Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-06
rs PERSONS DROWNED
Awful Disaster at Jeannette,
Pennsylvania.
DUE TO CLOUDBURST
THIS CAUSED DAMS BANKS TO
BREAK.
Raging Waters Swept Down the VAL
ley, Destroying Life and Vast
Amount Of Property.

y.
From the site OF the broken dam at Oak
ford Park to Wilmerding. taking in the
towns of Jeanette. Penn, Larimer Green's
burg. Irwin. Burrell and Manor, the awful
power of the rushing water. following the
breaking of the DAM is apparent on all
sides. The damage to property will not be
less than 100000.
Almost with the first streak Of daylight a
bureau was opened here, where the names
Of the identified dead recovered and the
missing were registered, together with q
description of the bodies recovered but not
identified. A revised list of the dead and
missing, so far as known, is as follows, but
1t may be days before the extent of the
disaster can be determined:
List Of Dead and Missing.
The dead
Miss Gertrude Keefer, aged twenty four
years. of Jeanette; body recovered.
Kate Keefer; body recovered
John Fleming, stable boy at the old fair
grounds Greensburg.
George Whitman of West Jeanette.
Mrs. Levi Baker of West Jeanette.
John McGurkey, aged forty, of West
Jeanette.
George Williams, aged thirty-fve, of
Jeanette.
Alex. G. Victor Jeanette.
Mrs. Nigga and four children Of West
Jeanette.
Unknown woman found dead at Manor
Unknown man found dead at Penn.
Edward Smith aged ten years, nego boy
Of West Jeanette
Daughter of Fred Davis aged thirteen of
West Jeanette.
Mrs. schrader, aged seventy years.
The missing
Miss Lucy Crum. who was with Miss
keefer of Jeanette.
John and Lawrence O'Neal, sons and
Mrs. Barney ONeaL
Curtis Moore Of Jeanette.
Samuel Vogel. Jeanette.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Fink, Jeanette
Ed. O'Brien, Greensburg
Councilman John z. Light and family Of
Greensburg were at the park and have
not yet been accounted for. They are said
to have been In the waiting ROOM
Two Silks, sisters, of Jeanette.
Alfred Sipe. aged nine years, of West
Jeanette
May Bird, Manor Hotel, Jeanette.
John Willis, aged eleven years. Green's
burg.
People Greatly Excited.
The people are still too excited to talk Of
the flood and 1t is with difficulty a COM
plete death and injured list can be COM
piled All the residents claim that more
bodies went down In the food, but the
rumors are SO numerous that they cannot
all be run down.
Several persons are reported as missing
many anxious parents almost frantic with
fear traversed the streets all night search
ing for their lost children. Up until an
early hour this morning many children
have been found but few are still miss
ing who may have been drowned. Stories
of thrilling rescues are heard on all sides
and many acts Of bravery are reported, the
heroes being persons who risked their
H. kD otI nv,1 ~
could not be learned was seen by several
persons to make a hard effort to rescue a
woman, presumably his wife, shortly after
the food hit the waiting room. The man
was in an apparently safe position among
some saplings. In his struggles to get to
the woman he lost his hold and both were
swept away with the torrent and probably
lost.
Rescuing Party Organized.
At South Jeanette rescuing party was
organized by DR.. NJ. 3. E'reshwater and K
Hoffman Immediately after the wall Of
water passed. DR.. Freshwater stated this
morning that they had rescued fully $50
persons who had been thrown into the
streams by their houses being overturned
Many houses were seen by them floating
down the stream upside down, sideways
and in every possible manner.
Mrs. Schrader, one of the victims, was.
it is said, asleep In her home at the time
the flood started. When Mrs. Schrader is
supposed to have awakened from her slum-
bers she tried to get out of her home. Her
efforts were all in vain, however and when
she opened the front door in view Of a
score Of people who were watching the
water rushed in with a vengeance. The
imprisoned woman, old as she was, saw her
peril and rushed to the second floor Of her
house. Then her house was swept from it's
foundation and taken down with the swirl
ing current.
When the house was floating in mid
stream nearly opposite the Pennsylvania
railroad station persons who were watch
ing the floating residence suddenly saw the
shingles Of the roof fly of. With a piece of
board from some part OF the house the
frenzied woman, with almost certain death
staring her in the face, was trying to get
out on top Of the roof in the hope of saving
herself.
Her strength failed her in a moment,
however, and with uplifted hands and
prayer on her lips Mrs. Schrader went to
her watery grave. Shortly after she went
down the house was broken up by others
hitting 1t. and the body Of the drowned
woman was seen to float out in the stream,
but despite all efforts to rescue her body
she went down with the other debris
-Four Of One Family Drowned.
Four Of tho members Of the family of
William Nigga, Polish coal miner, who is
employed by the Penn Gas and Coal Com
pany. were drowned in the flood. The fam
lily owned q cottage house in Coal street.
Penn Station. The house was carried down
the stream and the seven occupants were
thrown into the water. With the aid OF a
friend the father was able to save his two
sons. A twelve-year-old daughter was res
three young children were drowned and
their bodies have not been found.