The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1911-10-03

apparent that all the great body of
water behind the dam was going out.
Some were caught and before l
could tell what was happening the
water was tearing down Freeman
run, a wall so feet high, and sweep
ing everything before it,
''The sound was deafening. But 1
had little time for that There was a
house close by and l rushed to the
telephone and called the central in
Austin. She did not have much time
to telephone the alarm but 1 think
she did her best I guess she is dead.
have not heard anything about
her since. I came down to Austin as
| soon as possible but it was an awful
sight. The water had torn through
the place, taking all the principal
buildings and crushing houses like
egg shells. Then the fire broke out,
The timbers and sides of houses were
piled up against the railroad shops
and they were soon in flames. knew
| there were men in the shops, how
! many l cannot say, but there was no
| way to help them. They were prob
| ably burned up. have not seen any
| of them since.
Worst of all were the cries of the
women and children. You see most
| all of the men were at work and
| they were at home alone. They had
| heard the warning sent out by the
telephone girl, at least some of the
people say the fire bell rang and they
| thought it was fire. Some of them
were caught in the water for that
| flood travelled like a race horse. Those
not drowned were crushed in the
crumbling buildings and others were
caught in the flames. 1t was frightful
I cannot begin to tell it all.
Little children playing in yards
at home were caught up by the
water and tossed about on the flood
like play things. Cattle and horses
walks were torn up. I never lmagin
ed there could be such force. And
over and above it all, were the shrieks
OF the hundreds of poor people who
could not escape. I don't know hov
many Of us got away"
f A little girl-she could not have
been more than Is years o1d-hat
been caught in the crush. The flames
were appearing here with the rap
idity only equa1ed by the speed o
the food which had made her pligh
? possible. Pinned down under heavy
timber, one leg crushed, it was i'm
possible for her to free herself. NJ
one seemed to know her name but
her cries for help were unheeded
AS in the fire in the machine shop
an unknown man rose to the occa
sion. Running into a part of the fac
tory not destroyed by the flood h.
seized an axe and returning to tn
spot where the helpless child was in
prisoned he chopped at the timber
But his strength gave out. Mean
time crowd had gathered. Their
were not more than a dozen mel
but when a volunteer showed sign
of weakening another sprang fol
ward, snatched the axe from his ham
and attacked the timber with vigo
Meantime the fire was approaching
> The heat drove him away. Anothe
took his place and they say he was
doctor whose family had not beel
seen since the flood of few hour
before. He saw at glance the fir
would be upon them before the tin
Der would be made to yield. Care
Z fully he looked at the girl. The
with calm precision he leved tn
8 axe at the helpless victim. A strok
or two and it was over. The lie
r was severed. Willing hands caugh
a up the poor scorched and bleedin
e birl and carried her to the h~s
r on the hill. She may die from tn
n shock.
eI Disaster i'm q Nutshell.