The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-03-29
DAYTON UNDER WATER.
a TERRIFIC TRAGEDY IN OHIO
CITY.
Prosperous Town Now Huge River.
Three Miles Wide, Through Which
Waters Sweep with Terrific Force.
Hundreds or Thousands May be
Dead, RcscucrS Say-IiardshipS for
Those Who Escape.

Dayton, Ohio, March 26.-At mid
| night the crest Of the flood was reach
ed and the water began to fall at the
| rate Of an inch an hour.
Dayton, Ohio, March rs. (By Tele-
! phone via Xenia. dayton is tonight
nothing less than a seething river
three miles wide, q mile and half
on each side of Main street, its prin-
cipal thoroughfare, while it is esti-
mated from 1000 to 5000 people have
perished.
The Algoqun hotel is submerged
| to it's third story and above this level
| in the downtown district office build
ingS, hotels and business houses are
| places of refuge.
A school building that was known
| to have housed no less than 400
children shortly before the waters
| rushed in that direction is entirely
| submerged and as far as can be ascer-
| tanned all Of these little ones met
Watery grave.
Thousands Of those who were for
tunate enough to have escaped the
| tonight on short ratiOns.
Three trainlOads of fOOdstuffs have
arrived from Xenia, but as yet there
| has been no chance to deliver them,
| and suffering from hunger as we'll as
exposure is bound to occur within
the next feW hours.
The rain continues and the waters
are still rising.
The Union railroad bridge that ad-
| mits all except one of the railroads
into the city was dynamited this af
ternOon, but the effect was not felt to
any marked degree.
Dayton, March 25.-Dayton, eX-
cept for it's most remote suburbs
tonight was covered from eight to
20 feet with a seething flood Of
water
Any attempt to estimate the loss
of life is hopeless. 1t is sure to run
| into the hundreds and very likely into
the thousands.
The property loss will total mil
lions Of dollars.
The flooded district comprises
practical circle with a radius Of
| mile and a half and in no place is
the water less than six feet deep.
In Main street, in the downtown
section, the water is 20 feet deep.
The horror of the flooded district
is heightened by more than q. dozen
fires which can be seen in the flooded
district but which are out o. reach
of fire fighters.
Most Of the businesses houses and
nearly all of the residences have oc-
cupants. Down town the Offices are
On the upper floor and on some Of
the roofs of the residences are help
less women and children. Hundreds
OF houses, substantial buildings in the
residence districts, many with help
less occupants, have been washed
away.
The number of drowned can not
be estimated until the flood subsidies.
st. Elizabeth's hospital, with 600
washed away. The building was
known to be in many feet of water
and indications are that the report
may prove true.
The electric light plants were put
out of business early in the day and
total darkness, coupled with a tor
rental downpour, added to the hor-
rors Of the night
Famine also became an immediate
possibility.
All Of the supply and grocery
houses are in the submerged district
and at midnight it was said there was
not enough bread to last the sur
vivors another day
John II. Patterson, president Of the
National Cash Register company, who
headed the relief work in the south
end of the city, sent out an appeal for
food supplies and for doctors and
were housed in his companys Of
fees.
n fire which started from an explO-
sion in the Myers Ice Cream com
pany. near Wyoming street, spread
and burned the block on South Park.
block from Wyoming. Another big
fire is reported TO have burned a
down town block.
The breaking Of the TarletOn reser-
no nj IL,
ter, left the city without water and
physicians declared there was great
danger of typhoid in the use Of the
flood water.
There are no boats in Dayton
which can breast the current, and
those on the otuside early gave up any
attempts TO reach business sections
At Wyoming street, on the south
side, where the National Cash Reg
ister company centred it's efforts at
rescue, many saved their lives by
creeping on cable a hundred feet
above the flood.
AT first linemen worked their way
along the cables carrying two ropes to
which the flat bottomed boats were
attached. When the flood became SO
Uerce that the boats no longer were
aDle 10 prevail against it, men and
women crept alonG the cables to safe
~. Others, less daring, saw darkness
lall and gave up hope of rescue
Those willing to risk their lives in
the attempt to rescue found them
selves helpless in face Of the water.
seventy thousand of Daytons pop
ulauon, it is reported. are homeless
me National Cash Register plant on
Il hlgh hill, offers the only haven in
the south end. Three women became
ihothers In the halls of it's Office
building tonight.
In the woodworking department of
the National Cash Register company
boats were being turned out at the
ra'e OF ten an hour, and these were
ruShcd To where the waters had
crossed Main street in Il sort Of
gully.
But the waters crcpt up and the
strength "i the current was far too
Str"nS Tor the crude punts, though
th"y were the best that could be
made in hurry. Trip after trip was
made ana hundreds of the refugees
nlg