re, want and fear. One of the rescue party who made
the trip in the first boat that entered the city said:

"The cry to be saved from those who saw the first boat was heartrending.
Some of them threatened to jump into the water if we did not take them
aboard. But it was impossible with the scant boat supply to take all
away at once."

THOUSANDS MAROONED

Relief parties from South Bend were the first to arrive on the scene.
They found hundreds of people huddled together in the court house
square, which was three miles from the nearest dry land; hundreds more
were marooned in the upper stories of buildings already rendered unsafe
by the high water. There was no heat, no light, no water, and sanitary
conditions were horrible. The only motor boat had broken and it was too
dangerous to venture into the raging torrent in rowboats. This made it
impossible for the South Bend relief volunteers to get blankets and food
to the sufferers.

TALES OF STRUGGLE

Death faced hundreds of persons who were clinging to the roofs of
buildings, where they sought refuge. Currents of muddy water from ten to
twenty-five feet deep were running through the main streets at twenty
miles an hour.

Harry Lumley, a despatcher, lay on a table all Wednesday in the Peru
station of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, which the water had
invaded, and kept open the line for relief trains.

Dr. W. A. Huff, a dentist, started to South Peru with an unknown man
Tuesday night. The boat capsized and Huff lodged in a tree, where he
remained until Wednesday morning. His condition was critical.

No effort was made to count the dead. "Our energies are being devoted
entirely to saving those still living," said Lieutenant-Governor
O'Neill. "It is impossible for us even to try to learn the whereabouts
of the bodies just now."

A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE

Citizens, finding lawlessness in every block of the city above water,
organized a vigilance committee with orders to shoot looters.

On Wednesday night several thousand persons were still marooned in the
court house, hospital, factory buildings and other structures because
the various relief parties sent from South Bend and other cities had not
sufficient boats to carry them to the nearest dry land. Snow was falling
heavily and the suffering was intense, because of the lack of heating
facilities. The city was in darkness, except for a scant supply of
lanterns.

FAMINE AND DISEASE

But the height of t