The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-10-07
SURVIVORS OPPOSE
BURNING THE TOWN
AUSTIN, PA, PEOPLE DEMAND
BODIES OF LOVED ONES
DELUGE KILLED.
EPIDEMIC FEARED FROM BODIES
Authorities May Have to Put Torch to
Debris Unless Help Comes.
Death List Under Two
Hundred and Eighty.

Hunoreo ana Eighty.
Austin, Pa, Oct. 3.-Twenty-four
dead and sc missing. thought buried
beneath the debris, was the official
census of Austin's loss of life in the
flood of Saturday. 1t is conceded,
however, that several visitors and
strangers were in town that day and
undoubtedly persisted.
Including them and allowing for err
rors in compilation, the total of dead
probably will reach 150 Twenty-one
Of the "a bodies recovered have been
identified and of the missing hope is
entertained that some yet may be &C.
counted for.
Austin stands to a man against the
suggestion that it may be necessary to
put the torch to the ruins. Feeling
runs high and should the health
authorities be forced to this extremity
there is no foretelling the result. The
Pennsylvania state constabulary holds
the town in it's grasp, however. and
the troopers will remain here until
Commissioner Dixon gives the word to
go.
Problem to Recover Dead.
The problem is to recover the dead
! from the thousands of tons of debris
choking the narrow valley To do so
before it becomes necessary to burn
the ruins and save the living from an
epidemic, an army of laborers must
reach the town within the next &c
hours, officials say. Otherwise the
4, torch may transform the wreckage
into the pyre Of most of those who
/ have persisted.
The single line Of wire between Aus
tin and the outside world carried an
urgent plea for workmen to the may
| ors of Buffalo, Pittsburg and Phila-
delphia.
The nine mile railroad line leading
here from Keatings Summit was given
over to rescue and relief work. Locked
cars pulled out of the Summit for the
scene of the disaster. When they
reached here the workers detrained;
tits drones were sent back. Every man
on Austin's streets EXCEPT the news.
paper men was forced into service
but despite the efforts of the authori
ties only $50 were working at sunset
/ Food and clothing reached Austin
in carload lots and there was enough
to eat for ALL The distributing agents
lacked shoes and undergarments for
the women and children, however.
Across the street from the morgue
life insurance companies nailed their
shingles to tree near small shack
topping them with sign, Inquire
Within" A file of weeping women
took turns at recording their claims
A call for aid came from flood-swept
remains, three miles below. Condi
tons there parallel the situation here
the distinction being that the town is
much smaller and less damaged than
Austin, while the death-list at Costel
10 remains at two.
To Care for Orphans.
Bromley Wharton, secretary of the
state board Of charities, and Herbert
N. Peck Of Philadelphia, special agent
of the Children's Aid society, are ar
ranging to care for children orphaned
by the flood. For the present they
will be put in receiving homes anc
later placed in permanent homes.
Another hundred men started worl
at Costello to meet the crew from this
place. A hundred bridge men are con
structing two bridges to replace stee
structures destroyed. The railroad
tracks must be replaced to get wreck
ing trains in and the committee plans
to work from either side Of these tract
with the hope of recovering any bodies
still in the debris.
A bread line was formed for the
first time in Austin. Heretofore relic
had been extended to the needy by
neighbors or friends. Supplies were
placed in the Odd Fellows hall ant
were guarded by the state constabl
larry as they were apportioned. The
name, number in the applicants fam
lily and on what street he or she LIVED
before the disaster, was asked.
Sheds, kitchens and other buildingl
needed to care for the homeless will
be erected. Unskilled labor for som,
Of the work is being furnished by tn,
Goodyear Lumber company, which ii
taking this method of providing TEN
porary employment for it's idle men
Hundreds of the men also are bein,
put on the pay roll Of the state healtl
department.
; Flood Looters Held to Jury.
Eight men charged with lootin,
were arraigned before Magistrat,
Toh