davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01
Bio Whistle Shrieks Alarm.


The frantic shrieking of the big whistle
Of the Bayless Pulp and Paper Mills
startled the throng Of people in the main
street Of Austin.
THE mill is on fire. was the general
shout.
An instant later mountain OF water
broke over the hill crest and swept down
the half mile intervening between it and
the town. The cry went up from the
horrorstricken crowd: Run for your
lives! The big dam has BURST"
In less than two minutes the pretty
little town had disappeared. swallowed
by the sea Of water. The telegraph
operator at the Buffalo e Susquehanna
station. as he saw the food coming, hast
lily tucked out the last message TO be sent
from the town.
Scenes Of indescribable sadness marked
the village in the early hours Of the
night. Many women who had lost their
children wandered in the darkness, cry
ing their names in the vain hope they
would answer, while here and there a
OF his home, dazed and wondering when
the bodies of his family would be found.
But il is the general belief that some
Of them will never be recovered
Many Burned to Death.
Many were burned IN the fire, and
others were ground to pieces by the
masses Of timbers and stone swept down
by the food. The terrible force Of the
water is shown by the story of one man,
who, standing in the street tonight. de-
clared he had seen a two story brick
building crumple like a house Of cards.
Houses suffered because of their con-
struction, and while no accurate estimate
Of the real damage can he made until
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01

The entire stretch. half a mile or more,
is barren waste.
A great trench four feet deep marks
the roadway, and devastation is on
every hand Scarcely a sembance of
habitation is left in that part Of the
town. The property loss here, while
well distributed, is tremendous
1t was rumored tonight that "A num-
Der of bodies had been found in the
trench. but If this is true they have not
been identified.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01
THIEF KICKED TO DEATH
Citizens of Austin Give Robbers
Short Shrift.
IBy Telegraph to The Tribune

Austin, Penn. Sept 3O.-Thieves add
ed TO the horror Of the food at Austin.
The bodies piled high in the streets aud
in the residents sectio2 were too much
of temptation for the thieves, who
hesitated nof to rob the dead
Of jewels and money. Several Of the
robbers were caught i'm the act by ciu-
zens who were searching among the
dead for relatives, and they were quick
TO change grief to anger.
Two men were beaten and one was
left dying where he had been felled, so
furious was the crowd that rained kicks
and blows on the thieves With the
double afiiction Of fire added TO by the
bursting Of gas mains, the depredatIons
of the thieves were more than the grief
stricken ones could stand. and short
ehrift mas been promised TO any more
that are caught pillIging or stealing
from the bodies Of the flood victims.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01

win escaped the food. but his father and
mother were drowned Their bodies to-
night are in the burning ruins Of the
home.
The opinion Of those working i'm the
wreckage tonight was that at least
eight hundred persisted in the dcstruc-
ton Of Austin.
Eight hundred is a conservative esti-
mate" said one Of the hospital officials.
Dead So Far Identified.
Following is a list Of the identified
dead;
BALDWIN. Mr.. and Mrs. J Z.
BARNES. Mrs.
BEEBE. Mrs
BENSON, Mr.. and Mrs.
BREEZE. Mrs. Maude. and child
COLLINS Mrs Michael.
ELLIOTT, Mrs. Nina.
ERWAY, Francis.
FILLIO, Ronald and child.
HARVEY. Mrs. ". b., and mother.
HEDDING, Hattie
HORN. Or. +. T.
JACKSON, Ina.
LAWLER, Thomas. and child.
MAY, Mr.. and Mrs. Lee.
MKINNEY. Mrs. Joseph.
METZGDR, Florence.
METZGER. Lawrence.
MILLER. Edith.
INQUIRE, Thomas
NELSON. Mrs William.
PAGE. Or. J. II.
PIERSON. Mrs. Daniel.
RETCHIE, Mrs Louis.
RICHIE. Lena
RUNIG. Mrs George. and TWO daughters
STARKWEATHER, Mrs. L.
SWAN. Mrs. Martha.
SWARTZWOOD. Julia.
SYKES. Gilbert.
SYKES. Marion.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01
lmprovised Hospitals Filled.

Rescuers who forced their way into the
stilI burning wreckage of the paper mill
tonight carried out the bodies of more
than fifty girls. These were carried up
the hillside and laid out on the mill roof,
thus converted into a morgue
The Galeton Hospital is on the west
side Of the hill and the school building
is near by The hospital and school
were filled tonight with injured vic
Tins, while farm houses for miles around
had been converted into temporary hos
pitfalls.
Among the known drowned We're Drs.
J. II. Page and f. E. Horn, who were
making professional calls in the town.
Austin is the home of State Senator
Baldwin, who occupied one of the finest
residences in the village. Senator Bald
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01

many died here will never be known, out
counting the employees of the plants and
the persons in the food it will not fall
short Of two hundred.
Here is where the first organized
effort at relief was made.
Unknown Hero Leads Reseuers.
Maddened by the sights about him.
one man with tears streaming down MS
checks cried for volunteers to save the
lives of men whose shreks for help
were gradually growing fainter. The
wreck Of the Austin Hardware Com
pany had been swept from it's location
in Main street to the lumber mill. Here
were buckets i'm abundance and there
was the little stream, still swollen, al
though the force Of the food had passed.
Selling a bucket. this unknown hero
dashed into the stream, filled ii with
water and, calling for help, ran toward "A
point where it appeared one man might
be saved. Others followed his example
but to no purpose Gas and heat com
bined to drive them hack, and they
eventually gave up the battle.
But the blazing pile continued to hurn
through the night, the most conspicuous
and most deadly spot in this valley of
DC tn. Gradually the cries for help and
the groans of dying men grew fainter
an when the great mass OF debris ana
the remnants Of the burning buildings
had become nothing more than huge
pile Of glowing Goals the agonizlng
sounds ceased, and that chapter OF this
terrible tragedy was closed.
over at the paper mill. the great fac
tory where so many of the people OF the
town find employment, the situation was
little better. Although not so many per-
sons were killed, some Of them were
crushed beyond recognition when part
of the factory went down before the
water. 1t, too. caught fire, and the
scenes to which the half-paralyzed peo-
pie were rapidly becoming accustomed
were re-enacted.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01

