The river press. [volume], April 02, 1913, Image 1

About The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
The River Press.
Vol. XXXIII.
Fort Benton, Montana, Wednesday, April 2, 1913.
No. 24
APPALLING LOSS OF LIFE
Destruction Caused By Ohio Floods Assumes
Proportions of National Calamity.
Number of Victims May Exceed 3,000 and Property
Loss Will Amount to Millions.
Chicago , March 26 —Three thou«*
and perished in the deluge that awept
the northern half of the Ohio valley.
Probably half a million people were
made homeless by the floods in Indi
ana and Ohio, and property damage
in both states will be at least $100,
000,000.
An additional horror was reported
early this evening from Dayton. The
fire there, that seemed widespread and
probably uncontrollable in view of the
paralysis of the water plant, probably
brought a horrible death to many who
sought to escape drowning by climb
ing to upper floors of buildings.
Chicago , March 26.— Definite fig
ures as to the loss of life from the
great flood which has swept Indiana
and Ohio were not available today,
but the latest estimates, based on re
ports from the scenes of disaster or
from points as near them as possible,
did not diminish the earlier minimum
of practically 1,300. It is more than
likely scores and even hundreds of
persons not counted among the dead
perished in some of the country dis
tricts.
Estimates of the property loss place
it at t50,000,000 or more. Factories,
farm homes and railroads were des
troyed throughout the affected terri
tory. Bridges were wrecked at hun
dreds of points between the Illinois
and Pennsylvania state lines and live
stock by hundreds of thousands were
lost in the deluge. In addition per
haps 1,000,000 persons were thrown
out of employment while the losa to
business cannot be figured. Cities all
through Indiana and Ohio, including
Indianapolis, are Isolated. Roadways
are flooded and railroads are washed
out, so that train service has been ab
andoned on many of the lines.
Columbus , O., March 26.— From
Lake Erie to the Ohio river and from
the Indiana to the Pennsylvania line,
Ohio is today wrestling with the worst
flood the state has ever known. An
appalling loss of life in Dayton is foi»
lowed in almost every city and vil
lage in the state with a death roll that
cannot be totalled until the raging
waters subside.
The most serious news early today
was t that the town of Miamisburg,
with a population of 4,000 had been
washed away. Heavy rains continued
over most of the state last night.
Governor Cox estimated that more
than 250,000 people have been render
ed homeless.
Harrowingtales are filtering through
of families who spent the night in a
drenching rain in tree tops or on the
roofs of their flooded homes. Many
of those marooned in tree tops are be
lieved to have been worn out by cold
and fatigue and to have dropped to
death in the flood below.
Federal aid in handling the Ohio
flood situation was asked today when
Governor Cox telegraphed the war
department at Washington asking that
50,000 tents and 100,000 rations be
made available for use and distribu
ted by the Ohio National Guard.
Burying Omaha Dead.
Omaha , March 26. —Burying the
dead and work of reconstruction oc
cupied the people of Omaha today.
Funerals were held in all parts of the
city.
The real estate exchange has taken
steps to prevent raising rents. Al
ready cases of attempted extortion
have been reported, some by members
of the exchange itself. Executives of
that body decided to £eal harshly with
any owners found taking advantage
of any of the unfortunates.
Hundreds of persons from all parts
of the country, unable to hear from
relatives, have come to the city seek
ing news of their Bafety.
Food Supply Is Short
Dayton, O., March 27.—Further
danger from flood was passing today
but the apprehension of great less of
life from famine, exposure and sick
ness was growing hourly,
George Burba, representing Gover
nor Cox, telegraphed today to the
governor urging that special emphas
is be given to the great need of im
mediate supplies of provisions. Bur
ba says that within a day bodies of
thousands of horses will be decompos
ed in the muddy street* and it will be
impossible even to care for the bod
ies of the humans.
