Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-06-07
WHAT OBSERVERS SAW.


Harry Fisher, a young telegraph opera
tor, who was at Bolivar when the first ruse
began, says 1--WE knew nothing of the
disaster until we noticed the river slowly
rising and then more rapidly. News then
reached us from Johnstown that the dam
at South Fork had burst. Within three
| hours the water in the river rose at least
| 20 feet Shortly before 9 o'clock ruins of
houses. beds, household utensils, barrels
and kegs came floating past the bridges.
| At \ o'clock the water was within six feet
of the road-bed of the bridge. The wreck
| age hoated past without stopping for at
least two hours. Then it began to lessen,
and, night coming suddenly upon us, we
could see no more. The wreckage was
floating by for long time before the first
living persons passed. Fifteen people that
saw were carried down by the river. One
of those, boy, was saved, and three of
them were drowned Just directly below
the town. 1t was an awful sight. Hun
dreds of animals lost their lives. The bod
les of horses, dogs and chickens tloated
past.
Early in the evening a woman with her
two children was seen to pass under the
bridge at Bolivar clinging to the roof of a
coal-house A rope was lowered TO her.
but she shook her head and refused to de
sert her children A little girl passed un-
der the bridge Just before dark. She was
kneeling on part of floor and had her
hands clasped as if in prayer Every eff
| fort was made to save her, but they all
proved futile.
Two men on a tiny raft shot into the
swiftest part of the current. They crouch
ed stolidly, looking at the shores, while be
tween them dressed in white and kneeling
with her face heavenward was girl six or
seven years old She seemed stricken with
paralysis until she came opposite the tower
and then she turned her face to the opera
tors. She was so close they could see big
tears on her cheeks and her deathly pallor.
The helpless men on shore shouted TO her
to keep up her courage, and she resumed
her devout attitude and disappeared under
the trees of a projecting point short dis
tance below 1--WE could not see her come
out again." said the operator, "and that
was all of it" ''Do you see that fringe of
trees y said the operator, pointing to the
place where the little girl had gone out of
sight. ''Well, we saw scores Of children
swept in there believe that when the
time comes they will find almost 100 bod
les of children in there among those bushes. y
All Friday night the crowds stood about
the ruins of the bridge, which had been
swept away at Bolivar. The water rushed
past with a roar, carrying with it parts OF
houses, furniture and trees. Watcher:
with lanterns remained along the banks un
til daybreak, when the first view of the
awful devastation of the flood was witness
ed. Along the bank lay the remnants ol
what had once been dwelling houses anC
stores, and here and there was an uproOteC
tree Piles of drift lay about, in which bod
les of the victims of the food were found
Rescuing parties were formed in all towns
along the railroad Houses have beer
thrown open to refugees and every pOssibl,
means is being used to protect the home
less A number of railway officials give
faint description of some of the scene
they witnessed. They had seen but small
portion of the awful flood, but enough t.
allow them to imagine the rest. Dow
through the pack saddle came the rushing
waters Clinging to improvised rafts, con
structed for the death battle from floating
boards and timbers, were agonized men
women and children, their heart -rendinl
shrieks for help striking horror to tn
breasts of the on-ookers. Their cries wer
of no avail Carried along at railwa
speed ON the breast of this rushing torrent
no human ingenuity could devise mean
of rescue,