Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 11, Number 76, Decatur, Adams County, 29 March 1913 — Page 1

Volume XL Number 76.

The Prayers of a

row For Those In Distress In the Middle West

LIST OF DEATH LOWER As Authentic Reports Come In—About One Hundred Lives Lost In IndianaSeveral Times That Many In Ohio 11 """ 11 IMUMB

(United Press Service) Indianapolis, Ind., Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat)—The situation in Indiana showed vast improvement today. The state is not only taking care of her own sufferers, but is likewise sending aid to Ohio. Figures complied here today show that the total dead will not greatly exceed one hundred, while the property lamage is figured at fifty million dollars. Mud was Indiana's greatest flood problem today. The thousands of homeless adapted themselves to cold hunger, crowded conditions, thirst and everything else, but they could not adapt themselves to the mud. In central and northern Indiana, but few houses were destroyed, and they were only the flimsy ones, but in thousands of houses, much cleaning of debris will be necessary before they can be occupied. Wire connections with the Wabash valley below Terre Haute were lost today and the flood condi- 1 tions in Vincennes and Evansville could only be guessed at. However, I the residents of the lowlands have had ample warning to avoid loss of life. Death List at Peru. Peru, Ind., Mar. 29—(Special to Dally Democrat)—The loss of life from the recent floods here is now placed at from twenty-five to fifty. Others identified today were “Red” May, Burt Smith and A. Reich. Everybody here has been cared for and business was resumed slightly today. Number Unknown at Dayton. Dayton, Ohio, Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat) —At 10 o'clock this morning seventy-four bodies were in the improvised morgues here. Several sections of the city are still under water and an estimate on the total dead varies from 150 to 1,000. Undertakers {nsist it will reach the latter number, while conservative citizens say it Will not be over 200. Militia troops are bringing bodies to the morgue constant’’-. Telephone connection are being made today. Drinking water has been supplied and the work of rebu' ting is to go cn without delay. An examination of Public buildings has proven them intact. Most of the larger buildings are safe, but hundreds of smaller ones will have to be razed and rebuilt. The weather is clear and warm today. The Heroine of the flood was Sister Helen of Notre Dame convent, who alone saved seventy people. From her window she threw a rope and pulled that number to safety. The Columbus Situation. Columbus, Ohio, Mar. 29— (Special to Dally Democrat) —At 10:30 this morning the bodies of sixty-one flood victims had been recovered here of which thirty-eight were Identified. Edward McKinley, a white man, was shot and killed by a soldier guard, when he was caught robbing the body of a dead man. Many families here are still In the upper stories of their homes, most of them refusing to be moved, preferring to watch their property. A great municipal cleaning was started here today. Free brooms, mops, disinfectants, sand-soap, etc., being furnished by Hie committee. Danger Shifts South Today. Columbus, Ohio, Mar. 29 —(Special to Dally Democrat) —Dangers from the high waters In Ohio today shifted to the Ohio river valley, Large sections of Ironton and Portsmouth have been inundated and the Ohio river is expected to pass the seventy foot stage. At Marietta, the flood stage has passed the high record of 1884. which was 74 feet. Secretary of War Arrives. Cincinnati, Ohio, Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat) —After lighting floods and railway washouts since

