THOUSANDS OF LIVES LOST IN
FLOODS IN OHIO AND INDIANA
Appalling Disaster Caused by Bursting of Dams,
Which Let Raging Torrent of Water Loose
Upon Helpless Cities of Two States.
174 KNOWN DEAD
Omaha's Property Loss Will Ex
ceed $10,000,000 as Result
of Tornado
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DISEASE EPIDEMIC IS NOW BIG MENACE
UTTER DESTITUTION IN STORMS PATH REVEALED
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Swollen Waters Fall In Flooded District, and Fear of Sickness Is
Added to Horror Loss of Life in Dayton Not So Great
as First Reported 600 May Be Dead in Co
lumbusScores of Towns Add to Toll
of Death.
STORY OF THE TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE IN BRIEF
Revised estimates of the loss In Dayton give ground for hope the dead
(n all sections affected by the flood will not exceed 2,000 and may go be
low that figure. Daring Investigators who penetrated the flooded section
revealed hundreds of persons safe who were believed to be lest.
At other points than Dayton the death list has grown. There was far
heavier loss of life on the west side of Columbus than was thought One
estimate placed the number of dead above 600.
Apparently authentic reports from Plqua Indicated twenty dead.
At Peru, Ind., the authorities estimated the death list would reach at
least 150.
From Hamilton, O., fifty persons were reported drowned In the collapse
of a hotel.
Twenty-five deaths were reported from Troy, O.; thirty at Mlddletown
And five at Masslllon.
Latest reports from Zanesvllle are that 150 lives are believed to have
been lost there.
Cincinnati, March 29. Reports from
Dayton and other towns glvo a mora
liopeful view aR to loss of life. While
the death list is appalling, It Is now
thought that the figures will not reach
anything like the first reports.
Explorers who penetrated to tho sub
merged districts Bay that many hun
dreds thought to have been lost havo
been found safe, but in a serious plight
from exposure and hunger. Revised
estimates In Dayton give ground for
hope that the death list thoro will not
exceed 2,000.
Even this flguro may be cut down
considerably when the factB arc known.
It Is thought that the North Bide of
Dayton list will reach 300.
The militia report that looters are
at work.
Shots frequently were head from
every direction. Militiamen say four
men have been shot, as no ono on any
mission Is allowed east of tho Penn
sylvania railroad tracks.
The militia say a scoro of persons
suspected of being bent on looting
have been arrested. An ex-pollceman
caught coming out of a deserted homo
Is In prison.
May Be 600 Dead at Columbus.
Early figures from the West side
of Columbus placed the loss of life
at 600. There has yet been nothing
to change these figures. The loss at
Plqua la now placed at 20; at Hamil
ton, 50; Troy, 30; Mlddletown, 25.
Peru, lnd citizens insist that 150
aro dead there.
Relief trains surround Dayton and
other points In the Miami valley on
all sides. It Is thought that rail com
munication will bo completed today
and that all may reach their points of
destination.
Washington Is sending a number of
relief trains carrying food, medicines
and army equipment for housing and
earing for tho homeless.
Pestilence Now Greatest Danger.
Pestilence Is the greatest danger to
bo feared now In tho flooded dis
tricts, and local, state and national gov
ernments aro working hand In hand
to combat this grave peril.
In Chicago tho various relief funds
have passed tho $130,000 mark and
will bat swelled enormously by tho con
tributions today.
Stations Filled With Supplies.
At tho stations where clothing and
provisions are being handled tho work
ers are swamped with supplies. Train
after train load will bo dispatched to
the flooded sections.
Reports from Fort Wayne state .that
tho situation there Is well In hand and
that the authorities say they can get
along without outside aid.
The Ohio river is reported as rising
fast. At Evansville, Ind., the flood has
reached a stage of 39.5 feet, a rise of
4.5 feet In twenty-four hours. Peoplo
living In the bottom lands havo been
warned to get on higher ground, and
steamt ra are carrying them from their
perilous positions. N
Is Still Critical.
At Zanesvllle, Ohio, tho situation Is
still critical. The waters of the Mus
kingum nnd Licking rivers are still
rising. Six hundred houses are re
ported as swept away and food Is
needed.
Mlddletown, Ohio, roports having
had communication with Miamlsuurg,
a town of 8,000, which lt was feared
had been totally destroyed. Conditions
uro bad, but tho dead number only 25.
