Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 38, Number 116, 26 March 1913 — Page 1

THE BIG PA AND SUN-TELEGRAM Vol. xxxviii. no. ii. RICII3IOXD, IXD., WEDNESDAY 31 ARCH 26, 19115. SINGLE COPY 2 CENTS ffdDM Daiytonn

MflclinmdDinKfil

ALL BRUGES THRU COUNTY Many Bridges Have Been Washed Down N. 10th and N. 12th Street Bridges Have Been Condemned. $24,000 DAMAGE TO LOCAL PIANO FIRM Estimate Damage in Happy Hollow River Slowly Receding' Roads Through County Are Cut. All bridges in the county are either down or damaged to such an extent that they are unsafe for travel. Many brlc;es have been condemned and boarded up. The North Tenth street bridge, leading to the hospital has been condemned and boarded up and ' orders "have been given watchmen to allow no person to drive across the structure, for fear that it will fall down. The water has washed the foundations of this bridge, as well as the North Twelfth street bridge, which has also been condemned The roads leading to the Reid Memorial hospital are in a very bad condition and several persons injured yesterday, could not be taken to that institution because of the washouts. At the Starr Piano company's factories, South First and D streets, the force of the raging torrents was feit to considerable extent. Valuable lunm"ber was washed into the swollen river and carried down stream. Yesterday morning the first floors of all the factory buildings' were flooded but late yesterday afternoon employes of the big concern had succeeded in pumping the water from the buildings. It is estimated by officials of the company that the damage done to pianis will amount to about $24,000. Every available man was put to work yesterday in the moving of pianos to dryer places. Many men were paid $1 an hour for their work. The Rettig ice plant estimates its , damage at $2,000. One small ice house Vras completely carried away by the waters and between 300 and 400 tons pf ice was destroyed. River About Normal The river this morning was about normal although very rapid. Both the ast and west branches of tho stream have abated considerably end the Water line is sfowly receding. In Happy Hollow ncne of the houses ran be inhabitated or. account of the flood of Monday night and early yesterday morning. In practically every Sard a pond of water is still standing 'end Bridge avenue has been washed out by the torrents. In front of the house of William Sparks, 17 Bridge avenue, the street was so cut by the water that it is almost a physical impossibility to walk along the street. The avenue is a veritable sea of mud. The foundation of Sparks house has dropped, allcwing the front part of the house to fall four or five feet. Damage On Avenue. .Thj following estimates were placed by Bridge avenue residents, as the fc mount of their loss by the flood: Fred W. Weaver $800 James Williams .... .". . 750 Henry Rodgers 800 John and Jim Carroll. . . 300 Gabriel Anderson SCO Wm. H. H. Sparks 500 Fred Kellar 200 John S "Winters 200 William Austin 200 George Winters 200 Jim Conti 100 Lorenzo L. Lamroert 100 Hubert Burden ........ 200 Preston Foster 100 All of the unfortunate families have been provided for by hospitable neighbors on Newman's Hill. County officials estimate the damage to county bridges and roads at from $50,000 to $75,000. The city will lose $10,000. This femount it Is believed will be sufficient to cover the damage to sewers and fetreets, and parka.

