Flood March 1913 flood 29-35

7/30/2019 Flood March 1913 flood 29-35

1/7

FloodMarch 913 Page 8

Two violatorc drummed out of city

Martialaw uledHamilton77 people faced a military court martialMartial law descendedon Hamilton in the

aftermath of the March 1913 flood and someresidents felt ttre military's wrath. At least two menwere "drummed out of town" in military fashion inApril asthe city struggledto recover.Mayor Thad Straub and other city leadersmet Tuesday afternoon, March 25, as the GreatMiami River spilled into High Sreet and smashedbridges. They saw the situation worsening andagreed that martial law and military enforcementwould be needed o keep order and speed ecovery.Communications washed out by the floodpreventeddirect contactwith Gov. JamesM. Cox inColumbus. Eventually, the Hamilton aid requestreached the governor via the office of Mayor HenryT. Hunt of Cincinnati, a fellow Democrat.Martial law went into effect Saturdaymorning, March 29, as the water receded. ColonelC. X. Zimmerman took command in Hamilton,starting with four companies of Ohio infantry, orabout300 men paid $2 a day for their services.Martial law meant that civilians weregoverned by the military which, in this case,was the

Ohio militia. Civil government, including courts,was suspended.Colonel Zimmerman, of Cleveland, ruledHamilton from Room 205 of the RentschlerBuildingat the southeast ornerof Secondand High streets.His men patrolled Hamilton sfreets,guardingagainst looters, chasing sightseersand enforcing acity-wide curfew between7 p.m.and 6 a.m.

At first, most Hamilton police were excusedfrom duty becauseof personal osses and damages.Eventually, they joined the militia in maintainingorder. Police patolled the city from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.while soldiershandled he overnighthours.Military edicts also ordered he closing of allHamilton saloons (until April 18); prohibited pricegauging; urged that candles be abandoned n andeffort to prevent fires; and requested hat water beboiled before being used.Most violators were reprimanded, but 71people faced a court martial. All were found guiltyby army offrcers and dispatched to the CincinnatiWorkhouse or termsup to 90 days.In a case with unusual punishment, twoHamilton men pleadedguilty to stealing wo casesofham earmarked or "the homelessand hungry floodsufferers,"a newspaperexplained. One of the menhad been a city hurnane officer for more than l0years. The other was a molder in a Hamiltonfactory. Also wanted in the same ncident was a manwho had been a doorkeeper during the previoussessionof the Ohio GeneralAssembly.Both men were sentenced o 60 days in theCincinnati Workhouse, but Colonel Zimmermansuspendedheir terms on the condition that the menstay out of Hamilton for at least 60 days. Part oftheir punishmentwas that they be "drummed out" ofthe city. ["To be drummed out," says Brewer'sDictionary of Phrase and Fable, is "to be expelledignominiously, as a soldier n disgracewas dismissed. . . to the accompanimentof drum beats."]In the Hamilton punishment n April 1913, acaptain commanded 16 cavalrymen who surroundedolonelC..Zimmerman


2/7


Undermartialaw ,passesssued y heOhiomilitia ere equiredorpersonsravelingin Hamiltonetween p.m. nd6 a.m. nd n some reas t alltimes.Thispasswas ssuedto FredM. Hammerleor useApril15between p.m.andmidnight.

the harn thieves. Another soldier walked behind theprocessiorqbeatinga drum.As about a thousand people watched, thesoldiers escorted the errant civilians east on HighStreet as far as Poorhouse Hill (the hill east ofGarfreld Jr. High School). They were left there,outside he city limits, on their own to find food andshelter in an area where most farmers already hadtaken in relatives, friends and others from thefloodedcity.In a separatematter, a laborer was sentencedto 30 days in jail for buying liquor, also a violationof martial law.Men who didn't help with the cleanup andrecoveryalso weretargetedby the militia."Lazy men who refuse to work will behorsewhippedon the public squareand sentencedodo time on the streets." Zimmerman announced."The authorities all over town are looking for thisclassof men."The colonel responded after soldierspatrolling Hamilton reported some men, although

supplied with food and shelter for their famil ies,"refused o do their share n cleaning up the city andremove the debris,despitewagespaid by the city."Later, Zimmerman yielded cornmand ofHamilton to Colonel L. W. Howard of Toledo and anew contingent of troops, who eventually returnedthe city to the control of electedofficials.Property swept away and deposited n ruralareasalso createda problem. Sheriff Harry Metcalfaddressedhe situation n an order issuedApril 15.

