Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-29
DAYTON FLOOD GIVES
NEW CROP OF HEROES
Rise to Leadership in the Hour of Crisis-Refugees
Have Returned to PRINT
tive Lives
tive Lives.

DAYTON, Ohio, March 29.-Life is prim-
tive in Dayton today. Mans first ne
cessities. food and shelter. are his prin-
cipal considerations. The needs of the
living transcend the duty of caring for
the dead
In a large number of places through
out the city camps have been established
and families have set up Housekeeping IN
tents, cooking in the open over bonf1res-
Two carloads of eggs which were conns-
Gated and distributed have proved great
boon to the refugees. Physicians declare
the timely arrival of these eggs IN
doubtedly saved many lives.
Stories of many almost miraculous es-
capes from death, of deeds OF herolsm
and unselfsh sacrifice are all coming
out of the floods ruin. Men whose lives
had kept to the level of those of their
fellows in the hour of crisis rose to the
heights of leadership and by captaining
those around them lessened the horror
and the extent of tho disaster.
Thrilling Escapes From Flames.
Pcrilous trips around the coping of
burning buildings, with the yawninS
water of the flood below them, marked
lHc ESCAPE I'll -IOul NohiSia
and children from the flames that de-
Stroycd the structures on the north SIDE
of Sd street from jefferson to st. Clair
Tuesday night.
When the alarm of fire was raised. per-
sons in the buildings rushed to the win
dowS to seek aid in the streets below.
None was available and driven by the
flames, the refugees rctreated from the
east and west toward the Cooper building
H.
way through attic hatchways and climb
ing over roofs and around coplngS In
this manner the Cooper building became
the common place of refuge.
Hemme4 in on both sides. a way out
was then sought across Sd street. Harry
kirkbride organized the men. Under his
direction one of the party was let down
with rope to the water. lie swami
to the opposite side, fastened "A rope cable
i'm a street staircase and then slgnaied
his comrades behind.
Supporting the women and children, the
men let themselves down from the Coop
er building and struggled through the
torrent-sWept street to the other side.
floors Thence the entire thfrty-four
made their way to an alley and across 1t
to place of safety. There they remain
ed until Thursday, when they were
rescued.
Tour of Flood District.
Members of tho United States life
saving crew of Louisville who naVl-
gated along sections of flooded Dayton
heretofore UNEMPLOYED reported condl-
tons in North Dayton and Riyerdale
quite as deplorable the first es-
Inmates concerning suffering OF the
people were concerned The tour, how
ever. failed to verify fears that there
had been a tremendous death toll in that
section.
In North Dayton privation among the
marooncd has been severe, but actual
suffering, except among children, was
negligible. Cruising the southern end
of Riverdale, where it was feared there
! would be found big death list. Capt.
Gillooly. in charge of the crew. reported
conditions paralleling those in other sec
tons of the stricken city. but only two
dead bodies were reported as having
been recovered. The flooded territory In
! Riverdale which is section of sub
stantial home owners, approximately is
seventeen blocks long and seven blocks
wide
After having descended the Miami river,
Capt Giilooy reported that in the south
central section of Dayton. where the
flood flowed widest Tuesday night and
Wednesday. thousands of persons stu
were imprisoned in upper floors OF their
homes He stated that from numerous
inquiries among people whose residences
had been inundated it appeared the life
loss would not be nearly so large as II
was placed by first reports.
This section still was flooded although
the water rapidly was receding, and while
few corpses eddied out from the food $
edge yet in the center of the area it was
stated that only two bodies had been
seen.
Given Food and Water.
Assisted by representative of the AS
sociated Press. Capt. GilloOy and his men
distributed food and quantities of drink
ing water TO a large number of the flood $
prisoners. Arrangements also were made
to provide the needy ones with the neces-
sary supplies from time to time until the
! flood waters have gone.
The crew launched their big boat in the
Miami canal. UP which they cruised to
Mad river. thence down Mad river to the
| Miami. and thence south to the Stewart
| Street bridge. which is only a short dis
| lance from the National Cash Register
plant. where hundreds of refugees are re-
| ceiving care.
| At many different points along the route
| stops were made. and the crew detoured
away from the river 1t was found many
| OF THESE uetOuIS cOulu De iIddc dLOOt, tic
| water having rapidly fallen. At no place
was the water behind the levees deeper
! than four feet.
While the Louisville life-savers were
baking their cruise Capt II. A. Hansen
was operating a number of boats in the
| heart of North Dayton, where condi
| ton of veritable chaos exists. 1t was il
! that section i'm which lived many of the
poorer class. Few of the buildings were
| substantial, and when the fury of the
nd lad floods cnmninad ir
| a seething maelstrom dozens of the resi-
| dences succumbed. Two representatives
| of the Associated Press made a trip into
| the heart of North Dayton and saw more
! than a score of frame houses upturnet