ARE DAMAGED

The Refugees Arrive In This City Today

Three hundred men, women and children, exhausted from a sleepless vigil of a day and two nights, stranded in two Pennsylvania passenger trains between two swollen streams near Campbellstown, arrived in Richmond at six o'clock this morning on a special train. The two trains left Cincinnati Monday noon, and were held up at Campbellstown with a bridge before and behind them washed out. Farmers nearby came to their rescue and killed their stock, depleted their larders, but kept the refugees from starving. When the train finally was permitted to cross the repaired bridge between this city and Campbellstown, it proceeded to this city where the men women and children spread over the entire city, trying to secure board and rooms. Many were almost prostrated from the shock, exposure and privation. The scene at the depot was one beggaring description. Women with small tots in their arms, frantically begged for rooms and a place to sleep and rest. They were almost dead from their sleepless vigil. The deluge of refugees into Richmond taxed the capacities of the hotels, and private rooming houses to the limit. Restaurants, .near. the,.4eprt; ...weje crowded by the homeless and famished people. They stated that they were well cared for by the farmers near Campbellstown, but that there was not enough food to go around. Hospitable Richmond welcomed the Unfortunates with open arms, and private homes in several instances were thrown open to the refugees. MAROONED WORKERS ARE FILLY RESCUED Men Stranded on Top of a Traction Gar Towed to Safety Tuesday. (Palladium 6pecial) WEST ALEXANDRIA, O., March 26. Late" yesterday evening ten em ployes of the Ohio Electric interurban company, who with their foreman, Bert Coleman, had been marooned on top of a work car in eight feet of water, east of this city, were rescued. The men had been there for twentyfour hours without food or fire, standing in the heavy rain on top of the small car. A boat was sent out from shore with a life line which was finally thrown to the car, and the car towed to shore. None of the men suffered except from the exposure. The breaking of the levee above here caused the water to back up around the work car, shutting them off effectually from rescue parties until six o'clock last evening. WILL RING BELLS FORJOLUNTEERS City Council Will Send Help to Dayton When Trains Can Get Through. As soon as communications can be established with Dayton or with any place near Dayton, the fire bells in this city will be rung for ten minutes to call together volunteers to go to the aid of the flood sufferers in DaytonJlayor Zimmerman ordered Fire Chief Miller and Chief of Police Gormon to keep in touch with him during the day and night and to be ready to spread a volunteer call. Mayor Zimmerman spent the entire night last night in an endeavor to get information from Dayton but was unsuccessful. At two special meetings of the city council, the plan of sending relief to the flood sufferers at Dayton was discussed but the mayor and council found no way of reaching the city within 48 hours, when it is expected that the Pennsylvania railroad will relay trains to a point near enough for the volunteers to set into Dayton.

k Oedemai Flood

CINCINNATI, March 26.

greatest flood in its history. The Ohio river at 10 o'clock was fifty-four feet and was rising at a rate of'a foot an hour. People in the most exposed districts are fleeing to the hills for safety. A

stage of 58 feet will put the water in the principal business dis

tricts.

Fbww Wsumfts

3dD

(IWi TMs CnQy Early this morning the Watt and Keelor Casket company, this city, received an inquiry from Ft. Wayne as to whether the company could furnish three hundred coffins for use in Peru, where the Wabash river has overflowed. The situation in Peru is very critical and just before wire communication with the city was lost late last night it was stated that all but a small section of the business district was under water. It is believed the loss of life in Peru will run into the hundreds.

THE LOSS OF LIFE

. CINCINNATI, 0 March 26. At 5 o'clock this morning the Cincinnati Enquirer estimatedhat the- loss of lifefrom floods-in the Miami valley would at least total 6,500, over 5,000 being drowned in Dayton. The loss of life in Piqua was 540, in Middletown 20 and it is difficult to estimate the death toll in Hamilton. The reservoir at Hamilton broke some time this morning and that city is practically inundated. The telephone operator warned a number of people of the danger threatening the city and then went insane.

OPERATOR REPORTS

A Bell telephone operator in Richmond at midnight talked for a few minutes with an operator stranded in the exchange building at Dayton. He said that he did not believe conditions in that city were as alarming as the reports he heard were being circulated on the outside. He said that no fires had broken out in the city up to midnight but the night previous there had been a small fire. The streets were filled with water from five to nine feet deep he reported but was unable to estimate the loss of life.

LEVEE BROKE AT

INDIANAPOLIS, March 26. At 1:30 this morning the White river levee at Central Avenue broke and streets are under water up to Pennsylvania and Twenty-second streets and Alabama and East Court streets. - One half mile of four track stretch has been washed away. The east span of the West Washington street bridge fell early this morning, taking with it a section of an adjoining building. No loss of life has been reported. The fire department at 5 o'clock this morning was pumping water out of the basement of the telephone exchange to keep the telephone system in operation. All public utilities are paralyzed.

HOUSES ARE FLOATING IN NOBLESVILLE

NOBLESVILLE, Ind., March 26. Flood waters of the White river have swept all over this city and at least 150 frame houses are floating about in the torrent. The loss of life is not known.