Except for a solitary branch of the
Dayton, Lebanon & Cincinnati the
railroad over which alsingle train can
creep cautiously at a time, rail com
munication has not been restored. It
takes 12 hours for a train to come up
over this line from Cincinnati, a dis
tance of 50 miles. Mayor Hunt, of
Cincinnati, has been urged to see that
a train of supplies be kept constantly
on the move on this road.
Fire Adds To Flood Horrors.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 26.— Gov
ernor Cox received word from Dayton
this afternoon that the entire business
section of the city is on fire and indi
cations are that it will be destroyed.
People are reported to be jumping
from roof to roof keeping out of the
way of the flames.
The fire is reported to have started
from an explosion of an oil tank con
taining hundreds of gallons and whioh
bumped into a submerged building
near Fourth and Jefferson streets.
DEATH TOLL UNKNOWN
Loss of Life In Ohio Floods Cannot
Be Accurately Estimated.
Columbus , O., March 27.— With
Ohio rivers and streams subsiding to
day« the state is emerging from the
greatest flood it has ever known. The
loss of life has been heavy. When
the full account is made, is believed
the total death list for the state will
run over two thousand and the pro
perty damage will amount to $100,000
000.
Dayton is the worst aiHicetd of the
many cities swept by the flood. Not
only has the death loss from drown
ing there been extremely heavy, but
fire which raged unchecked early this
morniDg, threatened to destroy the
business sections.
After t*'o nights of horror, during
which hundreds clung to house tops
calling for help until their voices gave
way, while dozens were perched in the
branches of trees, many are still be
yond the reach of rescuers.
The true extent of the awful trage
dies enacted during the sweeping away
of homes and the exact toll will not be
known for several days until the mass
of hundreds of uprooted trees, which
are strewn over the lowlands are un
covered.
The mass of debris now is under
several feet of water with swift cur
rents running In many directions.
Many of those rescued tell of escaping
from their homes by the fractions of
minutes just before the rushing water
swept their homes away and crushed
them like eggshells against bridges.
Scores of entire families, these people
assert, were swept down with their
houses in the swift current.
Long Procession of Funerals
Omaha , Neb., March 26. —Fifty-two
funerals, silently wending their way to
cemeteries, brought home with great
er force to the people of Omaha the
full realization of Sunday's exper
ience. All day long hearses deposit
ed their grim cargoes of bodies at
graves and a solemn death proces
sion was kept up.
Cabs and hearses that a few hours
before bad served as death vehicles
for negroes were, in many cases,
pressed into use by mourners of white
families. Color, creed and nation
ality were forgotten. It was a gen
eral burial,
Food Supplies For Flood District.
Washington , March 28.— Arrange
ments were made early today for a
special train carrying food supplies,
clothing, medical stores and blankets
to tleave here tonight for the flood
swept district <n the middle west. As
many cars as can be filled with the con
tributions of cities and the auppplies
of the American Red Cross will be at
tached to two powerful engines and
efforts will be made to reach Dayton.
Thousands of dollars have been
subscribed and necessaries and com
forts of all descriptions are pouring
into the relief station.
The relief train while making Day
ton its objective point will dispense
succor to the suffering communities
through which it will pass.
Nature Garbed Glacier National Park in all its Grandeur;
Most Beautiful Words of English Language Describe It!
v' M
-■I
mm
' v ♦ -
. •"? > " ).
= *
V;,;
' < * > -V" •
m
w
m
m
MÊ:
It tafcM Beautiful words to dMerlb* Beauty spots Ilka this!
Following are the twenty-one most
beautiful words of the English language,
according to the judgment of the Public
Speaking Club of America, a New York
institution, the prize offered for this
selection being awarded to James Shea,
a lawyer of 416 Broadway:
MELODY. NOBILITY.
SPLENDOR. SYMPATHY.
ADORATION. HEAVEN.
ELOQUENCE. LOVE.
VIRTUE. DIVINE.
INNOCENCE. HOPE.
MODESTY. HARMONY.
FAITH. HAPPINESS.
JOY. PURITY.
HONOR. LIBERTY.
