The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-27
Danger From Fire Passed in
Flooded Ohio City.
COnfIagratiOn Ragged Through
out the Night.
FEAR SICKNESS and FAMINE
Loss at Dayton $1,000, May
Be 10000"
Homeless Number 10000; Less
Than Days Food Ahead.

Columbus, March 27.-That the fire
in Dayton was under control and prac-
tically ended, was the information
given to Governor Cox by telephone
from Dayton at 11:15 today
Further danger from flood in Dayton
was passing today but the apprehen-
sion of great loss of life from famine,
exposure and sickness was growing
hourly.
The flood waters receded three feet
during the night and it was expected
that before darkness most of those
rnarooned in the downtown district
would be liberated. Four motor boats
which arrived from Cincinnati were
taken to the waters edge and an eff
fort made to extend immediate relieL
to the / ore urgent cases were found.
Although there are constant rumors
of a great number of deaths from fires
and floods in far parts of the city, up
to the present there can be no actual
knowledge or Ineligible estimate of
the mortalities. George F. Burba, rep
resentative of Governor Cox, telegraph
ed the governor, urging that special
emphasis be given the great need or
immediate supplies of provisions. There
is not a full days supply in the city
and before night it is likely that 1000
persons, who have been held downtown
without food or fater, since Tuesday,
will be released and there will be no
provisions for them nor places to care
for them
No Water or IightS
He says there is no water and there
is no light. He says that within a day
the bodies of thousands of horses will
be decomposing in the muddy streets
and that it will be impossible even to
care for the bodies of the humans. If
the downtown section is relieved by
night it may permit the city authori-
ties to get together with the militia
and the relief committees and make
some organized attempt to give aid
to the north side tomorrow.
Except for a solitary branch of the
Dayton, Lebanon & Cincinnati, the
railroad over which a single train can
creep cautiously at time, railroad
communication has not been restored.
It takes twelve hours for a train to
come up over this line from Cincin-
natl. a distance of about fifty miles.
Mayor Hunt of Cincinnati has been
urged to see that a trainload of sup
plies be kept constantly on the move
on this road. An effort also is being
made here to induce all who are able
and who can find outside places of
refuge to leave the city as fast as
train service will permit. Needless
day of the breaking of the reservoir,
when men rushed through the uptown
streets shouting, Flee for your lives;
the reservoir has broken"
Families living outside the danger
zone gathered their babies and belong
ings in their arms and fled to the cash
register office, crushing into that al
ready overcrowded place The reser-
voir contains 1900 acres of water
space, and it was pointed out that the
ST inf is nGf "a a
million acres.
Dayton, March 27.-Cvia Miami. }
A fearful fire that destroyed blocks
of central Dayton last night. with
large loss of life, is raging today. Hun
dreds of persons are known to have
been driven to the top floor of the
structures by the flood. Water in
the streets there is ten to twenty
feet deep. 1t is impossible to render
aid to the people in that district, as
it is completely surrounded and boats
cannot live in the raging torrents.
People in other sections of the city
watched the sight from across the riv
er. During the night a driving snow
- storm started and continued until
noon today.
If the death list is only one thou
sand I will consider it a marvellous
dispensation,'' telegraphed Governor
secretary today.
IF it is ten thousand 1 will not be
surprised.
Horrible as it is" he said, "the
real suffering will grow worse for
days. There are 10000 homeless. The
refugees are being fed from hand to
mouth with less than a days food
supply ahead"
The crowded north side of the riv-
er, where it is feared there may be
thousands of foreigners dead and dy
ing. is still far beyond reach.
The devastated district is facing a
food famine.
while we have food enough for a
few days, our supply must be replen-
ished or the suffering will become
ACUTE Chairman Hiram Henderson
of Riverdale relief committee said to-
day. 1--WE will need coffins and bread
in particular. From north of Dayton
farmers have responded nobly to our
reQueSmt for food. Men have driven
as much as forty miles to bring us
what supplies they could spare. Citi-
zens of this section of the town also
have brought all their food and we are
cooking it and feeding those who gave
it. The drop in temperature caught
many without coal, but we are able to
give warm sleeping space to all.
We can do nothing now but rest
and care for the refugees, but later
we must face a more serious situa-
tion''
In another section food conditions
were more serious and provisions are
being rushed by special trains from
towns as far away as Richmond, Ind.
Lack of Bread.
The lack of bread is being felt