Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-10-04
GOV. TENER AT
AUSTIN TODAY
Says Responsibility for Flood
May Never be Fixed.
Spouial bu United Press Wire.

May never De Flxeu.
Special by United Press Wire.
Austin, Pa, Oct. Although 1t
| has been repeatedly stated by engi-
neers that the dam of the Bayless
Paper Company had been In Q
weakened condition for over year,
responsibility for the bursting OF
the dam, which cost the lives of full
! ly hundred persons and wrecked
this village, will probably never be
SO f1xed that any one will suffer a
prison sentence of q fine.
Governor Tener ana State War
Commissioner Feitz indicated this
today, in a statement made after 9
lconference with those in charge OF
| the relief work The governor and
Feitz arrived late last night on q
special train and inspected the brok-
en- dam at daybreak today.
| SIT is too early to talk of prose-
lcution, said Governor Tener. 1--WE
are going to do all we can to alevi-
late the suffering. / think we have
the situation well In hand, but the
state has no control over this sort
of dam"
The work of searching for bodies
and caring for the survivors con-
Itinued today. There is great
shortage of food. Five hundred
| families are dependent upon the re-
half enough can be spared by the
surrounding towns. The relief
workers have plenty of money and
clothing, however,
Many stories of heroism are still
being told and the telephone COM
lpany has announced that Kathleen
Ryon, the operator who stuck to her
post and warned many of the flood
danger, has been pensioned and will
receive double pay as long as she is
lemployed by the company.
Harry w. Nelson Of Coudersport, dis.
trict attorney Of Potter county, says
that he will exercise the power Of q
coroner and hold an inquest Friday al
Austin, which would be tantamount to
a searching investigation of the causes
which led up to the braa king Of the
( daIa, -
The district attorney declared that
ea.e Bssa eesseaaeav.s - slsv $780, s1sapn
before 1t finally broke and swept two
thriving communities to destruction
was too serious matter for a justice
of the peace to investigate and that he
had decided to impanel jury himself
and personally probe the disaster.
1t is regarded as significant that
Deputy Attorney General largest
should have been directed by Attorney
General John G. Bell Of Pennsylvania
to attend the inquest, and it is even
reported that Governor Tener will
himself be present. The governor Is
here and today personally inspected
the broken dam and the FIVE miles of
valley over which the wreckage of two
towns was suddenly spilled last Satur-
day.
While the state and county authori-
ties are preparing to summon expert
engineers and others whose attention
before and after the flood has been di-
rected to the faulty construction Of
the dam, DR.. Samuel @. Dixon, state
health commissioner, and his asso-
ciates are confronted with grave
problem of their own for which they
are bending every effort to find solu-
ton.
Starvation stares the 800 families
that the state authorities are trying TO
care for In the face, for DR.. Dixon
plainly stated that unless food supplies
soon begin to arrive 1t would be I'M
possible to feed the homeless men,
women and children that have been
suddenly thrust upon the mercies Of
the commission. The cry for food Is
going up from Austin, and with less
than $4,000 contributed to the relief
fund, 5000 OF which was contributed
by the citizens Of Philadelphia, DR..
Dixon declared that the situation had
become SO serious that something
must soon be done If hunger Is not to
add to the sufferings of the survivors.
Seven more bodies, charred skull
counting as one, have been taken from
the ruins. making the total of thirty
six bodies recovered since the rescue
work started Sunday morning.
The bodies were Identified as Arthur
Ainsworth, an attorney, forty -one years
old Mary Karp, sixteen years; Mrs.
Louise Wolcott, Ella Benson, twelve
years old; Mrs. r. b. Lawler, whose
husband is III the hospital with two
broken limbs, and Mrs. A. @. Brown