The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-28
RICHMOND MEN RELATE
EXPERIENCES IN FLOOD CITY

Mayor w. w. Zimmerman, Lewis
Tiff and Clarence Jessup of this city,
went to Dayton yesterday in an auto
mobile and succeeded, after abandon
ing their machine on the Dayton View
bridge, in getting to the Algonquin no
tel, in the center of town, by rowboat
and by wading.
At Monument street and the Dayton
View bridge We got a rowboat and row.
ed to Ludlow street." Jessup stated
last night. From Ludlow street We
waded to the Algonquin hotel and We
inquired of the manager of some Rich
mond people but they were not reg
istered. The water was too deep for
us to wade any further so We went
back to Ludlow street, where We had
left our boat, but it was not there and
had visions of being stranded there
for three or four days and there were
some men talking of the Lewistown
dam having broken, which did not
brighten us up any.
"A little later canvas canoe with
three men in it came along and we
hailed them. Fortunately one of the
men in the boat was a travelling man.
acquainted with Mayor Zimmerman,
and he made room for us in the boat,
although | thought it would sink any
moment When we finally landed at
the bridge we all shook hands with
ourselves"
WHAT THE MAYOR SAYS.
THE chief trouble at Dayton now Is
the lack of organization in the relief
work which is being carried on" stat
ed Mayor Zimmerman on his return
from Dayton last evening. NO one
seems to have any say-so about any
thing. There are only a few boats
available for use and these are not be-
ing worked with any attempt at sys-
tenn. They come and go at will and
anyone uses them VINO wishes to.
There are few militiamen there, but
they are not doing much. Everyone
seems daZed. They seem to need
someone to take charge and direct the
work
'On the west side Of the river they
are mt suffering greatly except for lack
of light and drinking water. They are
crying for drinking water and for can
dies, all of which have been used up.
Il procured a rowboat and went
across the river to the Algonquin
hotel. 1t is still standing. There seem
ed to be about three feet of water
around it.
Il attempted to get in touch with
the mayor OF Dayton, hut all attempts
to locate him were unavailing. l do
not know. but l think the people were
all taken from the Steele High School
building, watched portions of it's
walls crumble and fall. 1t cannot last
Ing.
Il saw no evidences of looting, but
heard that several had been shot.
There are only about One-half dozen
militiamen on the west side of the riv-
err. A block just south OF the Beckel
house was burning when | was there.
did not see any other fires"
INQUIRIES STATEMENT.
Charles Mcclure, who made the trip
to Dayton yesterday in an automobile
in company with Fred Gennett, return
ed with graphic tale of the stricken
city. 1T would be impossible to exag-
gerate and description of the condi-
tons which exist in Dayton at pre-
sent" he stated to a Palladium report
er last evening. Conditions over there
are simply Undesirable. There is no
system to the work of rescuing those
marooned on the housetops and in
!, trees. The rescuers are greatly handi-
capped by lack of boats. Only a few
little canoes, probably pleasure craft
from the homes of some of the rich
people near the river, are available for
use. They are putting these to the