CONTENTS

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
STORY OF TORNADO AND FLOOD
Easter Sunday of 1913 tragic day in history of calamities—Tornado starts in Mexico—Ends in record breaking floods in Middle States —Nation great in power to help—Military and naval forces as life savers

CHAPTER I
SWEEP OF THE DISASTER
Nature shows men are pigmies—Effects of butchering forests—Gates of Heaven opened—What nation must do

CHAPTER II
HOW TORNADOES ARE CAUSED
Sun spots affect temperature and set air currents to battle with one another

CHAPTER III
GOVERNOR COX TAKES CHARGE
Ohio executive quick to aid suffering thousands—National government sends tents and rations.

CHAPTER IV
STORY OF AN EYEWITNESS
Press correspondent’s experience at Columbus—From skyscraper window watched levee melt away—Five story buildings toppled into flood.

CHAPTER V
NIGHTS OF HORROR AT PERU, IND.
Thousands marooned on two small islands—Brave deeds of rescuers— Boatman shot for charging to rescue

CHAPTER VI
NATION CALLED TO ACT
People demand wireless system for inland cities—President takes up problem—Great corporations oppose government ownership even when life is to be saved.

CHAPTER VII
PENETRATING FLOOD DISTRICT
Story of first relief party by experienced newspaper photographer— Heroism of two sailors—Glimpse of Ohio situation

CHAPTER VIII
STRANGE STORIES OF DEATH
College boys and girls see destruction of homes—Youthful students risk lives to save—Three girls tell of flood experience

CHAPTER IX
WHOLE NATION AIDS SUFFERERS
Foods, clothing and medicine poured into Ohio—Sweeping away of bridges hampers relief expeditions—Governor Cox reviews situation at end of flood week

CHAPTER X
CITY OF DEAD AND DYING HOMELESS
Main levee of Big Miami river breaking, lets flood in upon Ohio City——Bell, lone operator in telephone building, informs outside world—His good-bye——Troops and sailors take charge

CHAPTER XI
STORY OF THE MEANEST MAN— "I WANT THAT BOAT"
Pageant of horror seen from river banks—More about heroism of college boys—A Paul Revere.

CHAPTER XII
TIFFIN HONORS "SAILOR JACK"
Flood in Ohio city reveals powers of obscure worker—Telegraph and phone wires become patches for rescuers—Navy men's work

CHAPTER XIII
CHILDREN BORN IN FLOOD
Incidents without number tell tale of wonder—Infant saved in pillow case—Making a boat every six minutes in cash register factory

CHAPTER XIV
RELIEF PARTIES SEE STRANGE SIGHTS
Federal officials take charge of sanitary relief—Girl stenographer saved by a horse—Exciting trip of lone rescuer,

CHAPTER XV
HUMAN SIDE OF THE DISASTER
Strange escapes and incidents—A novel rescue car—Fight with drowning ratS—"Save them or die."

CHAPTER XVI
EXCITING INDIVIDUAL ESCAPES
Rescuing children from orphans’ home—Saves former enemy—"Run for your lives"—Prisoners in light plant—Evansville, Ind., inhabitants in danger

CHAPTER XVII
HUMAN LIVES SNUFFED OUT BY WATERS
Explosion sends burning hay floating in midst of houses, a flaring torch of destruction—Rescuer is lost—One ray of gladness, "Jim is safe."

CHAPTER XVIII
OMAHA’S TERRIBLE NIGHT
Description of a great city in the path of the awful forces of destruction—Humanity returned to life of destitution in a twinkling of an eye—Rich and poor on equality in bitter cold of wind-swept hills

CHAPTER XIX
TRAGIC DAYS AFTER TORNADO
Relief and sight seeing amid ruins of great city—Soldiers on guard—Story of Pete, the canary

CHAPTER XX
HEROISM OF TELEPHONE GIRLS
Feminine nature responds to call of duty—Not even daunted by Omaha tornado—Exchange a hospital and military headquarters

CHAPTER XXI
HOW TO PREVENT FLOODS
President and Congress at odds on question—National vs. State control of streams—National drainage congress at work

CHAPTER XXII
DIPPED FROM THE FLOOD
Stories told on banks of the rivers, on floating rafts and struggling boats, from lips of life savers and spectators—Narratives that will live long in American annals

CHAPTER XXIII
TWIN INFANTS’ MIRACULOUS ESCAPE
House dashed to pieces—$1,000 sealskin coat sent to sufferers by mistake—Millionaire in bread line

CHAPTER XXIV
FLOODS ON OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI
Waters from north fill great rivers—Naval reserves and national guardsmen hasten to rescue—Earthquakes are felt—Nature on a rampage

CHAPTER XXV
MILITARY ACADEMY BOYS TO THE RESCUE
Young sailors and soldiers from Culver school on Lake Maxinkuckee hasten to flood districts—Great trip of Warsaw Boat Club over fields and fences—Girls found in tree tops—Real adventures surpass fiction

CHAPTER XXVI
NATION SPRINGS TO RELIEF
Soldiers called to fight waters—Secretary of War enters flood zone— Dead animals litter streets

CHAPTER XXVII
OTHER GREAT FLOODS
Stories of Johnstown and Galveston—Two cities wiped out by great walls of water

CHAPTER XXVIII
"CENTRAL"—JUST A GIRL, BUT THE REAL NEW HEROINE OF MODERN LIFE
The great Ohio flood uncovers an undiscovered force for bravery and teaches us how valuable our "hello-girls" are.

CHAPTER XXIX
FIGHTING ON THE LEVEES
Ohio river towns aided by soldiers struggle to keep stream within banks—Thousands of homes submerged—People live in woods—Business suspended—Railroads tied up

CHAPTER XXX
HISTORY OF CITIES
Ohio communities engulfed are among oldest in northwest territory

CHAPTER XXXI
DRIFTWOOD TALES
Days and nights with thousands marooned in midst of waters—Horses in national bank—Girl rescues twenty-seven—Drowned man "comes to life."

Bishop Greer’s Prayer for Flooded Cities Tragic Story of America’s Greatest Disaster


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