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

swollen far beyond it's natural banks,
roaring and surgirg through all the
lower portions of the town, having
spread destruction and death in its
wake. In addition to the vast loss
to property interests it is calculated
that between 80 and 40 lives have
been sacrificed and the reports com
ing in from the tributary country to
night do not tend to improve matters
The food is not unlike the disastrous
Johnstown food some years ago. 10
that raging river. already swollen
far beyond its capacity bore too
heavily upon an immense dam span
sipg the river here. breaking it and
letting loose reservoir of water 80
miles long. half mile wide and 90
feet deep to aid in carrying destruc
tion down the valleys of the Colorado
river
TIE great dam in the Colorado
river gave way at noon today from
the enormous pressure of water and
debris, and with a roar aud crash
swept the valleys below the city,
wreckipg the immense light and
aud power plapt drowning eight work
men Following is list of the
known dead, inclulipg those killed in
the power house: Frank Pincet.
Frank Kinney, Walter Flower, Wal
ter johnson. Alfred johnson, Fitz
gerald, Walter BossmaB. Joseph
Newmeu, Dick Morris (colored) j,
John Proes, Charles Burchard and
six negroes
Last Wednesday night it began to
rain very hard at this place. the
storm extending north of here along
the water sheds of the Colorado river
The precipitation continued until this
morning, the downfall aggregating
six inches All this vast quantity Of
water along the water sheds of the
Colorado river rapidly swelled the
current until at s O'Clock this morn
ing the river, which had been rising
steadily since last evening. was 8
raging torrent, having risen 40 feet
within ten hours
After daylight this morning it be
came evident that the situation was
serious. The river began to rise so
rspidly that it was evident that the
immense dam and all the power
houses and contents, costing 81, 500,
600, were in imminent danger To
add to the terror of the situation
small frame houses, trees and debris
of every description in varying guam
titles began descending the river
and piiing up against the upper face
of the dam This weight was aug
mented every minute until by IL
O'Clock there was mass of debris
lodged against the dam which threat
ened the safety of the structure In
addition millions of gallons of water,
muddy from its long journey. were
wbir,ina and plugging to the 90 foot
fail, end ii was evident that no wall
could Withstand the immense pres
sure The crisis came shortly after
IL O'Clock when suddenly with
report like the roar of the ocean the
great wedge, rs feet hioh. 500 feet
wida and about s feet thick, rolled
cot of the Genre section of the dam,
down the face Of the 90 foot depth
into the river below This left
yawning gap iD the very middle of
the dam through which the debris
and water 6erceIy poured while the
food, already raging. was threaten
ing everything in iss path. this sud
den breaking of the dam but serv
ing to sdd to the horror of the catas
trophe.
The released water poured into the
power house, catching eight EN-
ployes at work there, drowning all of
them instantly The breaking of the
cam caused wild excitement in the
city The telegraph companies at
once wired to places below TO look
out for the great wave AID runners
were dispatched on horses TO notify
those living in the valleys below the
city TIE telegraphic messages
served as timely warning to many,
bu. the rushing waters ou'stripped
the horsemen aud many houses were
picked up aad swept away before tue
occupants could get together their
vaiuables
Vita shors sine ell the valleys
TO ,te sou:b ard west OF Au>tlu were
dlled % ove,6 owing with water and
the seush4ro o@rs of the CITY tributary
to tue river was Inundated Large
crowr- coilec:ed on the river bauks ard
several esons "efe swept lesa the
river uhea rhe dan oyake, bur all we're
saved by oost1ea
A crewd of whl;e people suubesiog
abou. 80 l,vioe jus Below b. dam