The True Story of Our National Calamity of Flood, Fire and Tornado

L >> Logan Marshall >> The True Story of Our National Calamity of Flood, Fire and Tornado

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Digging bodies out of the mud was the chief work of rescuing parties.
The water had drained off from almost all the flooded area. In some
instances the mud was several feet deep.

The rush of the currents claimed the greatest toll of lives, judging
from how most of the bodies recovered were found. They were washed up
onto the ground from new-made rivers and many were found buried in the
wreckage. In moving this workmen moved carefully, fearing they might
tread upon bodies, but they were not found in groups.

It was anticipated that the majority of the bodies of flood victims
would be found buried under the debris in the Miami Canal under great
piles of wreckage and far down the Miami River, at Miamisburg,
Middletown and Hamilton. Those who were drowned for the most part were
caught in the streets either while on their way to their places of
business and employment or while trying to get to places of safety when
forced to flee from their houses. Lieutenant Leatherman, surgeon of the
Third Regiment, O. N. G., who went through the flood in West Dayton,
said that he saw scores of dead bodies floating down the Miami River and
many people were swimming, but there was not one chance in ten thousand
that these were saved, he said.

The policing of the city by the military was reorganized with
Brigadier-General George H. Wood commanding and Captain Tyrus G. Reed as
Adjutant General. The city was turned over into a military district of
five military zones, and rigid orders were laid down for the conduct of
its affairs.

Chairmen of the various committees were unanimous in asking that word be
spread broadcast that mere sightseeing visitors were not wanted. The
railroads were informed of this attitude and conductors refused to
accept passengers who could not show that their presence here was
necessary. There were thousands of visitors in the city. Most of them
were from surrounding towns.

BOAT CREWS SAVE 979

The work of extending succor to the marooned inhabitants of the
districts which were still flooded continued during the day. In many
sections were to be seen rowboats, skiffs and canoes making their way
with extreme difficulty among the heaps of wreckage and overturned
houses among tangled meshes of telegraph, telephone and electric light
wires, seeking out possible victims who had been uncared for.

Among the organizations engaged in rescue work was the company of naval
reserves from the United States ship Essex at Toledo, under command of
Captain A. F. Nicklett. The company reached Dayton on a special relief
train from Toledo Thursday and immediately launched a number of boats on
the raging torrents which were sweeping the city from end to end. Up to
six o'clock Saturday night the sailors had been constantly on duty and
had to their credit a total of 979 lives saved, and they were not
thinking of sleep when darkness fell.

One crew in command of Ensign E. E. Diebald, with two boats, rescued 375
persons from the business section and that district immediately east of
Main Street and west of Eagle Street. Many of the people were taken from
their homes only after the sailors had mounted to the tops of partially
overturned houses and chopped their way through to the attics where the
inmates were huddled together waiting for death to enter.

Another crew under Junior Lieutenant Ross Willoh succeeded in saving
360, while three boats in command of Senior Lieutenant Theodore Schmidt
rescued 244 persons. The majority of these latter were taken from box
cars, warehouses, freight sheds and grain elevators in the railroad
yards. It was here that the water attained its greatest violence,
rushing in whirlpools between the irregular buildings on either side of
the tracks. Navigation was extremely perilous on account of many
submerged box cars, flat cars and overturned sheds.

Several times the sailors were capsized, but managed to keep with their
boats and right them again. Not a single life was lost either among the
reserves or among the hundreds whom they attempted to rescue.

While sailors worked incessantly to save lives, Lieutenant Walter
Gayhart, also of the ship's company, succeeded in establishing a supply
station on East Fifth Street, where many refugees congregated, and
issued rations to the suffering. He slept Saturday night after
seventy-one hours of continuous labor.

With the additional military forces which arrived the city was
thoroughly policed. At night the city was in darkness again. It was
impossible to do much relief work at night and the curfew order was due
in part to the advisability of keeping the men where they could protect
their own households if necessary.

