The Sentinel=record., 1913-03-27
PLIGHT
 OF PERU
WITH MORE THAN THREE HUN DRIED DEAD THE SURVIVORS
 ARE HUDDLED WITHIN SMALL SPACE OF TWO BLoCKS-sEv- ERAL DIE FROM suFFocATioN
 IN PACKED MASS OF HUMANITY.

Peru. Ind, March 26. (via tele- pls)ne to southend D7-vivid details of the disastrous flood which visited Peru, drowning scores of it's inhabit- ants and rendering homeless more than half of it's population. were Qb- tained late today when rescuers sue ceeded in propeling boats through the inundated streets. The facts es- tablished were: Number of persons drowned, estimated from fifty up to as high as 15o it being impossible to learn exactly because many bodies are hidden in houses still wholly sub- merbegd.
 Number of persons homeless. T. 500.
 Two hundred and twenty-five in- jured or sick survivors rescued and removed to temporary hospital at Plymouth, Ind.
 Property loss $2,500000.
 Only two of the dead identified, Mrs. Rose Whittle and Mrs. Elsie Smith, tenants of whf/ was known as Walnut Row composed of 1z frame cottages where i2 families were drowned, were discovered.
 Winter quarters of big circus menagerie destroyed about 800 valu- able animals being drowned, includ- ing lions. bears, camels, elephants, ponies, monkeys and a rare collec- ton of birds
 Citizens finding lawlessness in every block of the city above water organized a vigilance committee with orders to shoot the Iooters.
 Conditions tonight:
 Several thousand persons still ma rooned in the court house, hospital and other structures.
 Snow railing heavily and suffer ing intense because of the lack Of heating facilities; city in darkness, except for scant supply Of lanterns. The city has no electric power and no drinking water supply The only communication from Peru today was maintained over a feeble telephone line. Much food, clothing and blank cts have arrived on the scene but more help is needed
 The difficulty of beginning any thing like a list was explained by the fact that the rescue parties devoted the entire day to carrying away the survivors who had climbed to peril ous positions on icy roofs. Ten men. who had remained for two days on top of a tank at the waterworks be- came panic stricken at the sight Of the first rescue boats. Most of these men fell into the water in attempt ing to jump into the boat and sever al of them were carried away
 How soon, if ever, the names of all the dead will be listed or the number known was given little thought by the rescuers tonight,
 ''Our energies are being devoted entirely to saving those still living" said Lieut.. Gov. O'Nell "It is impos- sible for us even to try to learn the whereabouts of the bodies just now '
 It was said that many of those taken to the hospital at Plymouth had become sick through drinking muddy water. To prevent this by supplying fresh water was one of the problems confronting the rescners.
 One of the rescue party who made the trip in the first boat that enter ed the city said:
 We learned from the survivors that the flood rushed in apon the city about ten o'clock Monday night. The river rose six feet in three hours. Warning had been given somr of the residents but many failed to heed it."
 "The cry to be saved from those who saw the first boat was heart rending. Some of them threatened to jump into the water if we did not take them aboard. But it was inn possible with the scant boat supply to take all away at once"