RADIANCE.
These words were judged according to
their beauty of sound and beauty of
meaning.
In culling from the inspired flights of
descriptive matter written about Glacer
FLOOD CONDITIONS IMPROVE
Estimates of Loss of Life Reduced
By Careful Investigation.
South Dayton , O., March 28.—
The loss of life in Dayton by flood
will not be more than 200 people.
This was the general agreement here
today after government iife saving
crews had penetrated every part of
the water bound city. Up to the pres
ent 45 bodies have been recovered.
Flood waters receded sufficiently
last night to show that the number of
persons drowned in all of the affected
cities in Ohio and Indiana may not
exceed 500. While many persons still
are missing to friends and relatives,
investigations made today indicated
that many are safe who had been
thought lost.
The property loss from fire will not
exceed more than a million and a half
dollars. The damage caused to
mercantile houses, factories and resi
dences will run anywhere from 915,
000,000 to $20,000,000
A score of motor boats and the life
saving boats were in the flood district
early today and by tonight it is hoped
relief would be extended to all flood
victims that are still alive. No effort
is being made to take out any of the
bodies, the first care is to provide
help for the living.
The boats began to run early from
the nearest sections, each depositing
its load of from 25 to 30 survivors.
Most of the people rescued were so
weak from deprivation and suffering
as to be scarcely able to move.
Marooned On Railway Track.
Chicago , M arch 28.—Farmers with
their families are marooned on rail
way embankments for miles in flooded
Ohio, according to reports brought by
long delayed railway passengers ar
riving here. W. C. Wa'kins of Tiffin,
Ohio, who arrived on a Baltimore and
Ohio train which bad detoured hun
dreds of miles to avoid washouts told
of tragic scenes along the railway line.
"From Alliance to Cleveland is like
• sea," he said. "I saw people in
trees, some sitting up and others hang
ing over limbs as if they were frozen
to death. The nearer ones would wave
to us and call out feebly asking us to
send help. I saw one man drop into
the water with a great splash as the
train crept by a hundred yards away.
He probably was dead when na fell.
"Hundreds of once prosperous farm
ers were gathered on the railway em
bankment. Farm animals were on the
bankmem with the people. For miles
the railway line was the only refuge
from the water. Part of the way the
train ran through a foot or more of
water which covered the tracks. The
cold and suffering people begged us as
National Park during the three years of
the existence of this Rocky Mountain
government preserve, there is revealed
the strange coincidence that every one of
these "most beautiful words of the
English language" was resorted to by the
scores of newspaper and magazine writers
who have visited the "Switzerland of
America". Here are the extracts from
articles on Uncle Sam's new wonderland,
containing the most beautiful words the
English language affords:
"The SPLENDOR of its scenery charms
the senses with MELODY."
"Wild flowers grow there in MODESTY
for the ADORATION of the mountain
tourist."
" The ELOQUENCE of its majestic
HEAVEN peaks establishes FAITH in a
DIVINE power."
"The PURITY of the atmosphere and
HARMONY of nature breathes LIBER
ty tav TTAPPITÏFSP '
we passed to take them on board. !
They b- gged for help and for food.
Whenever we reached a town we would
urge the people there to seDd help the {
sufferers on the rail way iues." j
Guarding Against Loot, rs
South Dayton , Ohio, March 28.—j
Alarming reports that looters well
armed, were active in the district from !
whioh water has partly receded, have
reached the headquarters of the emer
gency committee. Militia are prepar
ing an expedition to quell disorders.
A daring robbery was thwarted to
day when the police arrested a man
whe was escaping from the city with a
satchel containing 150,000 in dia
monds and jewelry which he had
stolen from jewelry stores.
Under strict martial law, Dayton
faced today the task of caring for an
Increasing array of refugees and of
recovering the dead. With head
quarters at Bamberger park, Colonel
Zimmerman of the Fifth regiment,
Ohio national guard, initiated plans
for the organization which will pro
tect the city during the ensuing weeks
of reconstruction.