"Al1 persons whose lands may haveaccumulated property that has drifted there," thesheriff sard,"are hereby notified that such propertycannot be claimed by such persons, but must berelinquished to anyone properly identifring suchproperty as belonging o thern as he owners.""According to law," the order continued,"the only thing that can be retained by landowners insuchcasess the soil that has drifted and lodsed onthe and belonging o them."

ColonelL. W Howard


3/7


Looking ortheast t ntersectionf N. Seventh ndHeaton treets ndGreenwoodvenueHealthmeasures,imedat preventing pidemic,orderedby Ohiomilitia"Preventing the development of epidemicswhich generally follow in the wdke of floods" wasthe purpose of health measuresurged by the Ohiomilitia that controlled Hamilton under martial law."Boil all water" was the first order. "Owingto recent floods, all waters, either well, cistern orhydrant, arc apt to carry typhoid fever," said GeneralOrder No. 3, issuedMarch 30. "Boiling water for 20minutes before using will protect against thisdisease."Other sanitary actions suggestedby ColonelC. X. Zilrlrrrennan were:"All deposits of mud must be removed bythe householders rom houses, outbuildings, yardsand sidewalks and placed in the streetswhere it willbe collectedby city wagons.

"Wash interior of houses horoughly as soonaswater supply s available."Lime should be sprinkled about the housewherever the flood has been. The lime may be

applied in the form of whitewash for painting theinterior of houses.

"Lime must be generouslysprinkledover theentire flooded area ncluding all yards, etc. The citywill furnish the lime and will have a supplydistributed about the city where it may be obtained.

"sanitary privies should be used where noindoor sanitary conveniences or water supply isavailable. Theseprivies are or temporaryuse only.

"Pits four feet deep, four feet long and twofeet wide are to be dug. Box seats may beconveniently made from old lumber or boxes.

"Contentsof pits should be coveredby earthimmediately after eachusing."Privies may be used by adjacent familiesnot to exceeda total of 12persons."Old prily vaults that have been flooded oruncovered must at once have placed in them asolution of chloride of lime (bleaching powder),threepoundswell stirred n two pails of water."Garbagemust not be allowed to litter theground, but should be collected in coveredreceptaclesand carted away or burned in gtates orranges."Instructions of sanitary corps who willmake daily inspections must be immediately

complied with," the order concluded.


4/7


Johi F. Neilanemergencymayorof First WardWestSide solatedby flood"The First Ward was hard hit, A Streetbeingpractically wiped off the map of the city," said the

Republican-News n reporting the flood's impact onHamilton's West Side. "The water went to a pointbetween C and D sfreets . . and much valuableproperty was damaged,destroyedand floated away,"the report continued.In April, City Engineer F E. Weavercalculated hepeakwater evel at 35 feet eight inchesat the intersectionof Main andB sfreets.Property loss among 15,000 Hamiltoniansresiding west of the river was listed as 26 homeswashed away,53 wrecked, 73 heavily damagedand38 with slight damage a total of 190 residences.

With bridgesclosed by 11 a.m. Tuesdayandall phone and telegraph links severed a few hourslater, uncertainty was part of the suffering in{lictedby the flood.Family members were separated notknowing who was dead or alive for days.

Wednesday, with the river falling, peoplelined both banks with home-made signs, each withmessagesor family and friends on the other side.At the same ime, West Siders beganhelpingeach other with food, clothing, bedding, medicine,coal, oil and other necessities.Seventy-seveneopleattended a residents meeting at the First ReformedChurch at the southeastcomer of Ross Avenue andSouthD Steet.

