The True Story of Our National Calamity of Flood, Fire and Tornado | Page 8

Cash Register
Company boats were being turned out at the rate of ten an hour, and
these were rushed to where the waters had crossed Main Street in a sort
of gully.
But the waters crept up and the strength of the current was far too
strong for the crude punts, though they were the best that could be
made in a hurry.
Trip after trip was made and hundreds of the refugees were taken from
this stretch of houses.
JOHN H. PATTERSON, CASH REGISTER HEAD, LEADS RELIEF
Although John H. Patterson, president of the National Cash Register
Company of Dayton, which employs more than 7,100 persons, is nearly
sixty-nine years old, and has led a life of unusual activity, he was out in
a rowboat tugging at the oars and personally helping in the work of
rescue. His two children, Frederick and Miss Dorothy, both in their
early twenties, likewise were so engaged.
When despatches came from Dayton late at night saying "the only
organized relief movement is that which is being conducted by the
National Cash Register Company," those who knew the fighting

characteristics of the head of the big corporation were not surprised to
receive the additional information that Mr. Patterson as usual was
conducting the business of rescue and relief in person.
The Dayton despatches in relating that young Frederick Patterson "is
leading rescue parties" and that Miss Dorothy, "dressed in old clothes
and her hair streaming with water, stood in the rain for hours receiving
refugees," gave a notion that the children are one with the sire.
EMPLOYEES ASSIST IN RELIEF
The Cash Register plant is outside the flood zone. As soon as the
waters rushed upon the city John Henry Patterson turned his entire
force into a relief organization. Every wheel was stopped in the Cash
Register plant early on Tuesday morning and the employees were set to
work by Mr. Patterson to help the sufferers.
Mr. Patterson bought up all the available food and had it carted to his
plant to feed the homeless. Straw was quickly strewn on the factory
floors, thus affording dry sleeping places for more than one thousand at
night. Every employee of the corporation capable of working on boats
was put to work at boat building.
Mr. Patterson is said to have made a promise long ago to his wife, who
was Katherine Beck, a school teacher of Brookline, Mass., when she
was dying, that he would give special care to the comfort and welfare
of his women and girl employees. The dining rooms in the big plant,
the rest and recreation rooms and other architectural comforts provided
for the women employees as a result of this promise came in very well
in the rescue work. The dining rooms and the rest and recreation rooms
all were used as eating halls in helping the sufferers.
While Mr. Patterson was out pulling at the oars of one of his boats
thirty-one of his company's automobiles were meeting the craft to hurry
the refugees to the Cash Register plant and to dry clothing, food and
beds.
Mr. Patterson sent out an appeal for immediate food supplies and for

doctors and medicine. By night three thousand homeless were housed
in improvised quarters in the Cash Register offices.
GIRL IN MAN'S CLOTHING
"What is your name?" asked the registrars who received the refugees at
the National Cash Register plant of a slender young person in men's
clothes.
"Nora Thuma," was the reply.
"Nora?" they asked.
"Yes, I'm a girl," was the answer.
She had put on a man's suit in order to cross the perilous span of wires
unhampered by skirts.
She came in with Ralph Myers, his wife and their little baby. Myers
had climbed a telephone wire pole first. He let down a rope to his wife,
who tied to it a meal sack which contained their baby, three months
old.
Myers pulled the rope with its precious burden up and then let it down
again to aid his wife to ascend from her perilous position.
With the meal sack over his shoulder and his wife holding on to the two
wires he walked along the cable a full block before he reached safety.
[Illustration: Copyright by Underwood & Underwood. A typical scene
on the outskirts of Dayton. Here scores of houses were completely
washed from their foundations and many of the inhabitants were
drowned]
[Illustration: Copyright by the International News Service. A view
taken at Ludlow and Second Streets, Dayton, after the water had
receded, showing one phase of the devastation resulting from the flood]
SCENES OF HORROR

Scenes of indescribable horror were reported by the rescuers under
Brigadier-General George H. Wood. Among those who perished were
said to have been ten members of the Ohio National Guard who were
guarding a