Heavy floods are reported from
points In New York state, In the Adl
rondacks, Hudson river and Mohawk
valley sections, Glens Falls, Schenec
tady nnd many other towns, are flood
ed. Bridges havo been washed away
and loss of life Is reported. Every
stream in western Now York Is also
reported out of Its banks.
Reports t'rom Chllllcotho, Ohio,
placo the dead at 25. Linton, Ind.,
aya that 16 persona drowned at
Howesvllle. Ten deathB nro reported
from Sharon, Pa.
Twenty dead wero found among tho
refugees In the court houso at Peru,
Ind., victims of oxposure. Seven births
also are reported. Contagion has
broken out and the sick have been
quarantined in n section of the build
ing. The spirit of Dayton assorted itself
today when President G. B. Smith of
its chamber of commerce assorted that
Dayton could copo with tho situation
and would be able to recover from its
disaster.
The sun Is shining bright on Day
ton today. Tho fires have practically
burned out and rescue work will bo
possible today. Tho ruins of tho
Fourth National Bank building still
blazo fitfully, but tho Beckel house,
reported burned with hundreds of ref
ugees, is unharmed.
Floods Are Receding.
Indianapolis, March 29. The floods
In central and north central Indiana
are receding, with tho effect of expos
ing facts of desolation nnd suffering
beyond precedent In that region.
Tho death roll in the stricken cities
has not yet been mado up, but the
needs of tho living and the dangers of
disease and epidemics due to exposuro
and bad water aro being revealed In
every message that adds details of
the situation.
In Indianapolis hundreds of refu
gees from tho west part of town are
being cared for in Tomllnson hall. Tho
prospect Is that the loss of life will
bo less extenslvo in tho capital than
first reports Indicated.
Peru In Bad Shape.
Further light on conditions In Peru
came last night In a telephone mes
sage from C. D. Emmons, manager of
tho Northern Indiana Traction com
pany, who is stranded in that town.
Ho said that twenty persons have
been found dead among tho refugoes
in tho court house there.
"They are moving the peoplo from
the courthouse In boatB and It was
found that twenty of tho refugees had
died from oxpoBure," Mr. Emmons
said. He added that smallpox and
diphtheria had broken out among the
hundreds of persons packed Into the
courthouse. Ono corner of that build
ing was quarantined nnd all the res
cued persons suffering from contag
ious diseases wero removed to that
confinement. ,
Lieut. Gov. O'Neill, who Is at Peru,
telephoned to Indlannpolls denying
the report of pestilence. Mr. O'Neill
said he know of twelve or thirteen
dead, that the toll would bo greater,
but could hazard no guess as to Its
size.
Horrors Beyond Telling.
State Senator Stephen Fleming, who
had charge of the relief train sent
from Fort Wayno to Peru, returned to
Fort Wayne, telling a story of harrow
lng suffering and of posBlblo great loss
of life.
"It will bo Impossible to estlmato
tho loss of life In Peru," ho said, "and
tho horrors of the situation thoro aro
beyond telling. There may have been
fifty persons drowned nnd thoro may
have been 500. Many peoplo still In
their homes In tho Inundated city,
frightened at repeated capsizing of
rescue boats working to and fro
among the stricken homos, positively
refuse to accept assistance, and al
most crazed by their fear, Insist upon
remaining in tho houses, although
many of thorn are standing in water
on tho second floors of their homes.
"Sewago from tho courthouso is ab
solutely cut off, and filth collecting
thero Is nddlng to the suffering from
exposure through many cases of di
sease." Looters Are Shot.
Cincinnati, March 29. With tho re
ceding of the floods In Dayton and
other submerged towns In Ohio and
Indiana, scores of looters have ap
peared and are bolng summarily dealt
with by tho police and militiamen
guarding tho property of the flood vic
tims. Communication was re-established
with Dayton and other towns today.
Reports from Dayton are that many
shots wero heard fired within the
flood zona early today, and theso wore
taken to Indicate that tho guardsmen
This Is a sccno on the raging Mlnml river at Dayton, O., whero hun
dreds of Uvea havo been lost In tho Hoods.
aro carrying out their stringent- or
ders "Shoot to kill."
A numbor of lootora captured in
Dayton wero brought before tho chief
of pollco.
Ordered to Kill.
"Don't bring these follows boforo
mo," ho la said to have ordered; "kill
them."
No ono Is permitted to pass east of
tho Pennsylvania railroad tracks, the
established guard line.