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Thursday, Secretary of War Garrison and the federal relief special arrived, here this morning. Before leaving overland in automobiles for Dayton, Garrison wider President Wilson that , the loss of life in Ohio had been greatIly exaggerated and that the state is taking care of its own unfortunates. Eighty Dead at Hamilton. Cincinnati, Mar. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat)—With thirty-three bodies in the morgue at Hamilton, twenty-nine of which have been identified, it is predicted that not over eight}- are dead there and that number of coffins were ordered from here today. Ask Release of Patterson. Washington, D. C., Mar. 29—(Spec ial to Daily Democrat)—Appeals from all over Ohio that the work of rescue carried on by John H. Patterson, head |of the National Cash Register company, be recognized by the govern- | meat by the remitting of the Jail sentence recently imposed on him by tbe federal government because of violations of the Sherman law, were received by President Wilson’tuday. Fort Wayne, Ind., Mar. 29— (Special to Daily Democrat)—The river has receded more than six feet and is going down rapidly now. Many people are returning to their homes. Five lives were lost here in the flood, but the body of one little girl from the orphans' home is the only one found so far. _____ PLEASING GERMAN SONG. Rev. Karl Thompson preached his . last sermon of the conference year at ■ Mt. Pleasant church last evening. A I pleasing surprise to all at the close of the sermon, was the German song given by Samuel and John Fuhrman, 1 Samuel and Ed Spangler and Miss 1 Bertha Spangler. This was a song ’ that the men sung in their boyhood days in Sunday school. They were ap- ■ plauded until they were forced to re--1 spend with another song. [, _ DR. BEAVERS’ ADDRESS. ‘ Before the High School Friday Morn- ’ Ing—A Practical Talk. • : Dr. Beavers gave a most practical 1 address yesterday before the high ! school, it being one of the hygiene series. His subject was “Emergenf cies—Medical and Surgical” and he told of the many practical things to be applied as first aids to the sick 1 and injured, knowledge which in more i than one instance has saved those in 1 distress, until a physician can make f the trip to give the regular attention. the census report. Melvin B. Jr., is the name of the ’ son born this morning to Mr. and r Mrs. Melvin B. Eastwood, of Preble. ? Mr. Eastwood is the telegraph, opera- » tor for the Standard OH Company at » this place. Two children born before , are deceased and the new babe is the , only child in the family. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. 1 Dick Boschoff of Union township. ,*s************ * the RIVER STAGE. * e* . * s * Wednesday March 26, at 6 a. m. * t * —23 feet. ft r, * Thursday, March 27, at 8 a. m. ft * —2l. 7 feet. * * Friday, March 27, at 8 a. m-— * * 19.4 feet. * I * Saturday, March 29, at 8 a. m. ft * 17,7 feet. ft B ft*******ft***ft* - . .'’''{•■’•■'l.

Nation Will be Offered Tomor-

GO TO CONFERENCE Rev. Rilling Leaves Monday for Indianapolis to Evangelical Conference. REV. R. L. SEMANS Will Leave Tuesday for Tipton for the Annual M. E. „ Sessions. Rev. J. H. Rilling of the Evangelical church will preach his last sermons of the conference year tomorrow and will leave Monday for Indianapolis to •attend the annual conference, begin- . ning Tuesday and continuing over , Sunday. Bishop Horn of Cleveland, Ohio, will preside. Rev. Kaley of Berne and Rev. Heil of Linn Grove will also go. Seventy-five or eighty . ministers are included in this organ!i zation. Rev. R. L. Semans of the Methodist church also closes his year here tomorrow, and will go to Tipton for the annual North Indiana conference?. He is a member of the board of examiners and will go Tuesday for preliminary work. The conference proper begins Wednesday and will lasts throughout Monday evening, the appointments probably being read Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Bishop McDowell of Chicago ‘will be in charge. Several Tipton homes have been swept away by the floods, but it is thought the disaster of the present week will not prevent the conference. Rev. Karl Thompson of the Decatur circuit will also go. TOOKCHLOROFORM Dr. W. R. Brayton, Geneva Physician, Ended Life in That Way. CORONER D. D. CLARK Gave Verdict Friday Afternoon—Dose Taken Was Three Ounces. Dr. D. D. Clark, coroner of Adams county, returned from Geneva Friday afternoon over the Grand Rapide & Indiana railroad, where he was called to pass his verdict as coroner on the death of Dr W. R. Brayton, the Geneva physician, who was found dead in his sleeping apartments near his office Thursday morning. Dr. Clark's verdict in the case was that Dr. Bray-' ton had committed suicide by pouring three ounces of chloroform into an old rag and then buried his face in it, ! passing into the eternal sleep. No reason or word was left by Dr. Brayton for him ending his life in this manner, but it is thought by his 1 friends and those that knew him that 1 he was despondent and was tired of living on this earth. His actions were suspicious for some time and it is said by reliable parties that he asked one man in Geneva a day or two be-' fore he committed suicide, ‘ "~(vha I ' would be the best thing for him to' take to kill himself.” When Marshall Dickerson and Frank Zirkle went to his room Thursday morning they found him streached out on the floor with his face near the foot of the bed with his face buried in an old rag saturated with chloroform. Dr. Brayton lived in Geneva nearly twenty years and at one time was- one of the best known and best skilled physicians in 1 the city, but poor in headth and bad' luck made him despondent. He was 1 about sixty years old. 1