John F. Neilan, then city solicitor, waselected emergencymayor of the First Ward, a posthe held until April 18. His job was to coordinaterelief and cleanup until normal municipal operationscould resume. Later, a West Side "city hall" wassetup at the northeast corner of Main and D streets.Fourteenmen were named to a police force,including nine regular members of the Hamiltondeparrnent solatedon the West Side.For several days, the only connection to theoutside world was westward over the nacks of the

Broken avementndsmashed uildings reevidentn thisphotoof SouthB Streetsouth f MainStreet n Hamilton's estSide.


5/7

FloodMarch 913 Page 2Cincinnati, Hamilton & lndianapolis Railroad. Itwas a lifeline as communities west and norttrwest ofHamilton used t to provide relief.Safe water was in limited supply until theMason Brewery on South C Street, near Millikin,supplied empty beer banels. They were filled withwater from uncontaminatedsourcesand mounted onstandsalong Main Sffeet, where residents could drawwater for cooking, drinking and other householduses. Donated food was distributed from the FirstReformed Church. The four-year-old LincolnElementary School, Gray Avenue andNorth F Sfreet,was a supply center and a shelter for the homeless.Jackson School on Park Avenue was a temporaryhospital.

As bodies were recovered, a shortage ofcasketsdeveloped. Appeals were sent by telegraphand adequate supplies were received fromRichmond,Ind., andIndianapolis.It wasn't until Monday, six days after theflood begaq that relief leaders on both sidesof theriver were able to communicate on a limited scaleandcoordinate their recovery efforts.By April, the sepmatedcity was linked againby a narrow pontoon bridge. Cable for the spanwasdonated and hauled to Hamilton by the flood reliefcommittee in fuchmond, lnd. The walkway -- aboutthree feet wide -- connected Dayton Sfteet on theeastside and Park Avenue on the west bank.More rain and a rushing river caused itsperiodic closing. Finally, part of the pontoon bridgewas swept away when it was hit by driftwood.Thursday, ApiI 24 * a day less than amonth after the flood hit - the J. K. Cullen, a ferry',was aunchedon theriver,The barge was named in honor of JamesK.Cullen, chairman of the Citizens' Relief Committee.The ferry reopened taffic across the river, but notwithout some controversy.

County Commissioner Frank Kinch -- overthe objections of his two colleagues-- directed theproject. Because he county was, and is, responsiblefor bridges, he believed the ferry was an obligationof the commission. The other two commissionersmgued that the city should direct and pay for theanergency ferry.Kinch obtained the materials in Cincinnatiand supervised ts construction at the end of BuckeyeSfreeton the eastside of the river.

TheHamiltonerrywasnamedn honor fJamesK.Cullen,eft, hairmanof heHamilton itizensReliefCommittee

The Cullen - guidedacross he river by acable - relied on the current for power. But thecurrentwasoften too weakto propelthe ferry andamotorwasadded.The Cullen was the main east-westink forabout four months. Later, it was usedby crewsconstructing newHigh-MainStreetBridge.Jrure 2l; I9I4 becauseof "a leak,neglected umpingandoverweight" - theferry sankin 10 feet of waternear the Soldiers.SailorsandPioneersMonument.Doorsbecame edsas amilymovedo attic

"I was early in my sixth year of life. Somefrst impressions in one's early childhood are thelasting ones and are indelible in one's memory,"recalledBill Thompson n his March 1959 column inThe Log, a ChampionPapersemployeepublication.

"The Thompson clan lin 1913] was living atthe corner of Black and North Second streets fromwhich vantage point we could see the suspensionbridge that natives of the time bragged would neverbe washed away by floods. We saw it washed awayby the surging current ," Thompson said."'Wesawhouses and sheds loating down theriver. Neighboring houseswere broken away as thewater kept coming with added depth and speed," hesaid.

"As the water began seeping through oursecond floor, we moved to the attic, using doorsacross he raftersfor beds. The powers that be had afloating house ean againstours,breaking the current.Folks from that dwelling and another broke throughtheir roofs and climbed through a hole made in ourroof. There were about 35 praying souls in the sameattic by crest time. That crest found the water halfway up to the secondstorywindows."