West Indianapolis also Is practically
under martial law becauso of tho ac
tivity of Jooters who commenced op-j
eratlons at Boon a3 tho receding
floods permitted them to prowl.
Looting has been reported from
Peru, Ind., and from Plqua, Middle
town and other Ohio cltleB. That the
lobtcrs aro being shot down Is be
lieved, but for obvious reasons the
facts aro suDpressed.
Are More Cheerful at Dayton.
West Dayton, O., March 29. Tho
sun rose bright and clear this morn
ing on a happier Dayton. Prospects
nro for a decided subsidence of tho
flood wnters and for greater rapidity
and elllclency In tho relief work. Tho
weather has cleared and fear of pesti
lence now 1b tho chief worry for offi
cials In chargo of tho situation. A
lieutenant of mllltla said last ifight
that probably 100 bodies had been lo
cated in tho central district, but that
no attempt would bo, made to remove
them yet.
Tho Btato is paralyzed. Railroads,
trolley, telephone and telegraph traffic
Is blockod and tho cities in which
hundreds of lives havo beonvlost nro
cut off almost entirely from com
munication with tho rest of tho world.
Millions of dollars' damage has
been dono to property, fully 75,000
peoplo are homeless and appeals for
aid have been sent out to the Red
Cross. In Dayton alono 30,000 peoplo
aro homeless.
Reservoirs Give Way.
Tho four days' contlnous rain
filled every reservoir In the state and
a number of them undermined dams
and poured their contents into the
valleys. A wall of water soven feet
high rushed down Into Miami valley.
The levees along tho Miami river
broke and tho residents of Dayton
along tho river wero forced to llco
for their lives. The rush of water
was bo great, however, that houses
were undermined and carried along In
the swift current. Hundreds wdro
drowned before they had a chanco to
seek places of safety.
Tho water cropt higher and higher,
and finally It was thirteen feet deep
at tho Union station. Some partB of
tho city wore undor thirty feet of wa
ter.
540 Dead at Plqua.
In Plqua the river burst the levees,
poured through tho town and trapped
hundreds of peoplo In their homes.
The Bwlft current undermined the
homes, and It is estimated that 510
wero swept to their death.
In Delaware, the pientangy river be
came a lake which covered most of
tho city. It Is estimated that fully
ono thousand wero drowned.
Peoplo wero left clinging to trecB,
roof-topB and telegraph poles, crying
for assistance. Owing to the swift
current In tho river, tho work of res
cue was dufllcult.
Damage In Cleveland $2,000,000.
In Cleveland, while no lives
wero lost, tho damage will reach $2,
000,000. Tho Cuyahoga river swept
through the manufacturing district In
the flats, cloBed down hundreds of
mills and left more than fifty thou
sand workers Idle. Tho East Third
street brldgo was destroyed when a
big steamer waB swept from Its moor
ings and crashed Into It
Thousands of dollars worth of lum
ber was swept from the river and out
Into tho lake Firemen wero kept
busy dynamiting lumber jams at the
bridges,
In Youngstown, 25,000 workmen
wero forced to quit work when most
of tho big industries were shut down
by tho flood. All bridges In tho city
aro guarded.
Fifteen Missing at Mlddletown.
Tho big bridge over the Miami rivor
at Mlddletown was swept away, fifteen
persons are missing and scores of
houses aro floating down stream.
Two companies of stato National
Guard havo been sent to Hamilton to
help preserve order. Five wero
drowned there.
Larue, Marion county, sent an ap
peal for help to Governor Cox. Tho
town Is Inundated and peoplo have
sought refuge on the roofB of their
houses.
Nineteen Dead In Delaware.
Tho number of known dend In Dela
ware 1b nineteen, and from thirty-five
to forty aro mlBBlng. It Is reported
tho mayor, B. V. Leas, Is among tho
drowned.
In West Llborty nn engino and one
car rolled down an ombnnkment
washed out by tho flooded Mad river.
Tho conductor waB drowned and bov
oral bodies wore seen floating away,
and It is feared a number of pnsson
gers In tho two cars wore drowned.
In Akron more than five hundred
families aro homeless, the rubber fac
tories wero forced to cIoro down, rail
road and trolley trafllo is paralyzed
and It is feared that the big Btato
reservoir south of tho city will break.
Only ono death, that of a lineman, who
was electrocuted, was reported.
Dayton Under Martial Law.
Dayton Is under martial law. Throe
companies of tho Ohio National Guard
aro aiding tho pollco In rescuing fam
ilies from flood-menaced homes.
