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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1913)
Omaha Relief Work Well Organized; More Supplies Needed by Committee Floods in Ohio Slowly Receding, Disclosing the Extent of Damage Wrought The Omaha Daily Bee KEEP FRIENDS POSTED Kali thorn oopUi of The Be the gaper with beet account of the storm avoo and relief work. It Beats Writing Letters VOL. XL1I-NO. 243. OMAHA, FRIDAY COPY TWO CENTS. h I 1 If A JffiSfc - " " -" MOKNING, ,Jm2S, )V. KOrUTKMN PAUKS, NINULK FIVE THOUSAND DEATHS DUE TO FLOOD AM FIRE Conflagration Which Broke Out in Dayton Wednesday is Still Raging. MAYOB ASKS FOR DYNAMITE Attempt Will Be Made to Stay Pire with Explosives. DEATH LIST GROWS HOURLY Threatened Break in Lewiston Res ervoir Adds to Danger. MANY DEAD IN COLUMBUS Relief Parly Finds from Six Hun dred to One Thonsnnd Ilodlcs In Jlhe Western 1'nrt of the City. II U 1,1,1 IT IN. 1TDNEY, O.. March 2. Word was le eelvcd hero that 600 men are at work on the Lakevlew dam at the Lewlston reser voir and that danger of a break In tin reservoir walls has been averted for the present. UULI.KTI.V. BELLEFONTAINE, O., March 27. UhI by pastors of the churches, who called their congregations together and empha sized the urgent need of assistance and aldet. by children anil women of en dangered villages, scores of men wonted all night and continued their efforts to' day to repair the threatened break In the bnnks of the Lewlston reservoir. Tho walls were holding ut noon. The first train entered this city from Toledo last night and 200 passengers of tne wrecked Pennsylvania train who have been marooned here were taken to ITr- bana during the night. HlililjHTl.N. INDIANAPOLIS, March 27.-oveinor Ralston this noon declared Wcs; Indian npolls under martial law. Vandals started to rob and pillage and a com pany of the stnte troops was rushed Into the district and a number of arrets were made. The menace of fire continues u n9rn!"e ln.. flooded; dtstuct .of Ohio. inytqn Is ntlli burnfng ancT appeaid have m been -sent out for,rfJynanmo to mow up buildings In the path of the flames. The Lewlston reservoir north of Day ton 'is -still holding. Men are being rushed. In to protect and strengthen It. A blUxard Is reported from parts of the Inundated area. Cold weather and snow hamper the work of rescue. Relief meusures are being perfected In nany cities. Carloads of provisions clothing and other supplies are ready for transportation as last as trains can be moved. The Ohio national guardsmen are also ready to move to Dayton as soon as they can enter the city. At I'honcton tho flood conditions are glowing .worse every moment. No fire has been reported from that city. The Ohio Is rising, but the danger stage at Cincinnati is believed to have been passed. Western Pennsyjvanla Is facing a grave flood situation. Sharon and New Castle report fifteen feet of flood. Six hundred ' to one thousand were drowned In Hie western part of Colum bus. O. CHICAGO, March 27. Estimates of the loss of life by floods in Ohio and Indluna wero still Inaccurate early today, al though l.GOO was placed as tho minimum by the most conservative. Other esti mates which Included large loss of lldi in towns and districts shut oft from com munication, ran as high as S.OjO. Governor Cox of Ohio said late last night that It wax believed that more than 1,000 persons haa perished in Day tun alone and that tho loss of life In other parts of the state might Increase the total to 2,000 or ever more. Tho latest report from Piqua, O., placed the number of dead there at COO, but thero has been no verification of this report. Flree wero raging In various parts of Dayton all night and It was feared that many of those marooned In buildings In the Inundated district were burned to death. The waters In most of the flooded dis tricts were receding, hut there was great difficulty in reaching the refugees In buildings because of the swift current. .Many gasoline launches were rushed Into the flooded district and It was ex. (Continued on Page Two.) The Weather Forecast till 7 p. m. Friday: For Omaha, Council Bluffs and Vicinity Fair and warmer tonight and Friday. Temperature nt Omaha Hours. Deg. fi a. m 13 C a. m 12 7 a. m 12 8 a. m 1J 9 n. m 1C 10 a. m li 11 a. m 20 12 m 23 1 p. m 21 2 p. in 21 3S.ni 28 PHOTO PORTFOLIO OF THE OMAHA TORNADO The Bee has in preparation a booklet showing thirty views taken by our photographers along the path of the big storm. This booklet, on fine paper, 7x9 inch pages, will be ready for delivery in a day or two. SEND US YOUR ORDERS NOW--PRICE 10 CENTS. PRICES OF FOOD BOOSTED Governor of Indiana Resents Aotion of Commission Men. MAY DECLARE MARTIAL LAW Dlsensr from I nmuiUar Condition Threatens to Tnkr (irfulrr Toll lit Indlnnnpolla Than the Floods. INDIANAPOLIS, March 27.