RELIEF ON BUSINESS BASIS

The distribution of food supplies and clothing and relieving of distress
was put on a business basis. Supplies reached Dayton in large
quantities, and the relief stations were sufficiently organized to take
care of the incoming refugees from the flood districts. The problem of
caring for the homeless was still serious, but with all promise of warm
weather it was hoped there would be less suffering. Health officers
reported that there was only one car of lime in the city, and there was
great need of more.

Fifteen thousand persons were subsisting on rations given out under
direction of the relief committee. Ten thousand of these, it was
estimated, were in their homes, and food was carried to them in boats
and automobiles. About five thousand were being cared for at the relief
stations. This showed a marked reduction in the number of persons being
publicly fed.

There was plenty of food, and it was placed into baskets in lots to
serve five persons for two days. Over candles given out with the food
the people boiled coffee, but the other food was eaten cold. There was
no gas and little coal.

Announcement was made by the relief committee that until conditions
became normal, no private messages to persons here would be delivered or
answered, as the wire capacity was taxed to the utmost to carry official
and public business.

Major Dupuy stated that he feared an epidemic of some kind unless the
most rigid sanitary rules were enforced.

STRICT SANITARY MEASURES

Major Dupuy stated that the city had been divided into six sanitary
districts, each district in charge of an officer of the sanitary corps
of the National Guard. Strict orders regarding the disposition of
garbage were issued and the people were advised, by means of bulletins
posted in conspicuous places in the streets, how best to preserve the
public health.

Several cars of lime reached the city and many more were en route from
different points. A carload of ambulance supplies was on the way from
Cincinnati.

Members of the Citizens' Relief Committee were apprehensive of a water
famine. It was believed there was little chance that the present supply
could be made to last until the water mains were in use again. R. H.
Grant, head of the Relief Supplies Committee, issued an appeal to all
cities in the country asking that as much bottled water as possible be
shipped to Dayton immediately.

It was especially desired that this water be strictly pure, as it was
practically impossible to boil the water for drinking purposes.

Considering the number of persons affected by this flood, there was
comparatively little sickness, the cold weather being responsible for
this to a great extent. The cold caused great suffering among those
marooned without food, water, or heat, but in the end it proved a
blessing.

Dr. William Colby Rucker, Assistant Surgeon General of the United States
Public Health Service, who arrived from Washington at the direction of
the Secretary of the Treasury, with Surgeon General Rupert Blue, gave
the following outline of the sanitary conditions existing in the city:

"A survey of conditions in Dayton today shows that the sanitary
situation is not so bad as was at first thought. Citizens have been
warned to boil all drinking water and to bury refuse. City water is now
flowing under twenty-pound pressure. Sewers in some sections are again
in operation. The city expects to have others working tomorrow.

"The city has been divided into six sanitary districts and tonight
physicians who have been sworn in as district sanitary officers are
being instructed as to their precise duties as heads of these
districts."

TALES OF THE RESCUED

Pathetic scenes, so intense as to bring tears to the eyes of
undertakers, were witnessed when scores of fear-stricken parents and
children walked down the rows of dead lying upon slabs in the temporary
morgues.

In Riverdale and North Dayton, where the flood waters attained the
greatest depth and degree of destructiveness, several thousand persons
waded knee-deep in slimy mud, rummaging their desolated homes for
clothing. All of this, of course, was soaked and plastered with mud, but
it was dried on the hillsides, where the populace had taken refuge. In
some places in these districts the water had so far receded as to render
possible the beginning of the work of cleaning the lower floors of the
mud and debris.

The dead line around Riverdale, where the water remained about three
feet in depth around most of the houses, continued to be maintained in
order to guard against looting during the absence of residents. It was
estimated that not more than a week would be required to immunize all
homes requiring it outside of the Riverdale section, to free them from
water and prepare them for cleansing.

A SUMMARY OF WORK ACCOMPLISHED

Following are some of the things accomplished since the flood broke over
the city Tuesday morning:

The water-works pumping station was in operation, but the distribution
of water was greatly retarded by open pipes in wrecked houses. The
pressure was feeble, but growing stronger as leaks were checked.

The main sanitary sewer was in operation, although many of the laterals
leading from houses were clogged with mud and backed-up water.