6/7


Bothsidesof Hamilton ereconnected gainby a narrow ontoon ridge ora fewweeks.Pedestrianrafficwasheavywhen he opphotowas aken.Below s heJ. K.Cullen,a barge onvertedo a ferry,which eplacedhepontoon ridge.


7/7


Firecapped loodat ChampionA double blow struck the Champion paper

mill when the flood was followed by a fre, causingdevastation that closed the North B Steet plant forseveralweeks.Water began rushing into Champion at about9 a.m.Tuesday,quickly submerging he boiler room.As in the March 1898 flood, employeesrushed toremove belts from machinery and placethem abovethe water'sprobablepath.Emma Cook was one of many ChamPionswhosededication o their obs placed hem in peril asthe water rose. After other workers had left, Cookremained in the sample departrnentuntil she couldput her instruments and sampleswhere she believedthey would be safe rom the rising water.Finally, her boss, William Schenk, nsistedthat she eave becausewater was coming in the backof the plant. Shefound the usual route out the NorthB Street door impassable. Instead, she had to gothrough the mill and up the hill to the west.Days later, she returned to the sample roomto find her samples desfioyed and many of herinstrumentshad floated away.Elsewhere,employeeshoisted paper off thefloor until after 2 p.m. when the water reachedshoulder evel.Leaving the milt was a challenge for the last15 to 20 employeesbecause he water was deep andswift. The last man in one part of the mill escapedthrough a skylight to the roof and then umped to thehillside west of the plant.Ten men were strandedon the east side ofNorth B Street without access to the safe, highground along North D Street. Alfred Anderson wasin that goup. His bosswas Homer Ferguson."When the water started o rise, orderscamefor everyone o get to safety,but Mr. Fergusonhatedto see all that good paper in the shipping room beingspoiled by the flood waters, and he askedus all tostay and move all the paper that we could upstairs,"Andersonrecalled. "We worked as ong as possible,but the water was getting too high, and was too fullof logs washed rom the woodpile for safecrossing.""By 6 in the evening, he water was 15 feethigh on B Street. To get across he street o No. 1rnill from wherewe could reachsafety,we had to laya board across hree electric cables - which were by

then without electricity -- andby sitting on the board,pulled ourselves across the cables," Andersonexplained. "Homer Ferguson, the head of thedepartrnent,refused to cross the cables until the lastof his men was safelyover."During their perilous escape, le board andadditional ropes were placed across the cables,enabling the 10 men, one at a time, to be pulledacrossthe raging water to the roof on the west sideof the sfieet - and then to safety on the hillside.Shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday,March26,fire hit the flooded mill, destroying everything abovethe water line. The loss was $1.7 million. That fnereplaced he Dec. 22, 1901,Champion conflagtationas Hamilton's costliest fre, but it could have beenworse. Disruptions causedby the flood complicatedthe job of the Hamilton fre deparfrnent. Only onevehicle could reach Champion and it was a hosewagon, not a pumper. Eventually, a pumper wasbrought by nain from the Oxford.Meanwhile, several mill employees joinedthe undermanned group fighting the Championblaze. One was Chmlie Soule,one of the 10 originalemployeesn 1894.Soule responded when a hose connection,which was below the surface of the flood waters,broke loose. Twice he dove about 12 feet to thebottom, but to no avail. On a third bry, Souleplunged into the icy, muddy water and mended thebroken line. That repair enabled firefighters tocontrol the flames and save he mill from ruin.After the water receded, more than 1,000Champion employees began a massive cleanup,removing mud and debris and salvaging machineryandpaper to make way for anotherrebuilding'

Workers responded o calls from as far asRoss (Venice) to collect rolls of paper that hadfloated down the river. Waterloggedrolls of paperand machinery were recovered and hauled back tothe mill for nearly two weeks.The Republican-News, in a special floodedition, said "the greatest sufferer in the MiamiValley from the March flood was the ChampionCoated Paper Company of Hamilton." But withinthree months, the entire mill was back in fulloperatron.

Flood March 1913 flood 29-35

Documents

Transcript of Flood March 1913 flood 29-35