-That In dianapolis may be under martial law be fore the day Is over was Intimated today by Governor Ralston, when ho learned that prices on all foodstuffs had been Increased by commission merchants. The price of eggs has been advanced 10 cents slnco yesterday, with corresponding higher prices on other commodities. Governor Rnlston, who Is making an Investigation. Is very Indignant and speaking of affairs, said: ' will do anything that Is necessary to protect our people against these ex orbitant prices." He declined to discuss the matter fur ther until he completes his investigation llefore the supply of bread available In the west side had been consumed today, loaves were selling at 20 cents each. The supply of meat has been exhausted. Organized rescue work was resumed after daylight today In the flooded dis trict of West Indianapolis. Police offi cials and rescue, workers estimated tnat BOO persons spent the second night of the flood on the second floors of houses and buildings, three were known to have been drowned and a night of snow and freezing temperature threatened an In crease In the death list and Is expected to grow steadily through the day. One thousand loaves of bread and other supplies were sent into the flooded dis tricts at daylight. Relief work proceeded a little more rapidly after an additional fall of eighteen Inches In White river. At the city dog pound, on .the edge of the flooded district, hot soup and coffee wero served to the refugees this morning. Disease arising from unsanitary condi tions and the. exposure of the flood vlc tlme already threatens to claim a greater toll than tho waters. Klve women, rescued and taken to Tom llnson hall, arc suffering from pneu monia, and scores of whooping cough and measles were discovered among the refugees. Thoso suffering from contagious dis eases were removed at once and Inspec tors from tho city board of health, aided by corps of nurses detailed from various hospitals, set to work to prevent ex posure of 'the refugees to contagion and to, take care of the other sick. Tomllnson hall refugee were supplied with 600 mattresses and 23) blankets from tne army supplies nt.tron xicnjamin riar- rlson, , Deposit Check is Blown 150 Miles By the Tornado A certificate of deposit for J10 drawn on the Omaha postal savings bank was found stuclc In an Inch and a half of mud Tuesday ufternoon near Pomeroy, la.. 15 Omlles from Omaha, by Rural Carrier J. A. Johnson. The certificate was r ted March 10 of thl syear and the deposlor's name was 8. L. Bush. The check was returne dby mall to Postmas ter Wharton's office and upon Investiga tion the owner, Mr .Rush, a colored fire man living at 4402 IlWaul street, was found and the bit of paper returned to him. Mr. Rush said the dice kwas orig inally In an outside pocket of a vest which he had hung on th ellne In the rear of his house Just before th estorm. He was mightily pleased to receive the money, which ho had given up for lost along with a considerable amount of other bclonglngB. Bryan Is Not Lost, as Was Supposed i WASHINGTON, March 27. Secretary llryan, who has been out of communica tion with the State department for tho last twenty-four hours. In the Ohio flooded districts uud for whom gruve fears were felt, was heard from today on his way eastward from Akron. Ten-Day Holiday Period in Ohio COLUMBUS, O.. March 27Uovernor Cox today Isnued a proclamation deciai Ing a holiday In all flood districts in Ohio for the next ten days. ThU was done to protect negotiable paper that might be subject to protest. OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE GLADLY ACCEPTED In order that there may bo no misun derstanding of the attitude of Omaha towards outside assistance In tornado re lief work, we wish It to be understood that while Omaha Is undertaking to han dle the situation locally, a great many outside cash contributions have coma In voluntarily. In every case these havt, 1 ' v ,... aumiuwiruKci villi gratitude. There is no Intention to decline t money so received. COMMERCIAL CLUB OF OMAHA. GEORGE H. KELLY, President. CASPER E. YOST, Vlco President. J. SI. GUILD, Commissioner. FIRE SWEEPS DAYTON IN WAKE OF WATER Eighteen Blocks in Business Section Burned Over, and Flames Not Yet Subdued. SEVENTY THOUSAND MAROONED City's Population Imprisoned by the Raging Flood. WATER SLOWLY GOING DOWN Flood Recedes, Showing Something of Devastation Wrought. RESCUERS' THRILLING TALES Startllnn' Ailcnnrm nnil Wonder ful Ocnpn MlnKlr with Sail Stories