The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-03-27
DAYTON NOW IN FLAMES;
The Death LIST GROWS
near Fourth and jefferson streets.

near Fourth and jefferson streets.
The fire started in a row OF build
ings on Third street, between Main
and Jefferson streets, next to the IL
brary building. This point Is two
squares south of the Phillips house
The fire is burning south.
The report Of the fire came from
Wire Chief Green, OF the Bell Tele-
phone company, who says the fire Is
now within a block of the telephone
exchange, In which is located John
Bell, who for more than twentyfour
hours has kept the outside world In
formed as best he could of the catas-
trophe in Dayton.
Many Of the buildings on the right
side Of the river were SO insecure that
they had left their foundations within
an hour. What were blocks OF thickly
populated one and two-story resi-
dences, populated mostly by foreign
ers. are only shattered lumber. They
are believed to contain many bodies.
Every effort has been made to reach
houses containing living persons.
1t appears certain that no part of
the district under water escaped con-,
tributing its toll to the flood Mr.. Bell
said that he had seen two bodies
floating in the waters along the shore
Rescuers from time to time saw
body disappearing in the flood.
All Of the buildings available have
been filed with cots and means for
providing food for the sufferers.
The crop of flood babies was in
creased by two, making five little ones
to be born in the hospital rooms of
factory within twenty-four hours.
More than 10000 persons either
were unable to reach their homes or
held in their waterlogged houses and
were unable to reach land.
No communication could be estab-
lished with those in the commercial
district and any attempt to say wheth-
er any or all of them were drowned
Is the merest conjecture. 1t is sup
posed most Of the fatalities occurred
on the west and north sides Of the
river where the wall of water rushed
in suddenly with the breaking of the
levee.
The immediate pressing need Is for
food and medical supplies. The great
demand for food exhausted the emer-
gency supplies in the outskirts of the
city and survivors now are depending
entirely on what may be brought in
4 ~ ;c ioin of od
that typhoid may result from the use
of the river water
Famine Faces Survivors.
The flooded district comprises a
practical circle with radius Of q
mile and half. and in no place was
the water less than six feet deep. In
Main street, In the downtown section,
1t was twenty feet deep.
Most of the business houses anc
nearly all OF the residences have occu-
pants. Downtown the Offices were
filed with men, fathers unable to get
home. and the upper floors and on
some of the roofs Of the residences
were helpless women and children.
Hundreds Of houses. substantial build
ings In the residence districts, many
OF them with helpless occupants. have
been washed away.
The St. Elizabeth hospital. with 500
patients, was reported to have been
washed away. The buildings were
known to be In many feet Of water.
Famine became an immediate pos
sibility. All Of the supply and grocery
houses are in the submerged district,
and It was said there was not enough
bread to last the survivors another
day.
While those marooned in the oflces
and hotels are in no immediate dan
ger Of drowning. there is no way food
or drinking water can reach them un-
til the flood recedes. Those in the resi-
dences, however, are in constant dan
ger, both by flood and fire.
When the flood came the Trailer
buildings were swept into the stream,
many showing the faces Of women and
children peering from the windows.
These were followed by more substan-
tial brick buildings, until it became
evident that no house in the food