Seeking Office For Hartman.
Washington , March 28 —Charles
Hartman, recommended by the Moat
ana delegation for consul-general to
London, will notjbe appointed. Un
der the law for the reorganization of
the customs service, Senator Myers has
discovered a provision requiring that
this post be filled by promotion from
the service under civil service exami
nation, which precludes the possibility
of Hartman'« appointment. In view
of this situation the delegation will
recommend Mr. Hartman for some
other position in the diplomatic ser
vice to which he is eligible, but just
what this will be has not {been deter
mined.
Would Prevent Floods
Chicago , March 29.— Plan9 for a
comprehensive drainage system for
the country, which would prevent
floods and make impossible recur
rence of the recent disaster in Ohio
aDd Indiana, will be considered at
the national drainage congress at St.
Louis, April 10.
la a telegram received here today by
Edmund T. Perkins, chairman of the
executive committee of the organi
zation, President Wilson expressed
regret at his inability to attend
the meeting in St. Louis, and added:
"The calamities inOhio and Indiana
make clearer than ever before the Im
perative and immediate necessity for a
comprehensive and systematic plan
for drainage and flood control. I
very earnestly hope that your feder
ation may take a long step forward
i in this direction."
tired vacationer and rejuvenate the invalid
with HOPE."
"Here, on the Roof of the Continent;
VIRTUE, INNOCENCE, LOVE, HONOR
and SYMPATHY are emphasized by the
NOBILITY of nature's own creation.'!
_ "Marvelous RADIANCE of changing
light effects from snow-clad mountains
gives its 250 lakes turquoise and emerald
ues."
All the rest of the beautiful words in
the English language could be used and
still the word picture would not be ade
quate, artists say._ Some of the best
landscape painters in the country declare
it is_impossible even to do justice to the
scenic beauty of Uncle Sam's new park.
Many have tried with the brush but the
ever-changing hues from light effects are
not to be reproduced in the Rocky
Mountain fastnesses of Northwestern
Montana.
FLOODED TOWNS RECOVER
Careful Investigation Reduces Death
List to Five Hundred
Dayton , O., March 29 —The work
of réhabilitation began here today as
the work of rescue approached its
end. Secretary of War Garrison
conferred with various official* and
heads of committees, ti l^gruphed
President Wilson that the death list
would not react) 500, aud otherwise
epitomized the situation, aou depart
ed for Cincinnati.
With warmer weather the greatest,
problem was the removal of dead
horses. Every available automobile
truck aud all horse drawn drays were
impressed into service by the sanitary
officials, and hundreds of men were
engaged all day removing the car
casses to the different incinerating
plants, and to vacant lots on the out
skirts of the city where they are being
burned.
As the waters receded from Dayton,
Columbus aad other places, leaving a
thick coating of mud, alarm was
caused by a rapid rise of the Oaio
and Mississippi rivers, inundrating
parts of cities along their banks.
There is not much danger vi loss of
life in these places, however, as the
Inhabitants have hills to flee to and
are used to floods.
Agree on Tariff Revision.
Washington , March 29.— Tariff re
vision, including a graduated income
tax plan, was completed last night
by the democratic majority of the
bouse ways and means committe.
The plan as finally passed upon
is understood to provide for rais
ing the income tax revenue on a
graduated scale, exempting Incomes
under $4,000, beginning with a 1 per
cent tax on incomes of $4,000, and run
ning as high as 4 per cent on incomes
of $100,000 and upwards.
It was said that the plan retains the
provisions for free raw sugar and
free raw cotton and the 15 per cent tax
on raw wool. A fight Is expected in
both bouses for a change to .free raw
wool.
Virginia Outlaws Executed
Richmond , Va., March 28.— Floyd
Allen, leader of the Carroll county
outlaws, who shot Judge Thornton
Massle, while he sat on the bench of
the Hills ville court house and his son
Claude, were executed here today in
the electric chair. The elder Allen,
who had hoped for a reprieve up to
the la^t moment, was badly shaken by
a delav of six hours in carrying out
the seutence.
