Houses Smashed by Dayton Flood. How Ohio Flood Stopped Traffic
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Photo copyright, IBIS, by American Press Association. Photo copyright. 1913, by American Cress Association
Many houses In Dayton were swept from their foundations to be burled This sbows debris caught against the IVntisylvnnla railroad bridge at Co
against other buildings by the water which rrept through the atreeta aa U lutuhua. O Ordinarily the surface or the water Is sixteen fret below the
through a tulllrar. bridge.
LOST RELATIVES IN FLOOD
Old Soldier Who Lost All In Flood
Passes Through Alliance.
A PITFIUL STORY.
T. J. Knveonugh, a Confederate old
soldier seventy-two yeara of age,
ciune In on train No. 41 Friday night
ami stayed over In Alliance until
the noon train, No. 43, Saturday noon
whom he went to crawford. Mia
story, told In a halting way to the
Herald reporter, la full of Interest
ing news on the flood situation In
Ohio.
litre is the story, as given to
ihe Herald, "My home Is in Mld
riteton, Ohio, twenty-three miles
from Cincinnati, on the Big Miami
river. I have lived In Mddletrn foi
twenty-two years and huve a nut
chinlst -blacksmith shop. The impu
tation of Middle ton whh abou .1,500
people. It Is in the renter, of a
prosperous farming community, and
I have aeen u number of floods in
my long residence there, but iiet i
anything like this one.
"We had warning bfore the flood
started from people farther up the
river and got to the higher ground
about three-quart M of a mile from
our house. My wife and son Ton,
were with me. We had to wade
through water up to our knees to
get to the higher ground. There were
about 800 people with us. Wt fan
surrounded by water on all sides.
The surrounding country was one
vast lake. We were shoii' of food
and had t drink the muddy river
water until the government rest uc
boats arrived. They brough,: us focd
and after u time took us sway.
"My wife and son went with me
to the higher ground when the first
flood came. We waded. After we
got there my wife wanted to go back
and get a curp t she h:td made h r
lf and Which she did not want to
lose. My son, Tom, wonted to go
b;u-k antl get the new top buggy he
hid. The house was about three
quarters cf a mile away. While they
were gone the second afifl the big
gest flcid came with a roar that
could be heard for Mitel, 1 am cer
tain that It was a cloud b list. The
water filled the whole valley and
was higher than the telephone poles.
The town was compact ly covered
and when I came away it could not
b. seen. My wife and son were of
course swept away. I never want
to see Ohio again and came away be
cause I uld not bear to see my
home after the water went down
The big flood' came without an in
stant's warn ins and It was the most
awful thing I have ever ae'ii. No
one had a chance to get assy from
It and at leas: fifty Bust have been
drowned where we were. The gov
ci'iuient's estimate cf tilt ss of
life i entirely too low, be -aust tlu
cit.nl only th bodies that are foun
v.'hile many- many of iliem were
washed down the river and may
never be found. The givcrnment did
great work In rescuing and inking
care of people.
"A government gnso'ine passcngtr
motor boat came wiier. n six
days ago and took others with nie to
Cincinnati, which w:s crowded with
refugees. That part cf Oh' is t ry
thickly settled and there in many
.mi!' iii . i unil .,.!.-.: I rilui u r'vl !
to the Fig Miami rlvtr. Th-y were
all flooded by the heavy rati, cloud
burst and the m -Itlng I ihe snow In
the : thrajr BosMtaTJas. rha vhali
counii' nt.un ' there is an inland
sea. I s'lll ha . my res'dence prop
erty ". ( .ia.;i. or will have as soon
as tin water
n riowr. bi" I can
net 1 1 :;w mi on them now, and
ti in g- ing alou '. by the assistance of
friends who trdped me w ure money
In Cincinnati to come west with.
"I am on my way to Crawford,
where I will stay a while with friend
and will then go to I -cad. 8. D.,
where- I h:iv- fnciul.- I have nit a
relative left in the world. I was a
colonel in the llth Alabama heavy
artillery In the Civil War. but never
have I aeen anything so horrible as
this flood in which 1 have lost both
my wife and son."
Mr. Kaveuaugh left Saturday noou
for Crawford. He stated thai every
one was kind and that he was of
fered many kinds of assistance.
Mrs. Nellie Wilson and daughters.
Bi -ibcth and Dorothy, went to
Bridgeport Saturday uoou to visit
s"h her aister. Mrs. I. if Mann.
They returned to Alltanee Monday
P. S. McCaffree, C O. Stein and
I. R Jones of Scot t .-sliiut f , were Al
, ,iu e riskors Saturday.
Pictures Taken Throughout Flood Districts of
Ohio Tell Appalling Story of Great Disaster.
as I sHsssssk A a.
