Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-10-05
GREAT wall OF WATER SWEEPS
HUNDREDS OF SOULS TO Death


casual purchase. While was looking
down upon them. utterly helpless to give
further warning. that cloud OF mist that
seemed to precede the flood hid them from
view and a moment later the green water
buried the houses from sight
MANY CHILDREN LOST.
Cnc of the striking and pathetic feat
ures of the day. according to DR.. Thoma q
Stypcs, chief Of the State dispensarles.
was the practical absence of children
among the survivors. 1t was thought
that when tho wreCkage had been cleared
away and the bodies of victims recovered,
although many were entirely destroyed,
It would he found that large proportion
were those of children.
BoYd Lockhnrd, young business man
Of Austin, had y narrow escape. Mr..
Lockhard said that when he heard the
alarm he thought some one was playing a
practical ,oltc and he went into the street
TO watch tho peoples actions. He looked
IN the direction OF the dam and saw the
oncoming food was but three blocks
away.
at lIol cd like Il wall Of wood. p feet
high" he said, "at first glance did Mt
see the water at all because the wood
at tho pulp rill was carried before tho
water and became a sort of batterng
ram that tore away the buildings of tn"
town. ran towards .le I'M AMI hv the
"reatcst effort got above the level Of tho
water white it Was slrgiuS within ten feet
If me, tn" ground began to- give way
Under me but ] managed T. Chamber few
feet further NJ and caught hold OF Il tree
to which Clung"
Thrones "f people came 10 the town TO-
d9N from al POINTS IN the Slhheina"ohlnF
valley h"'o" "Hstn t. ascertain the dam
'se ana ''eN i'len"S ""' ''Ia''e S' ne
"u'h q 'h' waters "Ad car'''n away every
it. ..t.,,,. ,.,,
80 p.aa,1,,a ,.'t, ,o',a,. ,ha, ,,.,,a,,
49, ., -, i,o c,,, .,,. ,,-,
,,t .,.. ,,,o,, ,.,,, -, .i,,,,, -, hu,,,u
,,,i,.. 80. ..,,,,r ,o,,s,s IN ,h., aohri
.rrho or.,~o .rrf,,, ~ ,h,. wood v.os
,ovor,d vith nov timber and n,sce. ~
Iu,,tor" 10 Gail "tt v,e M, ,,r,n fi,o
or ~ r,.,...tcs had c,onsod that nieces or
hou.rtops broken furniture and other
evidence, Of the destruction of tho town
lcu1n to aDrear."
"'rho NOBLE OF Costello" no said .re-
ceivcd ample warning from Austin that
Tho ,.am had broken and although forty
or INV houses were demolished only.
U.r,c fatalities occurred"
,..,,, -
i''''i' ~ T. f'hNili'
ne "hh'hi'ation OF Austin came on
n beautiful autumn afternoon. The
line weather had attracted many OF
element tb "a a n
IN nearby town and these escaped
death. Women were about the streets
tci their Saturday shopping and these
and the merchants were caught In the
food almost before they had time TO
think OF escape. There were small
crowds amusing themselves at NOV
Ing picture theatres which were swept
away. Women rocking their babies
at home and preachers preparing their
sunday sermons were hurled into
eternity at the came time before they
could realize what MAJ happened
The greatest loss of life by fire oc-
CURED At sharp turn or the valley
just below Slain street Where the de-
hriS was caught and compressed with
tcrrihc power by the clr'l'ng sweep
OF tho food. The wre"khge or the
busiest portion or the town was car
riod to that point and caught are from
upset stoves. II = believed that
scores cf persons arc buried nhder
from ten to 20 feet OF wr"ckaEe there
ana IN" task of recovering thom VIII
b" ditiicut'
IN driZIling rain which later
changed to heating storm, hundreds
~ volunteers carried on the work OF
rescue to-day while many hYsteriCal
from the fate that had overcome
friends and relatives viewed the
c.rrscs auSlously to know IL any
among them were loved ones Fires
were gtil burning hriskly in some
,or,ion; of the wreckaeo this after
roon although the had been unde.
,.outrol for several houra
Tho I2uNolo and Susouchanna found
u,o,. into Austin over the rails 70.
lo, ~. correctinr with tho Keotino
s.t. .,,,r . hr,,cb trocl tho. foI.
- 49,, ~, D. int ro,,o ,,,,
! , a. ,,,, Co.,,
r.o -, o,,.,.
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cuplcu ~ '"'e'H HS' anu ~ "Vi VI
the h'''s'ne are an INA. '.'''"'"' ~ '''
residence por'l"H' y l"I'uHat' 'Nc'p
| uon TO t"e sNhe'a' u's' '"'''"" vas '"'
1919 ,,, ~,
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Sch"o' "N'i"'ns ""' ''T"
"'cI 90 ''.. ~. ~ -