Our City Bowed in Grief Appalling Loss of Human Life, and Great Destruction of Property, Thousands Are Homeless City Under Martial Law...Communication Cut Off with Outside world...Relief Station Established at the Y. M. C. A. ed down, broken with grief. We have been visited by the greatest calamity in our history. The loss of life that has been suffered from the flood cannot be estimated now. It is sufficient now to tell that relief measures are being taken. The Business Men's Association, the Y. M. C. A. and citi- zens generally are co-operating with the city and military authorities to bring order out of chaos to rescue those confined in houses still standing in the flooded sections to house and feed the homeless. The city is practically under martial law, Company C and Company A, of Covington are here and patroling the city under the the direction of the city authorities. Last night, we regret to say, there was a beginning of looting and plundering in the south part of the city. Rigorous measures will be taken by the military and the police to repress and prevent such in the future. Piqua still is cut off from communication from the outside world. All the telegraph and telephone wires are down. Bridges and tracks are down on both railroads and no trains are running. The only outside communication possible has been by using a Pennsylvania freight en- gine to Bradfoad from which point it has been possible to use the telegraph. |
All the traction lines still are crippled and unable to run their cars in or out of the city. How soon it may be possible to re-open these lines of communication it is impossible to say. While greatly crippled the local telephone service has been maintained by both exchang- es. The operators have done heroic work day and night ever since the first danger began to threaten. No mail has been received or sent out of Piqua since Monday. Local deliveries, of course, are impossible. North and south the C. H. & D. R. R. is crippled. From Sidney to Dayton the washout is practically complete. The Pennsylvania R. R. bridge was wash- ed out at the east end, and there is no com- munication across the river. It is understood that much track has been washed out. A line is open to Bradford and westward. The Y. M. C. A., the Spring street, Favorite Hill Schools, the Presbyterian, Christian, Church of Christ, Grace M. E., St. Marys school hall, and countless homes have been opened freely to the flood sufferers. The Y. M. C. A. has been the center of the relief administration and from which all direc- tions have been issued and to which the suffer- ers have come. Provisions can and are being brought from Fletcher and other places east to the suf- fers who have reached the hills on the east of the river. This morning Mayor Kiser placed the fire department at work freeing the most necessary places from water. The electric light plant was first pumped out. Last night the city was in darkness except for gas, oil lamps, and candles. The hospital was found needing lit- tle attention. The damage to property is beyond calcu- lation. Over 200 houses at least have been washed away and destroyed. Shawnee is prac- ticaly wiped out. |