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Photo 'iviig.H 1013, by Amerban Cress Association.
CUhkI scene throughout Ohio IniveolTeieil rl. h opportunities to camera men. and the latter have not been foiuid
wanting. From every point in the siibmerge'd. water swept aud wreck scattered districts have come remarkable pha
t, graphs lelllnu the uitisi.le wot I.I of the appalling plight that has befallen Ohio's people. Above, at top. la shown n
triklaf treiieral view of Dayton, piesentltm scenes of houses almost entirely submerged by water. The lower picture
gfct vs Ihe wre-l;nu' piled up at Columbus. O
How Torrent Rushed Through Columbus.
lav
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Phto copyright. 1913. by American Iteso AssavioUOfA
This picture give au of the dinVtiltie that leset the rescuers of rt.'.xl victims. The wst r rushed through
the streets with tremendous velocity, forming Shtlipsoil and eddies that tlitesleuej to swamp boats
Rescuing Sufferers at Dayton.
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Photo copyright. 1913. by American Press Association.
Cables were strung from telegraph nnd telephone poles to reach persons
marooned on bouse! ps or upper floors The crowd in the foreground bad tbus
been rcHciied hiii ire waiting to be taken away In carriages or autos.
W. H. THOMAS IN FLOOD
Former Alliance Man Loses Property
in Dayton.
AN INTERESTING LETTER.
We give below a leter received
by W. S. Xcheson, of Alliance, fl4M
. H. Thomas, who formerly resit!
ed here and who hai many friends
and acquaintances in the city. He
alsc owns property in Alliance. The
envelope In which the letter was
moiled had no stamp, the words
"Dayton Flood" being written where
th stamp is usually placed. N. A.
Airk, of Alliance, also received a
letter from Mr. Thomas. Following
Is the letter sent to Mr. Acheson:
Dayton, O., Aiprll 2, ltl3.
Mr. W. S. Acheson and Brothers,
Alliance, Neb.
My Dear Friends:
Your kind letter of inquiry to
hand, and I thank you very much
for your interest In me and mine.
Yes, we were in the awful, awful
flood. Mrs. Thomas and myself step
ped out Into a rescue boat from onr
second story window. We had three
chances to go out before we td.
but as the people in the one story
houses were so much worse off I
told the boatmen to get them first.
The water came within 18 inches
of the ceUinK on our first floor. I
would not have left then If I had
not been afraid of fire, as so many
houses burned from gas explosion.
IWe were not. in the worst part of
the flood district and all we got
was the back water, which could not
escape on account of so much deb
ris which piled up against a rail
road bridge. Our loss will be quite
heavy, as we lost three houses in
the flood district. We ust moved
into our new home last December
'We are thankful we escaped with
our lives and have no complaint to
moke, as so many lost their lives.
and many lost all their propert
Elisabeth and Ralph were not at
home, the former being away to her
School and the latter in Cincinnati,
for which we were thankful. The
loss of life will not be near as
iheavy as was first reported, per
haps not more than 200. But parties
who claim to know say the financial
loss will be more than than three
times as much as the Johnston and
Galveston floods put together.
The city is under martial law.
Blght-seers are put to work. Loot
ers are shot on the spot and buried
at once, like a dog. One of the
devils had a woman's hand In his
ptKket, with several rings on the
tinkers. Postage stamps cannot he
had in Dayton and the people have
teen instruct d to write "Daytos
Flood" wher ? rlie stamp should be.
The descriptions you see in the pa,
pers are not exaggerated in the
least. Public utilities are all out of
commission. We have no gas, ao
electric lights or telephones, ;m
J there are no street cars. I could
tell you much more and will at some
future time.
As ever your friend,
W. H. Thomaa
I. 8. You might hand this letter
to the Alliance papers, as other
friends might be interested. I sed
you a piece of our piano.
LA SHAR VISITS ALLIANCE.
Prominent Denver Real Estate Op
crater Here.
J. K LaShar, president of the La.
: Shar Investment Company, with of
I flees at 525 Klttredge Buildimg, Den
! vei, spent Monday afternoon and f-
ening in Alliance. Mr. l.aShar is
i prominent in real estate circles is
! Denver and has been very successfnl
I in planum and selling a number of
! additions . Denver real estate 1km
j made many fortunes by its rpaW
rise In value.
Mr. l.aSliar is investigating Box
Butte county land with the view of
becoming interested here. He wtl!
probably visit Alliance anani soon.
First Annual Ball
OF
Pnct M I P A Alliance,
uji m, . i . n. ?
Nebr.
WILL BE HELD T THE
Phelan Opera House
FRIDAY EVENING,
APRIL 11, 1913
Everybody arrange territory to be
in Alliance on that date
Everybody Welcome