orning 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 little attention.
The damage to property is beyond calculation. Over 200 houses at least
have been washed away and destroyed. Shawnee is practically wiped out.
The above is a facsimile reproduction of the first page of _The Piqua
Daily Call_, issued the day after the city was inundated by the flood.
Ordinarily the Call is an eight-page newspaper, 17 x 20 inches in size.
This issue consisted of four pages 71/2 x 10 inches.
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MIAMISBURG CUT OFF
Miamisburg, a town of eight thousand, was cut off for days. When news
finally reached neighboring towns the death list was estimated at
twenty-five. Later estimates placed it at less. Only one body has been
recovered, but the property damage ran high.
MIAMI ON THE RAMPAGE AT MIDDLETOWN
As the result of the worst cloudburst known in twenty years the great
bridge over the Miami River, at Middletown, was carried out on March
25th. Fifteen persons were afterward missing and scores of houses could
be seen floating down the stream. The water and electric light plants
were out of commission.
Two hundred houses were under water, their former occupants finding
shelter in the school houses, churches and city buildings. The great
Miami River was a mile wide at this point.
The city was practically cut off from the outside world. Tracks of both
the Big Four and Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroads were under
water and no trains were running. The tracks of the Ohio Electric
Railway were washed out in many places. A portion of the state dam in
the Miami River, north of Middletown, was washed away.
Water from the river started the Maimi and Erie Canal on a rampage and
submerged half of Lakeside, a suburb. The families of Harold Gillespie
and Mrs. Mary Fisher were forced to flee from their homes in their night
clothes.
The casualty list could not be estimated with accuracy. It was believed
that from fifty to one hundred had been claimed by the waters.
About three o'clock the following morning the river began to fall
slowly, but the situation was still dangerous. Supplies were rapidly
running out, and a food famine was looked for. Misery
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