of l'nthetle Deaths In Stricken City. flood Condition. .DAYTON, O., March 27. The following Is a tabulated estimate of conditions to night: ' Dead, accurate estimates Impossible. Persons marooned 70,000 Residences submerged 15,000 Miles of streets Inundated 130 Perrons provided for In rescue sta tions 5.000 Horees killed 600 Automobiles damaged 1.000 These figures placed Dayton's loss at $25,000,000 and were estimated by persons who had explored part of the flood area. DULLKTI.V. DAYTON, O., March 27 All but a few of those hundreds of persons who have been marooned In the downtown sections of flooded Dayton sine? Tuesday morn ing are safe. This was the news brought out late today byjln Associated Press staff man, the flr'it' Jto' 'succeed In tne. perilous task of penetrating as far north as the Big Miami . rl$?r, "Jfyhlch runs through the center of tho town. Chief of Police J. N. Altaback, him self marooned, who has been directing the rescue work, gave the first Informa tion as to the situation in what has oeen the watcrbound district. Except for possible loss of life on the north side of tl)e river there will not be mora than 200 d?f d In Dayton, according to Allabacks estimate, after ha had been giveft' fhformntloltBsnoHtMr'f'lttMrtton-Tm the south side. .SIDNEY, p., March 27. A message re vived' hereVJrom' Dayton, Via Tippe canoe', today says that fire has consumed that territory In the flooded city bounded on the north by First street, on the east by St. Clair, on the south by Third street and on the west by the boulevard. The message came to the Cincinnati. Hamil ton & Dayton railroad. If true the in formation means that the terrltorv nine blocks long and two blocks wide ran burned. The Istrlct Is a fine residence section and contains the Deckel house, court house. Jail, Ceritral Inlon Telephone company, Callahan bank building and several other structures. Snow Adds to Suffering;. DAYTON, March 27. Snow added to terrors of the clemenui today. Hundreds of refugees are being taken out of tho Hickory Street school. Tne weather Is bitterly cold, adding to the suffering of those trapped on top of their hones. Flro Is sweeping almost tho entire down town district. Tho flames are leaping hundreds of feet In the air. The con flagration has destroyed several blocks in the heart of the business section, ns Indicated from observations taken early from the toof of the National Cash Register building. Seventy Thousand Mnrnoned. Unlike other cities heretofore over whelmed by flood Dayton haa not reprs. tentative citizens to relieve victims of .he flood and flro that ha'o swept the (Continued on Pago Two.) Communication With Zansville is Severed by Flood PITTSBURG. March 27.-Telephone con nection with stricken Zanesvllle, O,, was severed this morning after the follow ing message came through the local of fice from the Zanesvllle chief operator: "We are leaving the exchapgo in boats. Water up to the second btory. condi tions here getting worse every minute." ZANESVILLE, O., March 27.-(Vla Phone to Plttsburg.)-Thts city tonight is stoically awaiting the worst. Seven persons are known to be dead and the fate of 300 others, wnrklnginen and their families, who had their home In the flood district. Is In doubt. The city Is under martial law. Several stores In the down town section are burning and there Is little hope of extinguishing the flames. Several thousand persons are homeless, They are being taken care of in stores and public buildings. Nearly one-half of the town Is under fifteen to twenty feet of water. A number of residences and other buildings have besn swept away. Drawn for Tho Bee by Powell. ., THOUSAND DIE IN COLUMBUS First Estimate of Loss of Life in , .Ohfo Capital Tqq Low. STRICKEN ARET HEARD 'FROM Indeaerihable. State of Affair West of' the tllrrr In Disclosed llonses Are Crnsliecl Like KKKahellH.' COLUMBUS. O.. March 27. Between 60) and 1,000 persons .lost their lives In the flooded west side of Columbus, according to representatives of the Columbus Dis patch, who have just gotten Into com munication with the newspaper from the previously isolated part of the city. This same estimate Is given by persons in charge of the relief station on the hill top west of the flooded section. According, to those who Invaded tho stricken district, the charities, the big state Institution and store room in the, hill top section were crowded with refu gees, many of whom were rescued from tho muddy waters and who tell stories of indescribable horrors. Former Mayor George S. Marshall, who was In telephone .communication ivllh Attorney Cecil Randall, his law partner, said today that Mr. Randall asserted