heroic rescuers and their boats {march 23, 2024}

Day 3: The Great Dayton Flood

During the Dayton flood, John H. Patterson, president of the National Cash Register Company, converted his 10-story factory building to a relief station and a construction site for rescue boats. More than 10,000 men, women, and children were rescued by the boats.

David T. Chambers was 24 years old at the time of the Great Dayton Flood. A machinist at NCR, he and his wife Stella had three daughters, none older than 7. With so many people in peril, he left his family and headed out in the debris-choked waters in his long rowboat which held 16 people, more than what the NCR boats held. While Chambers was helping people by the North Main Street Bridge, a passing log hit his boat, he fell into the fast flowing water, and the current swept him away.

David Chambers is buried in historic Woodland Cemetery beneath a large pine tree. Behind his tombstone is a large, flat, polished memorial that Chambers’ granddaughters place there in 2008 to tell his story with old photos and written text. As you stand at the memorial, you are told to “look to your left, just past the fence to Chambers Street where it dead ends off Brown Street. It, too, is a permanent reminder of his legacy.”

Many more people would have perished if it weren't for everyday folks who transformed into heroic rescuers.

The text on David Chambers' memorial plaque:

David T. Chambers – A Dayton Hero

"In mid-March of 1913, powerful forces of nature converged on an area that covered over 100 miles in all directions of Dayton, Ohio. An average of nine inches of rain fell in the areas to the north, east, and west of Dayton over a three day period. The Great Miami River, the Stillwater River, Mad River, and Wolf Creek all merge in close proximity to downtown Dayton. Due to the spring thaw and previous rains, the ground in the surrounding territory was already saturated. The run off from the storm was equivalent to the amount of water it would take 28 days to flow over Niagara Falls. The earthen levies that protected Dayton were woefully inadequate to handle the torrents of water that hit the city on March 25, 1913. Add to that, the width of the river channel was more narrow as it exited the south end of Dayton than it was north of the city before the rivers merge. This caused the river to back up, applying extreme pressure on the levy system. At precisely 7 am, the river began to overflow its icy cold water onto Monument Street and the rest of the disaster is well documented. Hundreds of people were stranded, many had to climb to their rooftops to escape the water racing at over 25 miles per hour. There was no surviving for anyone caught in the water for any length of time. Cries for help came from every corner of the city; a panic set in over Dayton. There were many stories of heroism, where brave souls risked their own lives to save others  in peril. This memorial is dedicated to David T. Chambers, one of those heroes, who lost his own life while saving the lives of others.

David Chambers was 24 years old in the spring of 1913. David and his wife Stella had three daughters: Lorna Elizabeth, Mary Adeline, and Dorothy Ruth, the oldest being only seven years old. He was employed by the National Cash Register Company as a machinist. David owned a long rowboat and unlike the NCR boats used, it could hold up to 16 people. The reports of that fateful day are many. During the course of helping survivors, near the North Main Street Bridge, he was thrown from his boat when it was hit by a passing log and carried away to this death in the swift currents. David’s body was not recovered for five days. David and his boat rescued some 150 Daytonians from rooftops, trees, and levies, and carried supplies to the Riverdale area, where people were safe but had no provisions. Due to his death, David and Stella’s daughters had to be placed in an orphanage for many months until she was able to provide for them.

As you read this, look to your left, just past the fence, and you will see Chambers Street as it dead-ends from Brown Street, named for David Chambers, another permanent reminder of his legacy."