Fine Book and Job Printing a spo
ciaitv at the River P ress oölce.
PIERP0NT MORGAN DEAD
Noted American Financier Passes
Away After Brief lllneu.
New York , March 31.—J. Pier pool
Morgan is dead. This was the an
nouncement made by the offioers of J.
Pierpont Morgan & Co today. The
Morgan offices at the corner of BroaA
and Wall streets were closed thte
morning. On the front doors was
posted this notice:
"J. P. Morgan dledlat Rome, Italy«
at 12.05."
Coincident with Mr. Morgan's death
it became known that he had suffered
a serious attack before his departure
for Europe, but rallied so rapidly that
it was not considered a forerunner to
fatal illuess and was known only to
his most Intimate friends.
John Pierpont Morgan began his
business career half a century ago on
the board of directors of a large mer*
cantile insurance company. The sob
riquet of "sphinx of Wall street"
was the appellation applied to the
man who at firttïwas believed to have
been without business acumen, but
later became the supreme head of
American finances. Morgan's control
over men and monev was the domU
nant keynote of his life. Others, per*
haps, were wealthier than Morgan,
but he commanded his wealth and
that of others. At the height of his
power, he Is said to have controlled
$9,000,000,000.
Big Earnings of Great Northern
St. Paul , March 31.—That the
Great Northern will bseak all its
previous records for gross earnings
this fiscal year was conceded some
months ago. The best official eati
mates today plaoed tha excess of
gross earnings for the twelve month«
ending June 30 next over the preced
ing at 110,000,000.
In the eight months ending February
28, gross earnings were a little over
18,500,000 better than previous years,
leaving the other $1,500,000 of gain to
be made up in the last four months of
the year, an average monthly income
of about $380,000.
FEAR RECORD FLOOD.
Residents of Lower River Towna
Seek Places of Safety.
Cincinnatti , March 30.-Wlth near
ly 15,000 persons in thejtowns on the
Kentucky side of the Oaio river driven
from their homes by the rising tide
sweeping down the Ohio valley, and
with more than 3,500 homes altogether
or partly submerged, tha flood situa
tion in this vicinity Is assuming grav
er proportions hourly. Here the
water front buildings are all partly
under water and much damage has
been done.
In the Kentucky towns of Dayton,
Ludlow, Bellevue and Bromley identi
cal conditions exist, but In their cases
all communication with Cincinnati,
Newport and Covington ha9 been sus
pended.
Cairo , 111., March 30.—Tralnloads
of provisions left Cairo today fol
lowing the receipt of news that tne
Ohio river was expected to reach a
higher stage than in the disastrous
flood of last spring. The Cairo exe
cutive flood committee tonight sent an
appeal to President Wilson asking for
aid for Cairo and towns nearby. The
message In substance is as follows:
"The worst flood ever known in the
Ohio valley and the Mississippi is
now expected. All previous high re
cords from Cairo south may be broken
in a few days. We are making every
effort in our power to take care of the
local situation, but the river commit
tees near lus should have assistance.
Boats, sacks, food and other supplies
are needed. May we have the help of
your office for this district?"
Favors Woman Suffrage.
Madison , March 29.— In response
to a telegram sent by Richard Lloyd
Jones asking that he wire Governor
McGovern his position on woman auf«
frage, Theodore Roosevelt telegraphed
the governor today as follows:
"I earnestly hope that all progrès*
sives in the Wisconsin legislature will
support the suffrage amendment.
We In America should lead the way In
this movement. We don't have to
point to what has been done abroad.
"The Pacific coast and Rocky moun
tain states have tried the experiment
and It has worked admirably. There
is no difference between the work of
the best women and the best men and
It seems to me sheer nonsense when
both are doing the highest kind of
work for good citizenship, that the
artificial line of sex should be drawn,
as regards one form and only one
form of that work, the exercise of the
right of suffrage."