The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-11
Repetition at Austin, Tex,
Of Jobnstown Disaster.


Many LIVES WERE LOST.
Auslia. Tex. Aprii This city
b tonight 10 pitch darkness with .
raging river ono mile vide and
swollen fer beyond ito natural banks.
roaring snd surgiog through oil the
lower portions of the town. having
spread destruotion and death In ita
wska. In addition to the vast loss
70 property interests Il 10 calculated
that between 80 and 40 lives hsve
been sacrificed snd the reports com
Ing In from the tributary country to
sight do not tend 10 Improve mstters
The food 10 not unlike the disastrous
Johneeown food some years ego. in
test . rsging river. already swollen
fss beyond its capacity bore too
heavily upon On immense dam spsn
ntuR the river here. bresking il and
letting loose Q reservoir Of water 80
0iles long. hslfs milo wide and 80
5bet deep 10 cid 10 csrryiog destruc
ZION down the valleys Of the Colorado
river
The great dem in The Colorado
river gsve Wy at noon today from
the saosmous pressure Of water and
Debris. ssd with Q roar aud crash
-sveps che valleys below the city.
vssokiug ths Immense light and
end power plant drowing eight work
osa Following 10 . liss Of the
hsown deed, inoluling those killed in
~ power house: Frank Pinces.
1tssk Kinney, Walter Flower, Wal
~ johnson. Alfred johnson. Fitz
RsssId. walter Bossuss. Joseph
Newusu. Dick Morris (colored),
Jsan Pross, Chsrlss Burchard and
slx uekfees
Lsss wednesdsy night Il began to
rain vssy hard % this place. the
soDssh exseudisg north Of hero along
the victor sheds Of the Colorado river
The pseoipltssioo continued until THE
morning, tho downfall sggregsting
eix inches All this vast qVsntity OF
wsser along tho wster sheds Of the
colorado river rapidly s~elled the
oUrrens until st 8 o'clock THE morn
isg the river. which had been rising
sesedily since last evening. wss .
sU4i1G torrept, having ris.n 40 feet
within ten bours
Amer daylight th,s morning il be
eeos evident that the situstiou wss
sssioss. The river began to rise 90
sspidly thst 10 wss evident that the
toosDse dam and oil The power
hogees and contents. costing 81 500,
600. were In immiaent danger To
ed 70 the terror Of the situstion
euail frame houses. trees and debris
- every description 10 vsryisg qusn
titles began dssosnding the river
end pi'ing up against the upper face
q the dam This weight wss aug
neuted every minute until by lU
o'clock there was Q msss of debris
lodged sgsinst the dam which threat
-saed the safety of the structure In
edition millions Of gallons Of water,
muddy from ito long journey. were
whir!inR snd plunging to the so foot
fall. and Il wss evident that no wall
could Withstand the immense pres.
sure The crisis came shortly sfter
ii o'clock when suddenly with O
report like the roar of the oossn ths
greet wedge, rs feet hioh. 500 fee,
vids and about 8 feet thick, rolled
cot OF the GENRE section Of the dam,
down the face Of tho 60 foo, depth
Into the liver below This left Q
yswnins gsp 10 the very middle of
the dam through which the debris
end wster 6erosly poured while the
1ood. already rsgiog. wss threaten
isg everything In lie path. this sud
dss bresking Of the dam bot serv
ing to sdd to tho horror of the cstas
ssophe.
The released water poured into tho
power house. catching eight em
ployes st work there. drowning oh Of
them iosisntly The breaking of the
dam caused wild excitement 10 the
city The telegraph companies Q,
once wired to places below TO look
oo' for the great wave and runners
were dispatched on horses TO notify
those living in the valleys below the
city The tsIegrsphic messsgss
served 90 timely warning to many,
but the rushing waters Ou,s,ripped
the horsemen aud many houses we're
picked up sad swept away before the
occupants could get together their
vsluabIes
WITH" a shor' time slr,be vsllsys
70 The south snd west OF Austiu we're
SLED 20 oved,wiog With Ws'er aud
The sou'h~ro osrt Of the CITY tributary
20 the river VAS Inundated. Large