DEATH LIST AT HAMILTON MAY BE 1

"The total loss of life at Hamilton may be 1,000. Communication with the city is not possible as all wires are down. The city is in the grip of the Little Miami, now swelled to terrible proportions. Houses are floating down stream, some of them with people on them. 'The monster C, H. & D. bridge went down last evening, although it was weighted down with twenty car loads of coal. 'The city is practically under water except in the highlands. People in the lowlands had warning of the impending danger, and it is thought that many of them got to the hills and escaped the flood." The above message was relayed to the Palladium this morning at ten o'clock by a special messengerfrom Liberty, Ind., who had walked to a small town within four miles of Hamilton, and ridden horseback to within sight of the stricken city. The Miami is still a raging flood. The C , H. & D. railway loss will be millions of dollars. They have lost practically every bridee on their system.

Mais

Cincinnati is threatened with the

Cofiflmms

IN OHIO OVER 6,500 NO- FIRE AT DAYTON INDIANAPOLIS TODAY

Pffdpnmiflsedfl

A CYCLONE AT LIBERTY (Palladium Special) LIBERTY, Ind., March 26. A small cyclone, accompanied with a rush of waters that almost flooded the town swept over this city yesterday. Two houses and several barns were blown over by the wind and destroyed. No lives are lost. BREAKING OF DAM SAVEDJE PLAHT Its Collapse Prevented Waters From Being Diverted From Channel. According to Nimrod Johnson, superintendent of the City Light plant, the loss of the Main street dam is the only thing that Could have saved the municipal plant, the Light, Heat and 1 Power company plant and the T; II. I. and E. Traction company plant from total destruction. Had the dam held an hour longer than it did it, would have been necessary to rebuild all of the plants. Mayor Zimmerman and the members of the city council are, not in favor of rebuilding the dam and if it is replaced it will be under private contract. TWO RICHMOND MEN ON WAUUO PIQUA After They Leave A Report Reaches Here That No Lives Were Lost. At 9:30 this morning a report from the Cincinnati Enquirer to the Richmond Underwear company, stated that there was no loss of life at Piqua. This dispatch is reported to be authentic, Al Flesh and A. L. Lewis, stockholders of the local underwear factory, who also own the Piqua factory, and whose families are in Piqua started to walk to that city this morning at 6 o'clock. Two hours later came the report that no lives were lost there. The men are still on their long hike. ON TRAIN SERVICE To the Traveling Public: The G. R. & I. is now open between Richmond and Ridgeville and it is their intention to run their local trains, No. 7 and 12, and 3 and 2 between these points until the line north of Ridgeville is open. The Indianapolis division is open between Richmond and Indianapolis and an accommodation train. No. 32, will be run as far as Richmond and return to Indianapolis as No. 33, leaving Richmond as near on time, 10:30 a. m., as possible, the arrangement to be continued each day if conditions will permit. The line is open between Richmond ! and Anoka Junction but on account of high water we are unable to run trains between Anoka" Junction and Logansport, which precludes the possibility of any through service to and from Chicago for at least twenty-four hoars. The condition of the line between Camden and Cincinnati is such that it will be at least forty-eight hoars before we can give any service to Cincinnati, but will continue train No. 34 to Camden. leaving at 10:00 a, m. this morning and this train will return, Camden to Richmond as train No. 35 and will continue through to Anoka Junction. Both of the lines between Richmond and Columbus. Ohio. Tia Piqua and via Dayton are still closed on account of the serious trouble between Richmond and New Paris, where two large bridges are badly damaged. On account of relief trains from Pittsburgh and St. Louis being delayed by some unloosed for trouble, it will be at least some time late tonight tonight and very probably longer, before any j service, whatever, is resumed to any eastern points. G. R. & I. now advises that they expect to run their train No. 3. leaving Richmond at 12: SO p. m. today as far north as Briant, this train to return to Richmond as No. 2. J. C McCullough, Supt. -

