The day the dam broke - Questions

SUMMARY

The Columbus—Ohio, broken dam rumor began, about noon of 12^th March 1913, on High street. The author is not sure, as to how the rumor began. Perhaps, it began thus. Suddenly, somebody began to run. Maybe he was late for an appointment, to meet his wife for which he was very late. Whatever it was, he ran towards the east. Somebody else began to run, perhaps a newsboy in high spirits. He was followed b a portly (fat) gentleman of affairs, who walked at a trot. Inside of ten minutes, everybody High Street was running.

The fear of the broken dam was put into words. by a little old lady in an electric (an electric carriage), or a traffic cop, policeman) or by a small boy. Nobody knows who. All of a sudden, two thousand people were running towards the east and shouting, ‘Go east’.

The writer’s mother and grandfather also joined the crowd. The writer’s mother did not panic. She turned out all the fires and she took with her a dozen eggs and two loaves of bread, as she planned to take shelter in the Memorial Hall, two blocks away.

The writer’s grandfather was under a great misconception when he saw the crowd running. He thought that the city was under an attack by the Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Cavalry. So, he, with his sword in his hand, shouted at the enemy, Let the sons come’. So grandfather had to he stunned (unconscious) with the ironing board; The writer had to carry grandfather on his back, who was over six feet and weighed about a hundred and seventy pounds. Because of this, the writer’s family lagged behind. Grandfather regained consciousness at Parson’s Avenue and again he challenged the rebel dogs. But at last, when he realized that the darn had broken, he too joined the crowd.

Another episode to a bent Colonel, who at the time was drowsing in a chair – there was a parade at Fort Hayes. When the crowd was going past the fort, the crowd shouted, go east.’ The Lieut Colonel thought that he was ordered to go east, So. he, in turn, ordered his men to go east and he along with three hundred soldiers were running towards the east. A fat man stopped the officer and asked why he was running. He didn’t know why he was running, so he asked a little child, who informed that the dam had broken, go east. Thus roared the colonel, ‘go east’. He carried the exhausted child and was leading the crowd, with the soldiers following him.

The writer mentions a visitor, in an airplane. While flying over the city, he looked down on the road but was horrified to see a crowd running on the street. It was ‘very hard for him to know the reason why the people were running on the street. He was reminded of an incident of the Marie Celeste (a Ship), which was found in perfect order after being abandoned by its crew, who disappeared forever.

At the time of the dam scare, the writer’s aunt, Edith Taylor, was in a moving theatre. She could hear shouts and the sound of running feet. An old man said something and went towards the door, at a trot. This startled everybody. In no time the crowd, inside the theatre was rushing towards the exit. A woman shouted, “Fire”, who always expected to be burned up in a theatre. So, everyone inside the theatre got frightened and rushed out of the theatre.

Outside of people in panic were running towards the east. A woman, who was very tired, somehow managed to climb, a bronze statue of Sherman, Stanton, Grant, and Sheridan who was watching silently the going to pieces of the city.

A woman, in her late fifties, went past the writer’s aunt, so the writer’s aunt with some effort, came alongside her and asked, “What is it?” She looked at her and stepping up her speed replied, “Don’t ask me, ask God.”

When the writer’s aunt reached Grant Avenue, Dr. Mallory passed her and shouted, ‘It’s got us.” He mistook the swishing sound of the skates for the rushing Water. So, while running to save his life, he fell on his face. He kept lying and did not bother to get up, as he was sure that the flood water would sweep him away. Soon the boy on the skates rushed passed him and only then he realized, what he had been running from. He looked back, but there was no sign of any water. But after resting awhile, he started running again and caught up with the author’s aunt at Ohio Avenue, where both of them rested together. Hundreds of people passed them. Nobody went in his car, because all ears had

to be cranked, and no one took the risk to start his car.

The next day everyone went to his work as usual. Everyone was so ashamed that no one had the courage to talk, about the events of the previous day. Only after two years had passed that the people dared to talk about the breaking of the dam, jokingly. But people like Dr. Mallory, even after twenty years, would shut their mouths tightly, because they were terribly ashamed of their conduct on the 12^th of March, 1913.