the death toll would reach at least 1.0O). Throngs of excited groups of people from the flood stricken section of tho city who wero crowded Into the temporary rescue quarters asserted that the stl mate of Mr. Randall Is not exaggerated. The true extent of tho awful tragedy enacted during the sweeping away of homes and the exact death toll will r.oi bo known for several days, until tlm mass of hundreds of uprooted trees whlcn are strewn over the lowlands south of the city are uncovered. This mass of debris now is under several feet of wntcr with swift currents running In many directions. Many of those rescued tell of escaping from their homes by the fractions of minutes Just before the rushing waters swept their houses away mid crushed them like egg shells against buildings. Scores of entire families, the people as sert, were swept down with their houses In the swift current. Every available Inch of space In the Columbus State Hospital for the Insane The price of The Morninj Bee in Omaha is two cents and The Evening Bee one cent. The Bee Publishing company is not responsible for the extra charges made by newsboys for extras as the price for these is the same as for regular editio LET EVERYBODY HELP Scntl your contribution (or the tornado victims to nnjr Oninhn nowgpnpcr nnd It will hi; acknowledged in tho paper nnd turned into official relief' fund. COX REYIEWSFLOOD OUTLOOK Ohio Governor Says Calamity Worst Ever Known in America. FIRES ARE RAQINQ IN DAYTON Thousand 1'ennrd In Upper Floor of Ilulnr nionk Are Krarlnar "Water from thn Lmlaton Ilearrvolr. NEW YORK, March 27.-rGovrnor James Cox of Ohio telegraphed from Co lumbus, O., as follows: "The exact extent of the appalling flood In Ohio Is' still unknown. Every hour Impresses us with the uncertainty of the situation. The waters have assumed suclj unknown heights In many parts of the state that Is will bs hardly less than a miracle It villages and towns are not wiped out of existence In tho southern and soutnwestern parts of Ohio. The storm Is moving south of cast. "Please glvo great publicity to an ap peal for help. My Judgement is that there has never been such a tragedy In tho history of tho republic. (oliiiiiliu the 'ruler. "Columbus was the center of all acti vities In behalf of tho stricken cities. Every hour apparently has been filled with an accumulation of drastic clrctim stuueeu. 1 "Piteous appeals have been mado by men who wero surrounded by water and confronted by the ronflugration In the city of Dayton. Every human energy haa been exerted to give relief and yet the measure of assistance has been compara tively small. It Is my belief, howover, that by daylight tomorrow those im prisoned In the business section of Day ton can be relieved. The duy began by a storm signal from the weather bureau advising that thero would bo a dangerous rlo of the wntors of tho Muskingum river. All towns along this source. In cluding JancsVllIe and Marietta, were ad vIskI. llefore noon the situation assumed a critical aspect at Zannsvllle und tho historic "Y" bridge was blown up with dynamite. The loss 'of life In Zanesvllle Is uncertain, because all telephone com munication ceased at noon. Marietta cannot be reached, hut It. Is safe to as sume that the sarno devastating results (Continued on Page Two.)" AGREE ON GREATER OMAHA Legislators Come to Understanding on the Measures. REQUIRES VOTE OF PEOPLE Each Ton-it AffcLlcl Must lvr Consent by Vole After Petition nnd Qiimtlnii Lays Over Three Yciirs. (From a Stnfl Correspondent.) LINCOLN, March 2!?-(8peclnl.)-Thi .Douglas delegation In the house has finally ngrecd on Mike Lee's Greater Omaha bills and the members expect to uso their best efforts In passing them. It Is understood also that representatives of South Omaha Imvo ngrced to the meas ures. Tho bills nre now ' In. tho hands of tho sitting committee' and will be raised very shortly Tho delegation nnd representatives of South Omaha agreed to an amendment providing that before tho towns consolo. date the proposition shall be submitted to a voto of the people Interested, uud If It falls to secure n majority In each city and village the question shall not bo (Continued otiPage Two,) Lewis and Sherman Elected to! Senate SPRINGFIELD, III., March 27.-Govcr. nor Dunne's plan for breaking the sena torial deadlock wcs put Into effect yes teiday. Colonel .lames Hamilton Lwls of Chi cago, was olecte-d for the full six-year term to succeed Shelby M. C'lillmn. Lawrence Y. Sherman of Springfield, was elected to fill tho unexpired two years of the term to succeed Albert J. Hopkins, who vacnted the office March I, IHOO. Five Hundred Are Dead in Piqua I'OM'MIIL'P, O.. March 27.