Joe Clear, of Eaton, walked into Dayton this morning and upon reaching the Third Precinct police station in the devastated city secured telephonic communication with Arch Raney, editor of the New Paris, O., Mirror. Clear informed Raney that the conservative estimate upon the number of lives lost in that city was ten thousand. "Many people in this city, who have been successful in escaping the flood, are starving to death," Clear told Raney. "It is a physical 'impossibility to secure food. We want help here. Do what you can to get into Richmond and notify them that it is imperative that we get some kind of food here. Anything will do." Joe Clear also telephoned Chief of Police Gormon, from 'the Third Precinct police station asking for aid. "For God's sake send us as many volunteers as you can and send up some potatoes and bread. We must have it or the death list will run up into many more thousands." Mayor Zimmerman, upon receipt of the news, declared that he was ready to send men and provisions to Dayton as soon as the Pennsylvania railroad can get through. Mayor Zimmerman is now at the city building, anxiously awaiting word from local railroad officials as to when they can get a train through to the devastated city. Because of the washouts along the Dayton division of the Pennsylvania railroad. local. railroad officials declare that it will be late tonight or tomorrow morning before a relief train can be run into Dayton. The Bayer bakery is prepared to send 1,000 loaves of bread to Dayton. Every automobile leaving this city this morning was filled with as many loaves of bread as could be placed in the machines. Other Main street merchants have signified their intention of doing whatever they can to aid the suffering at Dayton. At 11 :30 o'clock this morning the special meeting of the Commercial Club decided to order an automobile truck to go to the site of the old Sycamore bridge, east of the city, which was washed away by the storm and report immediately upon the amount of lumber it would require to construct a bridge across the creek. As soon as this report is made auto trucks loaded with timber will be sent to that scene and a bridge will be hastily constructed in order that automobiles loaded with provisions' can be sent through to Dayton. An auto truck of the McKee Auto Service, started for frarjga

(shortly after 11 o'clock this morning, carrying ten pfceBgers, all

of whom have relatives in Dayton.

SITUATION IN DAYTON. DAYTON, O., March 26. This city Is a river three miles wide. The water from six to twenty feet deep, extends a mile and a half each way from Main street, the principal business thoroughfare. The deepest water is in the business section. Only remote suburbs escaped being covered by the seething flood. The crest was reached shortly after midnight and the water is now falling half an inch an hour. The flooded district comprises a practical circle, with a radius of a i mile and a half, and in no place is the water less than six feet deep. The worst of the flooded districts includes all of North and West Dayton, all of the odwntown sections, the South Side as far as Oakwood and all of the residence suburb of Glendale. The district has a normal population of more than 50,000. MAY NOT BE EXAGGERATED. Rescuers and those at the hospitals said an estimate of 5,000 dead might be as accurate as an estimate of 100. While-those marooned In the offices and hotels are in no immediate danger of drowning, there is no way food or drinking water can reach them until the water recedes. Those in the residences, however, are in constant danger, both by flood and fire. First the frailer buildings were swept Into the stream, many showing the faces of women and children peering from th windows. . NO HOUSES ARE SAFE. These were followed by more substantial brick buildings until it became evident that no house in the flood zone was safe. The houses, as a rule, floated only a few blocks until disintegrated. The flood came soon after daylight yesterday morning, after the residents had spent a night in terror. The main levee cf the Big Miami broke at Webster street about 8 o'clock. An hour later the water was through in a dozen places and a wall of water ten feet deep swept through the main street just above the June.

ture of the Big Miami and the Mad river. WATER WALL 20 FEET HIGH. Where the water of Stillwater river poured into the Miaati the flood reached its height and rolled into the business section, a wall twenty feet high. The office of the Dayton News, which is owned by Governor Cox, was soon under twenty feet of water. The flood rose to the second floor of the Algonquin Hotel and all along Main street occupants were driven to the third flcors. What happened to them since no one on the outside can tell. MILITIA CANT CHECK THIEVES House Icotina beaan earlv in th night and while the local militia is on wmj 1 1 invMic si nanaung int situation. Incidents without number are narrated of persons in the flood district waving handkerchiefs and otherwise signalling for aid. being swept away before the eyes of the watchers on the I margin of the waters. Kany of the rescue boats were swept by the current against what had been jfire plugs, trees and houses. They were 'crushed. How many died in this way ino one knows. Canoes and rowboats l i shared the same fate. I What life exists in the district that 'the flood covers la in constant danger and helpless until the flood subsides. ..St. Elizabeth's Hospital, with COO patients, is reported to have been washed away. The building was known to be in many feet of water. Cloom reigns supreme. The Algonauin Hotel is surrounded in water up . to He third story and abpve this fve in the downtown district office bulldings, hotels and business houses are ; places of refuge. SCHOOL WITH 400 GONE 1 A school building that was known to jhave housed 400 school children shortf ly before the water rushed in that dif rection is submerged and as far as can ! ee ascertained ail of the children nw ithed.