The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-07-07
FLOOD DISASTER
Is APPALLING
Victims of Raging Waters Num-
Der From Fifty to $50.
HEROIC INCIDENTS TOLD
SIX PENNSYLVANIA TOWNS
SCENES OF DEVASTATION.


the dam at Oakford park to wilmer
ding. taking in the towns of Jeanette.
Larimer, Greensburg. Irwin, Burrell
and Manor. the awful power of the
rushing waters following the breaking
of the dam is apparent on all sides
The damage to the property will not
be less than 500 00O. while the number
% lives suddenly blotted out is still un-
certain. the estimates running all the
way from fifty to $50.
Almost with the first streak of day
light a bureau was opened here where
the ncN1es Of the identified dead recOv-
cred and the missing were registered,
together with a description of the
bodies recovered but not identified. A
revised list Of the dead and missing
so far as known, is as follows. but It
may be days before the extent Of the
disaster can be determined.
J. The Killed.
Miss Gertrude Keefer. aged "a years.
of Jeanette. body recovered; Kate
Feefer, sister. body recovered: John
Fleming, stable boy a the old fair
grounds, GTeensburg; George Whitman
of West Jeanette; Mrs Levi Baker of
West Jeanette: John McGurkey. aged
40. of West Jeannette; George Williams
tor. Jeanette; Mrs. Nigg and four
children of West Jeanette; unknown
woman. found at Manor: unknOwr
child. found at Manor: unknown man.
found at Penn; Edward Smith, aged 10
years, negro boy of West Jeanne;te;
daughter of Fred Davis, aged Is years,
of West Jeanette; Mrs. Schrader, aged
20 years.
The Missing.
; John and Lawrence O'Neal. sons of
5 Mr.. and Mrs. Barney O'NeaI: Curtis
Moore, Jeanette: Miss Lucy Crum.
who was with Miss Keefer of Jean
nette: Samuel Vogel. Jeanette: Mr..
and Mrs. Henry Fink. Jeannstte; FL
o Brien, Greensburg: Councilman John
c. Light and family of Greensburg.
were at the park and at a late nour this
morning had not been accounted for.
They are said to have been in the wait
ing ROOM Two Silk sisters Of West
Jeanette; Alfred Seipp. aged years.
of West Jeanette; Maybird. Manor
Hotel. Jeanette; John Miller, IL years,
Lewisburg.
The people are still too excited TO
talk of the flood and it is with difficulty
a complete list of dead and injured can
be secured. It is believed that more
bodies went down in the food, out the
rumors are so numerous that they can
are reported as missing from their
homes along the stream and many
anxious parents, almost frantic with
fear. traversed the streets all night
searching for their lost children. Up
until an early hour this morning chill
dren have been found, but a few are
still missing who may have been !.s-
/ covered.
Risked Lives to Save,
| Stories of thrilling rescues are heard
on all sides and many acts of bravery
are reported, the heroes being perso IS
who risked their lives to save others,
I One man, whose name could not be
learned. was seen by several persons
to make a hard effort TO rescue a wo-
man. presumably his wife shortly after
the flood hit the waiting room. The
man was in an apparently safe posi-
tiOn among some saplings. In his
struggle to get to the woman he lost his
hold and both were swept away with
the current and probably lost.
A resouing party was organized by
DR.. NJ. T. Freshwater and Joseph HOf-
man Immediately after the wall of wa
ter had passed. DR.. Freshwater states
this morning that they had rescued
fully $50 persons who had been thrown
into the water by their hOCses being
overturned. Many houses were seen by
them floating down the street upside
down. sideways and every possible
manner.
/ Mrs. Schrader. one of the victims,
I was asleep in her home at the time
the flood started. When Mrs. Schrader
awoi1e she tried to get out of her home.
AS she opened the front door in view
+ of a score of people who were watch
/ ing. the water rushed IN and the i'm
/ prisOned woman, old as she was. saw
I her peril, rushed TO the second floor Of
her house Then her house was swept
from its foundation and taken down
: with the swTling current. When the
house was floating in mid-stream.
nearly opposite the Pennsylvania sta
/ ton. persons who were watching the
| floating residence saw the shingles Of
the roof suddenly fly off. With a piece
of board the frenZied woman. with
death staring her in the face, was try
ing to get out on the roof in the hope
of escaping
Her strength failed her. however
and with uplifted hands and in all
probability a prayer on her lips, Mrs.
Schrader went TO her watery grave.
Shortly after the house was broken up
by others hitting it, the body of the
drowned woman was seen 10 float out
into the stream, but despite all efforts
20 rescue her, she went down with the
other debts.
Family of Four Drowned.
Four OF the members of the family
Of William Nigga, a Polish coal miner,
We're dro Nned in the flood. At the time
the IA ther was visiting a neighbOr. He
attempted to reach his home to rescue
his family but failed. The house was
swept down the stream at a swift rate.
As the house was rushing on it was
struck by heavy timbers and the oc-
/ cupants. seven in number were hurled
I into the water. Three of Nigga's chill
dren were rescued, but Mrs. Nigga,
/ with Polly, aged Z, Josephine, aged 8,
and the baby. Frank. aged .. were
: drowned. Their bodies have not been
/ found
Midway between the Pennsylvania
railway station and the Pennsylvania
/ culvert. along the Bush creek bank,
stood the house of Frederick Dieck-
! heman. a two-story frame structure.
The family barely escaped TO the
/ second story and finally to the garnet.
| Here they tried to save some of the
people who foated by them but all
their efforts went for naught. For
/ tunately this house withheld the force
! OF the current and all the members of
the household were saved
Lying down in the debris at the
4 Pennsylvania Cuivert is the body Of
4 James WestwOOd. 30 year of age,
bartender. who worked at the
/ Weunie hotel Jeanette. When the
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