“DECATUR CAN AND WILL”

Decatur, Indiana. Saturday Evening, March 29, 1913.

* THE WEATHER. ft * — 1 ft * Fair and warmer tonight and ft * Sunday. * No'withstanding the old rule ft * that when it rains on Easter it ft * will rain for several Sundays, the * * weather man hands out a bunch ft * of cheer for the flooded districts * * In the above official weather bul- ft ft letin. $ **ftftftftft«ftftftftfts CLARK SPHAR RESIDENCE. Ramey & Lord who have the contract for the building of the Clark Sphar new house, have begun the staking. The house will be a modern seven room structure, facing Jackson street, being built on a part of the lot, corner of Jackson and Tenth sts. o— ST. MARY’S SCARE Daily Leader Tells How the 1 Report Affected CityWatching the Dam. : i THREE SLIGHT LEAKS But no Danger of Serious Break—Banks Patrolled I and Care Taken. . The St. Mary's (O.) Leager gives i the following account of the recent 1 scare: | “A series of alarms from the fire 1 whistle, followed by the announce-1 meat that sixty feet of the reservoir bank had given away, threw the city into a wild panic of excitement this morning, causing a general stampede among those residing in the south part of town, and a general sealing of i fear throughout the entire commun.ity; ‘ Men, women and children rushing from their abandoned homes, carrying what few personal effects they were able to gather in their hasty flight from what they believed to be certain destruction; women and children wringing their hands in abject terror, strong men rushing to the threatened district to save their loved one from supposedly Impending doom, the sick and invalid being exposed to sever weather, were a few results of a wild report sent in from the reservoir this morning. "Responsibility for the unfounded story that the reservoir bank had i given way has not been definitely fixed, and may never be, and whoever is responsible for the wild panic started in St. Mary’s this morning is deserving of the strongest censure. i "The reservoir bank is in absolute- . ly no danger of giving way under present conditions. A heavy west wind might give some cause for apprehension, but until such a contingency arises there is no reason for alarm. . | "There are three places in the bank, : north of the lock, where dirt has washed from behind the concrete wall in sufficient quantity to cause the wall to crack and settle some, but Engineer Meacham and Captain > Kelley, assisted by an-ample force of 1 , men, at once set to work repairing • the defects with brush and sacks of sand, with no fear of the damaged places getting beyond their control. "Ag soon as it became apparent I that the people had been made vic.Muis of an unfounded report, the city ■ authorities at once took charge of jthe rural line leading to tbe pond,' for the purpose of preventing Its further use for the dissemination of unfounded stories, “Within an hour the story that the bank was broken had been flashed to all sections of the state. Inquiries and offers of aid came pouring in from all sections and were promptly answered with the assurance that the l bank was still In good condition, ( with no Immediate danger of even threatening conditions. (Oontmuec, on Page 2)

