e 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]

The thing that made the situation most difficult for concerted rescue
work was the peculiar geographical situation of the town. It is divided
into six sections: central Dayton, comprising the down-town business
district; West Dayton, the territory extending several miles west of the
big Miami; Riverdale, the northeast, across the river from the central
district; Dayton View, the extreme northeast; Southern Dayton, the
manufacturing district in which the National Cash Register Company's
plant is located and separated from the central district by lowlands
which were deep in flood water, and North Dayton, northwest of