The flood sewers, separate from the sanitary, were almost ready for
service. These sewers carry off the rainfall from the gutters, and were
needed to remove the water being pumped from basements.

Sightseers in motor cars felt the heavy hand of public necessity when
General Wood began impressing machines. The sightseers were ordered from
their cars and the latter were pressed into public service. Protests
were unavailing. The more stubborn surrendered at the points of rifles,
and gave up their cars "until released by order of the chairman," as the
placards placed in them read.

The militia also began impressing citizens into service as workers. Men
who had the appearance of being able-bodied, but idle, were questioned
by officers of the National Guard; if they had not good reason for being
in the streets, and no duties of a mandatory nature, they were pressed
into service.

The Sixth regiment, O. N. G., from Toledo and northern Ohio towns, which
had been on duty in Dayton, commandeered a train when ordered to
Cincinnati and departed before nightfall. The naval reserves from Toledo
went on train.

Coroner J. W. McKemy estimated that one hundred bodies had been
recovered, though there was record of only seventy-two. He said some had
been buried without usual official action and that in some cases he did
not expect to get records.

The postoffice was put out of business on Tuesday and it was not until
Sunday that any sort of service was attempted. Telegraph and telephone
service was almost entirely crippled until Saturday night, when even
short messages were accepted only on condition that the sender assent to
indefinite delays.

Telegrams were relayed through Cincinnati. The only long-distance
telephone wires in service were two private wires connecting with
Cincinnati. On those who succeeded in securing permission to use these
wires a time limit of three minutes conversation was imposed.

No braver services were performed during the flood than those by the
telegraph and telephone linemen who made possible the dissemination of
news to hundreds of thousands of friends and relatives of Daytonians.
They waded and swam icy floods and entered tottering buildings
unhesitatingly in pursuit of their duty. Operators who had not removed
shoes or clothing since last Tuesday were found Saturday.

RAILROADS AGAIN WORKING

Direct railroad communication was established Sunday night with
Springfield, Ohio, Cincinnati and Richmond, Indiana. The Cincinnati,
Hamilton and Dayton lines, on which Dayton passenger traffic depended
mostly, were not working. The tracks leading into the Union Station were
completely blocked and the few trains arriving discharged their
passengers on the outskirts of the city.

H. E. Talbott, who was commissioned by Governor Cox, chief engineer of
the military zone, completed his plans for beginning the rehabilitation
of the city. He announced that four departments had been created, with
an assistant engineer in charge of each. One had charge of rebuilding
the streets and alleys; another the levees along the rivers; another the
sewerage system, and still another the bridges.

[Illustration: Photograph by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y.
Life lines strung across one of the streets. The rescuers caught persons
carried down on wreckage in the raging flood and brought them to a place
of safety]

[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y.
Man walking along the telephone cables after escaping from his house,
which was washed away by the flood. The houses in the center have been
washed from their foundations and are floating away]

Hundreds of persons still looking for relatives passed along the lines
at the morgues, fearing they should find their loved ones there. Only a
few bodies had not been identified.

Because of the city's financial condition, the problem of paying the
costs of rejuvenation caused great concern. The treasury was practically
empty, and the borrowing capacity would be exhausted when $900,000 was
raised. It was planned to seek immediate relief from the Legislature.

By order of Governor Cox, the reign of martial law over Dayton was
extended to take in the whole county. The flood did more than sweep away
property, for it swept away the city administration, temporarily at
least, and brought in what amounted to a commission form of government.

The extension of the area under martial law developed from action taken
by local dealers whose places were closed. They complained that saloons
on the outskirts were sending whiskey into the city, and that
considerable drunkenness had been observed. Brigadier-General Wood
reported the situation to the Governor, and his action was prompt and
decisive.

COMMISSION GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED

As soon as martial law was proclaimed, the municipal administration was
eclipsed. Brigadier-General Wood for the moment became supreme under the
Governor. On the heels of this Mr. Patterson was appointed chairman of a
committee of five to administer the affairs of the city. The militia was
instructed to obey his orders and thus became a police force.

Under martial law the city enjoyed the free services of the biggest
business men and the most expert professional men in Montgomery County.