DIES AT SALEM Well Known Resident of That Place Passes Away I Friday Morning. ILL THREE WEEKS Death Due to a Poisonous Condition of Blood—Funeral Monday. After being a sufferer for three weeks from septicemia, a disease caused by putrid blood, Mrq, J. I. I Kiefer, of Salem, passed away Friday' morning at 6:30. She first took ill about three weeks ago and continually ' grew worse as the poison circulated . through the system until death relieved her of the suffering Friday morning. Mrs. Kiefer was formerly Miss Verna Spencer and was bom in Williams county, Ohio, February 6, 1887, (being at thetime of her death 26 years,' I I month and 22 days old. She was 1 married early in life to J. I. Kiefer' and shortly afterward moved to Sa- 1 lem, where they have resided for the past three years. Those left to! mourn their loss besides the bereaved husband are two sisters, Mrs. D. C. | Laman and Mrs. Ferm Leinerd, of West Trinity, Ohio, and two brothers,' J. W. Spencer, of Toledo and D. C. l Spencer of West Trinity, Ohio. The 1 ( funeral services will be held Monday 1 morning at the Salem church and will |be in charge of Rev. J. L. Hofstetter. 1 iThe ( body will then be shipped to' I West Trinity, Ohio, where interment' will be made in the cemetery at that I place. MARION GOOD DEAD I I Word Received of Death of Former Decatur Boy in Army in Arizona. BODY TAKEN TO HOME ’ i Os Mother, Mrs. Green Merryman, at Pleasanton, Kansas, for Burial. Marion Good, youngest son of Mrs. Margaret Good Merryman, who, until a few years ago was a resident of this city, died in Arizona, where he was stationed with the standing army, of which he was a mem bey. Such was the brief word given in a letter received by Samuel Burkhead from the lad’s step-father. Green Merryman, of Pleasanton, Kans. No particulars were given, except that the boy's body would be brought to his I mother's home, Pleasanton, Kans., for burial. It will be remembered that his sister, Rebecca, wife of George Gunsctt, died last February 17, at Pleasanton, Kansas, after leaving here in October. Her body was brought back here February 19 for burial. i Marlon lived in this city since a lit- ; tie boy of two or three years of age, . until about two years ago, when he ; went to Pleasanton, Kans., to live ' with his mother. Ho later enlisted in the standing army while there. He L was about eighteen or nineteen years l of age, and being under age, his mother’s consent was necessary for enlistment. He leaves three brothers—John and Ab, of Msssillon, Ohio; Charles, of Detroit, Mich., and two sisters, Effie ' and Myrtle. The deceased was a nephew of Joshua Parrish, Mr. and Mrs. C.J. Weaver have received word that their daughter, Mrs. Sad4r Cowley, of Fort Wayne, was not in the flooded district

SABBATH IS WELCOMED After a Week Unparalleled For Disaster and Excitement in This Section-Sum-ming up the Losses Here

Tomorrow is Sunday, blessed day of rest. It will be welcomed by many thousands, after the most terrible week ever known in the middle west. The strain of six days’ storm and flood has been an awful one, especially in those parts of the state of Ohio' iand Indiana, where the suffering was' J greatest. Tomorrow there will go up Ito the Creator, the prayers of a nation, asking for relief and for a cessation of the floods. That prayer will come from the pastor of every church, as well as the from the lips of every' worshiper and from thousands, who [cannot gelato a church. The floods’ .had not ceased, in some cases had not ■even/ome, before the offers for help <had been made and relief trains were |on the way to the scenes. Surely we in the center of a loving, kind and . , brave populace. If human hands can : ( save suffering and death, the work 1 |of the past few days has proven that ( it will be done in this community. I While in some cases it will be impossible to attend worship tomorrow, the ‘Universal prayer for those in need , should and will be offered from every i home and every heart. Let us hope ' ( and pray that future generations shall • ( be spared an ordeal such as that of , the past week. Property Loss is Big. As the cloqds lift and the waters ■go down, it becomes possible to esti-! mate the losses here and elsewhere.' ilt is needless to say that this is heavy [over the entire flooded district, per- . haps larger than had even been guessed. However, this county was more' j fortunate than most of those sur- ’ rounding us. The Chicago & Erie, I Clover Leaf and G. R. & I. railways l will bb the largest losers, each road having had tracks washed out near here, and bridges more or less dam- | aged. The interurban line is a big loser, though not so large as at first' ’ feared. The tracks have stood the' , floods nicely. Friday Manager Fled-' derjohann and Receiver Quinn made a I trip over more than half the line, on ' a hand car and report the tracks fit to run over. The most serious question now are the motors on the cars. These are being dried and an expert will arrive today from Chicago to as-| sist in starting these motors. It is' cars will be running at' an early date, If the waters continue to recede. Repair work is being done everywhere and a week will find much progress made. Local losers were the Conter Ice Cream company, Dyonis Schmitt, who lost a big ice house and its contents, Julius Haugk, Acker Cement Works, and others. At the Sugar Plant. One of the heavy losers from the flood was the sugar company, whose big plant in the north part of town was completely surrounded by the raging torrents, which swept over the grounds, carrying away much, loose lumber, several small buildings and other property. The waters swept through several of the buildings, damaging machinery and the loss will be quite large. A call for fifty men was, made by that company this morning, ,by Superintendent Kreamer, and the | work of overhauling will begin at once. The electrical equipment at the plant was considerably damaged, but the extent cannot be told until all has been cleaned, dried and tested. A part of the beet seed waa In the flood, but this part of the loss does not worry those in charge in the least. Manager Hubbard said this morning that the company had on hands here twice as much seed as would he needed, and that the company had a large supply at Holland and St. Louis, and that in case there is hot entyigh seed i here, a supply can be shipped from [Michigan. They will be most careful