Tho first direct word out of tho city
after the breaking of tho leveo was a
long-dlstanco telephone messago to
Richmond, Ind., from Frank Purvl
ance, an employo of tho Terro Hnuto,
Indlannpolls & Eastern Traction com
pnny at Dayton. Eight thousand per
sons, ho said, had been drowned thero.
"They're dying llko rnts In their
homos; bodies aro washing around
tho streets, nnd thero Is no relief In
Bight,' Puivlnnco said.
Telephone communication with Day
ton was established for a few minutes,
then was broken again. Purvlnnco
said wnter Btood twenty to forty feet
In some of tho streets.
Situation Is Appalling.
Frank Brandon, vice-president of
Dayton, Lebanon & Cincinnati rail
road, succeeded in establishing a
telegraph wlro from Dayton to Leba
non. Ho said that tho situation Is ap
palling and beyond nil control.
"According to my udvlccs tho situ
ation beggars description," said Mr.
Brondnn. "What tho peoplo nood most
Is boats. Tho wntor Ib high In every
street nnd assistance Into this after
noon wns nlmply out of tho question.
My superintendent nt Dnyton told me
that at least sixty had pcrlBhcd and
probably a great many more; nt tho
snme tlmu nssurlng mu that unless
somothlng that closely approached a
mlrnclo happened tho death llBt would
run considerably higher.
"Wo nro rigging up several special
trains and will make every effort pos
sible to gut Into Dayton."
Tho greater loss of Ufa Is Buppoaed
to have occurred a couplo of hours
later, when tho crest of tho flood
reached the city.
Levee Broke Early Tuesday.
The llrst break in tho loveo protect
ing tho city occurred about six o'clock
Tuesday morning. By noon the loveo
had broken In three places and the
business section of tho city was five to
six fi'et under water.
The river wns then nt the highest
stage it has reuched In 40 years and
still rising.
Tho suburbs of Rlverdale, WeBt
Side und North Dayton, wero entirely
under water and In tho downtown sec
tion St. Clair, Emmctt und Second
atreets were flooded.
Governor Orders Out Troops.
Columbus, 0 Murch 2C. "If our
worst fears are confirmed It will bo
necessary for us to call on tho outsido
world for tentB nnd supplies In order
to make provision for the worst ca
lamity that ever has befallen this
state," said Gov. James M. Cox In a
telegram ho sont to a New York news
paper. The governor nlao informed tho pa
per that troops wero ordored out for
duty In the capital city and that the
nnvnl reserves wero dlaputched from
Tolodo to Plqua. The Dayton com
panies aro on duty In that- city, he
said.
The Cincinnati companies, presuma
bly, thu governor said In his messago,
would be dispatched to Hamilton and
Mlddletown, which Ho in thu Miami
valley nnd which sent out dlstrosa sig
nals. State Aid for Stricken.
At the suggestion of Governor Cox
a bill was drawn nnd waa presented to
tho legislature today by Representa
tive Lowrlo, appropriating $250,000 for
relief of tho flood sufferers of the
stato.
Actual Disclosures Rack the
Meart-Strings of Those
Omnluu Tho utter destitution that attcndB tho complcto demolition ot
hundreds of homes and tho destruction' of tho personal bolonglngs of tho
thousands who were domiciled -thoro when engulfed In tho merciless swirl
of tho tornado Ib made lmprosBlvoly conspicuous throughout tho storm
Bvopt district. It had been anticipated by all who realized just what tho
tornndo meant, yet Us actual disclosure racked tho nerves and wrenched tho
heartBtrlngB of nil who beheld. "
Thero wero well understood causes that had delayed tho growsomo rov
elation, Hundreds who had been tortured In tho grip of tho maddened ele
ments had remained In a soml-dazo for moro than forty-olght hours, numbly
realizing that thoy had been despoiled and bereft, yet falling to actively com
prehend. Guided by kind friends nnd helpful strangers alike, they had been
conducted passively to tho shelter of neighboring homos that had opened for
them, almost Indifferent to tho neodB of tho hour nnd but vaguely conscious
of the demands of tho morrow. But now Uiey havo begun to "pull tbouiBOlves
together" and to tako account of tho situation.
Stunned by tho weight of tho blow
which fell so suddenly upon hor, Oma
ha Is under tho spoil of a Btrange
qultitudc, n rovorent and subdued
tribute to Uio awful hobs of tho dis
aster. With nlmost ovory tick of tho clock
the nnmo of another victim was add
ed Monday to tho appalling list of
dead and Injurod, and tho sadness
wns not confined to tho wrecked
homes of tho bereaved nor tho bed
Bldo of tho maimed.