Citizens who ventured into the streets were impressed from the time they
left their doors that Dayton is steadied and perhaps somewhat depressed
by the absolute grip of martial law. Soldier government was maintained
inexorably. Owners of business places could not set foot on their
property without the permission of the khaki-clad militiamen, standing
at the curbs with loaded carbines. If a citizen found himself some
distance from his home when the curfew rang at 6 P. M. his return was
beset with much difficulty, because of the necessity of halting by the
many sentries he encountered.

A citizen fearsome enough to venture from his threshold after 8 P. M.
literally took his life in his hands, because the fingers of the militia
rested on hair triggers.

Nine colored men and one white man were added to the seven suspected
looters shot and killed since martial law was proclaimed. Absolute
secrecy concerning the deaths was maintained by the military
authorities. Citizens who heard repeated firing between midnight and
dawn in the business center of Dayton and near Ludlow Street, in which
were located many of the handsomest homes in Dayton, spread these
reports. The reports were confirmed in a non-committal way by militiamen
who were on duty in these sections, who admitted they had fired ball
cartridges as a "warning" to suspected looters.

The most detailed account of the death of the white man had it that he
was halted near Main and Third Streets shortly after 2 A. M. He had one
hand behind his back, and when ordered to open it two watches fell to
the pavement. He was then searched and eighteen watches were found in
his pockets. The sentry called a corporal's squad of six militiamen and
reported the loot found on the prisoner. The prisoner was led to the
wall of a near-by building, faced toward the wall, and the squad, which
had received instruction from its commander, fired. A white band with a
red insignia, made apparently to simulate a Red Cross badge, was taken
from the man's arm, and the body was thrown into the canal.

EXECUTIONS DENIED

The nine colored men reported as killed were discovered by sentries in
various parts of the city. A dozen militiamen on duty near Main and
Third Streets, about 2 A. M., said that they had heard firing at the
locality named, but attributed it to warning shots. One of the men said
that a sergeant in his company told of shooting and killing a colored
man Friday night, when the man tried to escape in a boat on the Miami
Erie Canal.

Brigadier General George H. Wood, when asked about the reports of
squad-firing and the deaths of ten suspected looters, said:

"There was some squad-firing after midnight by sentries posted in the
Ludlow section, where are located the homes of some of Dayton's
wealthiest citizens. But neither there nor in other sections of the city
where shots were fired was any one killed. The report that executions
followed the detection of militiamen caught looting are without
foundation. There have been no drumhead or other courtmartials and none
will take place while I am in command here in Dayton.

"We have the situation well in hand. I have 1,400 doing sentry duty
throughout the city and I intend to guard homes and suppress all
lawlessness."

In spite of the rigor of this military government of Dayton, praise of
General Wood's administration was heard on every side. Citizens
discredited the stories of executions of looters and were not
over-inquisitive of details, because they realized that drastic measures
were imperative under the existing conditions.

In accordance with suggestions made Saturday by Secretary of War
Garrison and General Leonard Wood, chief of staff, Major Thomas L.
Rhoades, President Wilson's military aide, took charge of the sanitary
campaign and permanent relief organization. He had for his chief
lieutenant Eugene T. Lies, of Chicago, who was in command of the Red
Cross forces. Investigation of the financial standing of every
householder whose home has been damaged by the flood was begun. In
worthy cases money or materials with which to make repairs were
furnished from the Red Cross funds.

A HOME OF TENTS

Major Rhoades took up plans for establishing a tented camp in North
Dayton in which to shelter residents of the flood districts. These
flooded homes were inspected and when found to be unsanitary the
occupants were invited to take up quarters in the tented camp. Where the
invitation was refused recalcitrants were escorted by a corporal's guard
to the camp and compelled to remain there until their homes were cleaned
and fumigated. Major Rhoades was supported by the militia in carrying
out a policy to immunize every home in Dayton if necessary, and thus
minimize the danger of epidemics.

The medical authorities forbade the use of old clothing until after it
had been fumigated. It was urged upon the general public that old
clothing was not desirable for fear it might bring a pestilence in some
form to a city unable to cope with more disaster.

