had been
trapped In their attics and on their
roofs in the very heart of the flood.
A. ]. Bard of Belmont avenue, who
was penned in the City National
Bank building on Third street, near
Main, Tuesday, was rescued.
One hundred and fifty of US were
caught in the building" said Mr.
Bard. I'VE remained there until the
fire started, then we began to plan an
escape"
I'VE cut the elevator cable and OBJ
tanned ball of twine and some small
wire from one of the offices. We at
tracted boatman, who risked his life
to come to us. We gave the boatman
one end Of the twine and he rowed to
the old courthouse. He then pulled
the wire over and after that the heavy
cable.
"One end of the cable was made
fast in the bank building and the
other in the old courthouse. Then,
with only the light of the burning
structure, the $50 persons in the bank
building made their way. hand over
hand, along the cable over the swirl
ing torrent to the courthouse. l be-
lieve every one, men and women,
made the trip in safety. During our
Imprisonment l had two crackers and
slice of Clipped beef to eat"
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Only Doctor a Drug EIend.

Terrible scenes were reported from
West Indianapolis. Conditions in the
flooded district were made worse by
the fact that the only physician who
was there to attend sufferers was a
victim of the morphine habit. In the
Methodist church a woman rescued
from the bottoms gave premature
birth to twins. The physician, what
with the horror of his duty and his in
ability to obtain more of the drug,
went insane, and after making three
unsuccessful attempts to jump from
a window, was placed in straight
jacket.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Victims Are Cheerful.

One of the remarkable features was
the cheerful spirit with which flood
victims viewed their plight. This was
Dayton's first great food in many
years. Much of the submerged area
had been considered safe from high
water, but as the majority of resi-
dents of these sections looked out on
all sides upon great sweep of muddy,
swiftly moving water, they seemed un-
disturbed.
In some of the poorer sections the
attitude of the marooned was not SO
cheerful AS a motor boat passed be-
fore the second floor of one partly
submerged house a man leaned out
and threatened to shoot unless they
took off his wife and baby that had
just been born. The woman, almost
dying, was let down from the window
by a rope and taken to a place of
refuge.
Further on, members of a motor
boat party were startled by shots in
the second iloor of house about
which five feet of water swtrled. The
boat was stopped and man peered
from the window of the house.
"Why are you shooting?" he was
asked.
"Oh, Just amusing myself shooting
at rats that come upstairs. When are
you going to take me out Of here?"
he replied.
The bodies Of woman and baby
were seen floating down Jefferson
street, one of Dayton's main thorough
fares. 1t was thought they came from
the district north of the river.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Only Ono Of Many.

What is your name?" asked the
registerer who received refugees at
Dayton. o, Of a slender person in
EesE's slothing.
Norma Thurma." was the reply.
Norma came in with Ralph Myers,
ais wife and little baby. Myers had
climbed telegraph pole first He let
down rope to his wife, who tied 1t to
a meal sack which contained their
baby. three months old. Myers pulled
the rope with its precious burden up
and then let it down to aid his wife.
Holding on to two thin wires, he trav-
sled across the cable full block to
safety.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05

Revised List of Dead.
March 31.-Following is the lat
est tabulated list of the dead:
Ohio.
Dayton, $50, conservative esti-
mate); Hamilton, 81 bodies recov-
cred; Columbus, Ga bodies recov
cred; GAINESVILLE, 10 known dead;
Delaware, IA bodies recovered;
Chillicothe, 15; Miamisburg, Is;
Piqua, IL; Tiffin, 15; Mount Yer
non, 10; Fremont, IA; Franklin, 4
Troy, 8; Coshocton, 5; Middleton,
8; Valley Junction. G; Harrison,
12; Cleaves, 2; Van Vert, 8; Ven
ice, 3; Mansfield, l Globe Center,
/; Wooster, 8; Londonville, /;
New Bethlehem, 1.
Indiana.
Brookville, 80; Peru, 20; Terre
Haute, s; Fort Wayne, 8; Mobiles
vile, 2; Lafayette, 2.
Pennsylvania.
Sharon, 10; New Castle, 4.
West %irginia.
Wheeling S.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05

In the face every moment. He sobbed
strong mans sob as he told his tale
OF death and desolation; of floating
wreckage bearing men, women and
children doomed to death; of dead
bodies borne upon the crest of the wa.
ters; of piteous sights. in themselves
enough to unnerve the bravest of men
But he stuck to his post.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Go Insane. sIay Families.