Price, Two Centi.

I that only first-class seed goes out, as it is most important to them that the crop this year is a good one. Sugar Men Arrive Home. Manager F. H. Hubbard and Superintendent Will Kreamers of the sugar [company, who left here Monday afternoon to attend to business at Holland, Mich., came in last night. Mr. Hubbard left Holland as soon as he heard of the floods in this section. He got as far as Fort Wayne, where he was ( held up until Friday afternoon, when Ihe came in on a work train as far as washout north of Decatur, crawl ed over a train of box cars across the big river bridge and walked into the city. Mr. Kreamers came byway of Kalamazoo to Hammond and then in over the Erie. Lutz Home is Repaired. j What can be done when necessary was shown at the Lutz home where the big house was unroofed and badly damaged a week ago yesterday and suffered again from Sunday’s storm. Monday morning a force of carpenters , went to work and last night the house had been reroofed and was in shape to withstand a rain storm again if necessary. When the high waters came the Lutz family had many calls from friends who wanted them to come in and live with them, but they I preferred to remain at home, where ■ they were just as safe, that being one of the highest points about the city. Helping the Cause. During the recent, high waters when I this city was in a milk famine, on acI count of the farmers and dairymen , not being able to bring in their supply I of milk to their customers, there was ( one person who tried and succeeded in helping the people in getting a supply. “Red” Hower was the helper. He made two trips daily across the river to the creamery in a boat, and each time brought back with him a ( large supply of milk. Friday he made i his regular trips and each time fifty gallons of the creamy fluid were brought to town and distributed among the people. Dayton Relatives Safe. John Stewart of this office in an effort to get word from his cousin in | Dayton, Ohio, finally succeeded this ‘morning, when his uncle, J. F. Barnes, ( living in Huntington, called him by telephone and said he had just received a telegram from his son, Edgar Barnes, that they were safe. The son lived in the flooded district of Riverdale, where the breaking of the levee of the Miami river flooded that portion of the city. Word had been anxiously awaited. Mr. Barnes is a linotype operator employed by the Christian Publishing association. Al Everhart is In Dayton. Wesley Hoffman, who travels for the Schafer Saddlery company, and Walter Johnson, of Monroe, who represents the Knocker Shirt company, ' came in last night, having been marooned since Monday at Greenville, Ohio. They drove to Union City, where they caught a car for Winchee[ter and came in over the G. R. & I. .Monday they were at Brookville, Oh'o, | a third member of the party being Al .‘Everhart of Monroe. They debated .for some time whether they should • go tt> Dayton which was but twelve I ‘ miles away, or return to Greenville . for the night. Hoffman and Johnson > finally went to Greenville, while Evt erhart proceeded to Dayton. Tbe ho- . tel where he was directed was badly ; flooded and his friends are consider- ! al%- worried about him. Floods Prevent Burial. ) Miss Catherine Geisler, aged 45, reI siding bstween Schumm and Will--1 shire, Ohio, died at the insane asylum i at Toledo, Ohio, where she was conI CONTINUED ON PAGM THREE