-Flvo hun dred lives were lost at Phiua, according to Information received here nt 12:30 by Senator 8. E. Klser of Piqua. His In formant was J. Guy Odonnell, prosecut ing attorney of Miami county. MAIL STOLEN FROM LOCK BOXES BY USE OF KEYS ARERDEBN, H. O.. March 27 -(Speclill Telegram.! Carl Atiness. aged IT. wn arrested last night und held for prelimt nary hearing on charge of robbing the malls. AtlneaB had keys to poktottice boxes of four prominent busln-BH tlrms In his possession, and has acknowledged he hud for months been opening tho boxes and taking therefrom all letters containing remittances. He bus destroyed 'all stolen checks and drafts, but used whatever money he found In liers. It Is believed that checks and drafts stoljn and destroyed will amount '. reveral thousand dollars. HUNDREDS HELPED TO NEW START IN RELIEF DISTRICTS Systematic Arrangement of Provid ing for Tornado Victims Re sults in Efficient Work. AUDITORIUM CENTRAL DEPOT Women Volunteers Sort Supplies as Contributions Pour In. RUMORS OF EXTORTION HEARD Committee Ready to Take Drastic Aotion if Needed. OMAHA'S ACTION COMPLIMENTED Visitors from Outside Admire Atti tude Taken by Citizens. CROWDS IN STRICKEN AREA Thousand of Visitor from Iotth nnd Nelirnskn nnd Other Slate Come and fio by Every Train. The district stations established to dis tribute tho relief to destitute or needy victims of tho Sunday turnado aro get ting down to business In response to steadily Increasing calls for help. At tho Auditorium, which Is converted Into a central supply depot, n lively scene ,s presented In receiving the garments, bod clothes, shoes and other wearing apparel brought In by generous people. These supplies aro bclm: sorted out by a larga corps of woman volunteers from tho dif ferent charitable organlxatlons assisted by shop women detailed from some of the stores. Tho things nre classified according to kind nnd variety things for Infants in one pile, for children in another, for women In another, for men In still an otherso that tlmo may bo Bavcd and tho right things given to tho right peo pie. Tho relict coinmlttco Is holding dally meetings to grapple with nil sorts of problems that aro presented. Coiiinlnlntn IlrliiK Investigated. Complaint cornea lp, which, la being In vestigated, with reteronce to alleged ex tortions practiced' ufion'sturnr sufferers. While these' have not been verified, it Is charged that taking udvantago of the altuatlon, making their services or goods absolutely necessary, somo folks havo been raising their rates beyond what Is customary. One complaint relates to the charge for window glass, nnd another goes to certutu grocers uud butchers said to be boosting prlcos. Mumboru of th relief committee declare they will not stand for any extortion of this kind, and that It tho charged aro verified, some drastic measures will be taken. Contributions for tho relief fund j.! continually to como In, yet as the wore Is taken up It la seen that tho money already in hand will have to bo greatly multiplied. Every newspaper In the clt; Is accepting contributions, nnd turning them over to the treasurer officially In charge. Compliments for llellct Work. Visitors from outsldo are expressing admiration for the manner In which th people ol Omaha have organized !u t!li (Continued on Page Three.) Call for Funds Tlie citizens' relief committee de sires to Impress upon the general publla that while contributions to the relief fund are being received In liberal amounts, the dally ex penses are very heavy and will continue for an Indefinite time. All persons ure urged to send cash contributions to tho general committee In tho city hall. Household furnlturo of all kinds Is badly needed. There are luces isant requests for beds, kitchen utensils and kitchen and heating stoves. Thtoso are needed at once and should be delivered to the Auditorium or If the headciunrters Is notified they will be sent for. All notices of supplies can be phoned to Tyler 1S90, 1891, 1802, 189.1, 1801. Common house dresses and ottfer plain cotthing for women and children am very' much In demand. They should be sent to the Audl turlum ut once. Fnnoy dresses aro not desired. Just plain, servlceablo dressed, AH sorts of undercolthlng Is needed. Also children's wearing apparel. It will facilitate mat ters If children's colthlng is labeled according to age. L. G. Doup & Co. donated 100 mattresses. The New England bakery will send X0 loaves of bread dally Tor four days to the Auditorium and will continue it longer If neoea sary. The express companies announced that all supplies of all sorts will be franked to Omaha from any point In the United States.