There were stories of insanity caus-
ed by the food at Dayton. A father
had killed his four children and
his wife and then leaped into the
flood.
Children had been born in boats
that were carrying their mothers to
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Hano to Roof Thirty Hours.

After hanging to the roof of their
home for thirty hours, with a strong
wind blowing and heavy snow fall
ing, August Schmidt, wife and two
children were rescued. None of them
could move muscle, being chilled
through. They were removed to Van
Cleve School, where hundreds of other
rescued were taken.
I'D have fallen into the water If it
hadn't been for daddy" exclaimed the
little girl, who was first of the four to
recover sufficiently to talk.
when the water came into the
house we had to climb on the roof
Daddy held me and mamma held
brother. Oh, 1t was cold thought
l was going to die. but daddy kept
hold of me-"
A little boy, who, during the night
clung in full sight of the rescuers,
was rescued. He probably will die.
The little fellow was discovered after
the flood had risen SO high he could
not weather the waters.
The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-05
Surgeon Tells Graphic Story.

LIT. Ray b. Harris, police surgeon
OF Dayton, Ohio, and one Of the chief
workers among the injured immedi-
ately after the cyclone, told a graphic
story Of the sufferings of the hun
dreds who were hurt.
When We began to collect the bod.
les we realized for the first time the
fearful state of AFFAIRS said the ply
sician. 1T was as grewsome a task
as l ever worked at Some of the
bodies were twisted into frightful
shapes and some had pieces of
wreckage-wood and iron-driven
through their bodies. Dozens were
smothered to death, some were
burned, still others were crushed and
beaten to death by the flying timbers
Every physician In the city, and
even the medical students, were at
work Sunday night and all day Mon
day. / impressed two dentists myself,
although l didn't want any teeth
drawn. They worked like Trojans,
too.
Some Of the taxicab drivers thought
1t was golden opportunity to reap a
harvest, and demanded huge sums for
carrying the injured to the hospitals.
The doctors wouldn't stand for any
thing like that. and l personally
thrashed two drivers who presumed
to haggle."
Another husky young doctor had an
argument with chauffeur, who de-
manded IS apiece for conveying two
injured women to a hospital. When
he would not yield the physician
seized piece of board and knocked
the man senseless with it. Then he
took the chauffeur to the hospital with
the women and ministered to him.
1t is such incidents as this that evil
dence the fearful night of terror and
panic and the day of sorrow that fol-
lowed.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21

pet goat. which his father was once
aStonished to find complacently ruminat-
ing in the middle of that youngsters bed.
How this lad one Christmas successfully
appealed to his father to Overrule the
White House cook s. objection to his feast
ing d lot of ragged street urchins on
turkey and cranberry sauce in the kitchen
has long been told in Washington. Tad's
elder brother ''Bob''-who later became
a student at Cambridge and is now the
only surviving child of the Lincolns, for
poor Tad when but eighteen Joined his
father and brother Willie in the Great
Beyond.
Next after the Lincoln boys there came
TO dwell in the White House the three
little Andes of President Johnson's time
Andy Johnson jr., just entering his
teens, and the Presidents two little
grandsons, Andy Slower and Andy Pat
terson, the last of whom had a little
sprightly Christmas parties ever enjoyed
by children of the White House was that
of 1868, when President Johnson gave
dance to AGO boys and girls. who, in the
east room, executed the waltZes, pOlkas
and 1ancers which they had learned at
the then famous and fashionable Marinis
dancing. academy. Two little girls on that
festive occasion danced Spanish dance
and at the end of the evening the elder
White House guests tripped gayly
through a Virginia reel
While Gen. Grant was President his
friend and brother-in- arms, Gen. Sher-
man, made it a habit to come to the
White House each Christmas eve and
romp with the children invited to play
with little Jesse. The Presidents daugh-
ter Nellie finished school and married