The True Story of Our National Calamity of Flood, Fire and TornadoMarshall, Logan
History
The True Story of Our National Calamity of Flood, Fire and Tornado
Marshall, Logan
Floods -- Ohio River Valley; Omaha (Neb.) -- Tornado, 1913
"I know you can't take me off!" she cried, "but for the love of humanity
take this loaf of bread and jug of molasses to Sarah Pruyn down the
street; I know she's starving."
Twice the boatmen attempted to take the food, but waves that eddied
about the submerged house hurled them back.
LOOTERS AT WORK
Numerous stories of looting were told, and many prisoners were locked
up. In most cases these had entered houses and had been searching for
valuables. A gang of roughs went through the southern part of the city
late at night instructing the people to extinguish all lights for fear
of a gas explosion and then began raiding. The police dispersed them.
All day and all night strings of automobiles were going back and forth.
Those coming to Dayton were seeking friends or relatives. Those going
back had people to take back with them.
At night the temperature dropped suddenly. A blinding snowstorm and high
winds followed close upon the fall of the thermometer. The blizzard
weather caused added suffering. Survivors who escaped the horrors of a
flood and fire stricken city at night were huddled roofless in an arctic
storm. Countless men, women and children were marooned in the storm who
had had no warm food or clothing since Tuesday morning.
CHAPTER IV
DAYTON IN THE THROES OF DISTRESS
PITIABLE CONDITION OF MAROONED--FALSE REPORT CAUSES PANIC--THE
FLOOD RECEDES--A SURVEY OF THE FLOOD'S DAMAGE--MARTIAL LAW
ENFORCED--RESTORING SANITATION--FEEDING THE HOMELESS--PATTERSON
CONTINUES NOBLE WORK--STORIES OF SURVIVORS.
When Thursday morning dawned on stricken Dayton the food situation which
had threatened to become serious was relieved temporarily by the arrival
of a special train from Richmond, Indiana, bringing seven cars of
provisions. Quartermaster Logan also received word from the United
States Army quartermaster general that 300,000 rations had been ordered
shipped from Chicago, 100 ranges and one complete quartermaster depot
from Columbus, 3,300 tents, 100 hospitals tents and 400 stoves from
Philadelphia, and 300,000 blankets and 500 bedsacks from St. Louis or
Cincinnati. Quartermaster Logan was authorized to purchase in open
market all rations needed.
[Illustration: MAP SHOWING THE RIVERS AND CREEKS WHICH RUN THROUGH
DAYTON, AND THE PRINCIPAL SECTIONS OF THE CITY]
[Illustration: Showing the difficulties experienced by the rescuers in
getting to the hundreds of people whose lives were imperiled by being
caught in the flooded buildings]
[Illustration: Copyright by George Grantham Bain.
Mayor of Cleveland getting motor boats ready for relief work in Northern
Ohio. For days after the flood reached its height, even strong boats
could reach many of the marooned people only with great difficulty and
risk]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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