Thoro was lUtlo attompt at tho
tisunl transaction of ( business In tho
city. Tho men whoso livelihood de
pends particularly upon tholr acumen
and sprlghtllnoBS, whoso affairs call
for an Increasing pursuit of custom,
and who havo been known ns faithful
tollors In thnt Intorost, wero sub
morgod In tho wavo of grlof. Thoy
IN THE PATH OF THE OMAHA TORNADO
Tho dovastatlon caused by tho Omaha tornado Ib graphically Illustrated
by thlB photograph, taken at Lincoln boulevard and Thirty-fourth street,
directly In tho path of tho storm,
gathered on street cornors and in
cafes, and their conversation was
only of tho calamlty: of what mjght
bo dono to alleviate tho BUfforlng.
Representatives of tornado Inaur
anco companion, building supplies con
cerns and storago companlos, who
might be readily and rightfully ex
pected to reap a rich harvest follow
ing tho assault of tho wind fiend,
found tholr work extremely d Is taste
ful und wero loth to press their point.
Men of buslnosB importance ' wore
soon to walk tho BtrootB Boftly and
with downcast facos, their thoughts
evorywhoro but with their affairs.
In tho faco of all tho ghastly and
terrlblo manifestations of a calamity
which Is attracting tho attention and
concern of tho wholo world, thero Is
at least ono bright lining to the cloud
which hangs as a pall over stricken
Omaha. Tho ready sympathy, tho re
sourcefulness, tho kindness and gen-
Council Bluffs Hard Hit.
With tho telegraph nnd tele-phono
lines still In very poor shapo, It Is
definitely known thnt tho death list
in the reennt cyclono disaster In this
section of tho Btato, In and around
Council Bluffs will roach twenty to
twenty-five nnd tho Injured at least
Boventy-flvo. Tho death roll has,
so far an telegraphic or telephonic
Borlce could bo had, reached twenty
and tho llHt ot injurod anywhero from
fifty to Boventy-flvo.
Council Bluffs Buttoredtho heaviest
Nerves and Wrench the
Who Behold Them.
oroslty ot tho untouched toward thoso
who havo suffered will long be a
laurol upon tho brow ot tho city's
citizenship.
Snow Falls On Stricken Homes.
A light fall of snow In Omaha that
roached at least two Inchos In depth
by morning, camo lato Monday night
to add Its part to tho Bufferings ot
tho stricken onos In thu tornado-swopt
section. Tho tomporaturp Monday
was below freezing and tho chill wont
to tho marrow ot thoso who tried to
work among tho ruins ot their homos
in tho effort to savo a llttlo from tho
wreck.
Relief Offers Received.
During Monday, whon tho Btorm'a
havoc bocamo known throughout tho
world, messages ot condolenco nnd re
lief offors camo from many states and
cities. Prominent among tho first
was that of President WilBon. Others
wero from Governor Sulzor of Now
York, Govornor Dunno of Illinois,
Chambers of Commorco In Chicago,
Denver, San Francisco, Soattlo, Spc
kano, Kansas City, Salt Lako City and
Dos Moines. Den Moines sent a spe
cial train of forty doctors and nurses'
oarly Monday to assist in ovory pos
Blblo way In taking caro of tho af
flicted. Solons Visit Omaha.
Nebraska legislators, with scarco a
half-dozen of tho 133 missing, spent
llvo hours In vlowlng Qinaha's tornado-stricken
district. Chlof Cleric
Henry C, Richmond oleoronod the
pnrty nnd convoyed them In Bpeclal
cars to various parts of tho city.
Tho visit mado certain a leglslatlvo
appropriation to aid tho city In tho
gigantic rollof work which must bo
Immediately undortnkon, A bill to
that end will bo Introduced.
loss In life, soven bodies now bolng
laid out In tho morguos in thnt city.
Weston hns two deaths, Gllllat has
two, Noola four and Glenwood Ave
Numorous persons woro Injured at all
of' thoso places. Fourteen casos aro
being treated in tho local hospitals,
ond, Bonjnraln Bennlngholt of Duck
Hollow, having passed away early
Monday morning nt Morcy hospital,
shortly aftor being brought thoro.
N. Krinskl, his wlfo and Ave chil
dren woro killed In tho basement of
tholr homo.