Nothing to indicate the approach of an epidemic due to flood conditions
was reported, although the number of diphtheria cases was slightly above
normal. Eight persons suffering from diphtheria were at the Miami Valley
Hospital. Seven of them were caught in a house with a person who had
recently become ill with the disease. Four persons hemmed in with one
who had measles were suffering with that disease. Typhoid fever and
pneumonia were a little more prevalent than usual. Clear skies and warm
sunshine contributed to the comfort of the city and made possible good
progress in the work of redemption.

Two hospitals in Dayton were flooded on the first floor, so all sick and
injured were taken either to the Great Miami Hospital or to the state
insane asylum. Eight persons whose minds temporarily became affected
because of hardships suffered in the flood were cared for at the latter
place.

With warmer weather, the greatest problem was the removal of the
carcasses of dead horses. Every available automobile truck and all the
horse-drawn drays were impressed by the sanitary officials and hundreds
of men were engaged all day removing the carcasses to the different
incinerating plants and to vacant lots on the outskirts of the city,
where they were burned.

George F. Burba, Governor Cox's private secretary, reported to the
state's executive that there were 40,000 persons in Dayton who must be
fed and sheltered for at least a week, and 10,000 who were destitute.
The latter were without either sufficient clothing or food, and until
business activities were restored, they had to be financed and
maintained in lodgings until they could become self-supporting.

Theodore A. Burnett and T. H. Smith, government food inspectors, took
charge of the food supply, in so far as inspection was concerned, and
appointed twelve deputies. All shipments of supplies from other places
were carefully examined before being given to the refugees. Particular
attention was paid to meats and canned goods.

Announcement was made that the particular need of the people was
drinking water, shoes, clothing, picks and shovels. Money also was
wanted, although a considerable amount had already been subscribed by
cities throughout the country.

Food was on hand in ample quantities, free to all, but the variety was
limited to staples such as beans, potatoes, bread and canned vegetables.
Of fresh meat there was practically none and butter and eggs were
scarce. All food supplies were those contributed by the outside world
and distributed from the various relief depots on the requisition of
householders. Neither provision nor other stores received any
consignment of goods.

Citizens and visitors alike were impressed with the facts that Dayton's
condition was distressing. A review of the streets from sunrise until
the curfew bell's toll furnished a practical illustration of this.
Except for the comparatively few householders who had supplies on hand
in considerable quantities, daily sustenance was secured by the market
basket method. This was as true of the fairly well-to-do families as of
the laboring classes.

HOW RATIONS WERE ISSUED

The head of a family made out a requisition each morning stating his
needs for the day. This requisition was presented at any of the supply
depots, and on it were issued rations consisting of potatoes, canned
meats, prunes or preserves, beans, biscuits or bread. Men, women and
children with their baskets were seen in the streets throughout the day.

Most of the absolutely destitute were cared for in one or another of the
buildings comprising the huge plant of the National Cash Register
Company, which is on high ground at the southern end of the city,
untouched by the flood. On the ninth floor of the administration
building, known as the office's club, and where there is a dining room
with a capacity for 1,000, more than 5,000 destitute persons were fed
daily. The menu for Sunday was a typical one, as follows:

Breakfast--Oatmeal and milk, coffee and bread.

Dinner--Vegetable soup, stewed canned meat, stewed corn, coffee and
bread.

Supper--Bean soup, potatoes, coffee or tea and bread with butter.

John F. Patterson, head of the plant, had his dinner in this general
dining room on Sunday. The only luxuries enjoyed by him and not provided
for the others were hard-boiled eggs and preserved peaches. Among the
most active of the uniformed waitresses was Mr. Patterson's
nineteen-year-old daughter. Volunteer waitresses helped out their paid
sisters during these days of hardship.

Monday in Dayton was much like the days that immediately preceded it,
except that rapid progress was made toward the restoration of the city
to a habitable condition. Electric current was supplied Monday night in
a limited residential district and in a few downtown buildings, and the
narrow zone of street lighting was extended. Automobile fire engines
were brought overland from Cincinnati to assist in pumping out
basements.

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