Continued on third page.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01
Cut imprisoned Girls Leg OH.

one little girl. who could not have
been more than fifteen years Old had
beer caught in the crush The flames
were approaching her with rapidly
eoualled only by the speed of the hood
which had made her plight possible.
pinned down under a heavy timber aho
ono leg crushed. she could not free her.
self No one seemed to know her name
h,+ her cries for help were not un-
needed.
As i'm the fire at the machine shops,
an unknown man rose to the occasion
Running into part Of the factory not
DESTROYED by the food. he seized an axe,
and. returning to the spot where the
HELPLESS child was imprisoned, he
choppcd at the timber. but his strength
gave out. Meantime a crowd had gath
cred. There were not more than a
dozen men But this is a lumber coun-
try and every man had had his training
i'm the woods. When the volunteer
showed signs Of weakening another
sprang forward, snatched the axe from
his hard and attacked the timber with
ygior.
The fire was approaching, and the heat
drove him away Another took his place,
and they say he was a doctor whose
family had not been seen since the flood.
lie saw at a glance the fire would be
upon them before the timber could be
made to yield. Carefully he looked at
the girl Then. with calm precision, he
Ieyeled the axe at the body of the help
less victim. 4 stroke IT two and it was
over. The leg was severed. Willing
hands caught up the poor scorched and
bleeding girl and carried her to the hos
pitaI on the hill She may die from
shock
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01

tomorrow, it is said that there are not
enough houses left in the village to cover
the survivors.
The railroad shops, where the debris
piled high, and which resisted for a time
the force OF the water, will probably
prove to be the death chamber Of the
majority of men who were employed
there. A rescuing party attempted to
reach the interior of the ruins, but was
driven back by the smell Of burning
flesh.
Strong men became towards, and until
help comes from the outside little can be
done to ascertain the loss or succor the
injured. Those so fortunate as 20 live
above the line Of the flood were called 10
help the survivors from the valley, and
the food supply was soon exhausted, as
every grocery with the exception Of one
small establishment in Costello street
was swept away. Many went without
their evening meal, and unless help
comes they will have no breakfast to-
morrow.
Stories of Terrible Deaths.
Many incidents are being told tonight
Of narrow escapes and terrible deaths.
Mrs. Mansway the young wife Of DR..
Mansway was bathing her infant child
when the great wall of water swept into
the town. The house was torn from its
foundations, crushed almost instantly
and the entire family drowned. Or.
MansNay was at the Pennsylvania Hos
pital, on the hill safe from the food
performing an operation, and escaped.
He spent the night in an agonizcd search
FOR his loved ones.
Police Chief Dan" Baker, candidate
for Sheriff of Potter County, was In
Main street when the alarm was given.
His house was a short distance away.
He ran 70 it with all his speed and ar
rived in time to give his wife and family
warning. They fed to the hill and es-
caped. Tonight they are without food
or shelter, except that provided from
the meagre store of their more fortunate
friends
William Nelson, one OF the most prom
inent merchants Of the town, and his
wife were lost. 1t is said that they
were walking in Turner street when the
wall of water rolled down that thorough
fare. Their bodies have not been recoV-
cred. Every house in Turner street was
DESTROYED by the food and the debris
piled high along the little valley.
All the Churches Gone.
The five or six churches in the town
are all gone, the only public institutions
left standing being the hospital and the
schoolhouse. They We're above the flood
line.
Among the principal places destroyed
was the plant Of the Emporium Lumber
Company. not a vestiee Of IT being left
A part Of the plant of the Bayless Pulp
and Paper Company, whose dam gave
way. also disappeared under the raging
waters. and the Commercial Hotel and
the Davis House went down before the
rush. The White House. another hotel
was burned, and it is believed that
number Of persons persisted in the build
ing
Whole Families Wiped Out.
Whole families have been wiped out.
Among them are some Of the leading
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01
Whole Families Wiped Out.

Whole families have been wiped out
Among them are some Of the leading
people in the town, but in the darkness
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-01

ahd confusion it is impossible to tel! just
who is left
One of the spots where the force OF the
flood was most severely felt was at the
junction of Freeman Run with another
small stream, in the middle Of the bust
ness section. The primary election was
I'm progress in a building not far away,
and many men were In the vicinity.
They did not heed the warning shout
and all of them are believed to have
been carried away. Not a trace OF the
building in which the election was being
held can be seen tonight. With the
building went all the election records.
But there is no thought of that at this
hour. The misery and suffering Of the
survivors and the terrible force Of the
calamity overcome all Other considera-
tons.
An Incident Of the food came to light
when Harry Davis. the aged engineer
who was standing near the dam when
il broke, found that his family had been
saved Even while searching for them,
distracted by the fear that some Of them
had been lost, he found time TO answer
the telephone and reassure frightened
persons living at a distance who, hear
ing rumors of the calamity, feared for
the safety of their loved ones. Davis
lived not far from the dam, and, his
house being on the hillside, he was in
safety. but all the members OF his fam
.ly were not Al home when the dam
broke. He was first 10 give details of
the catastrophe 10 the press
Among the victims Of the flood were
Mrs. Elliott and her daughter. They
were walking on the street when they
heard the roar Of the approaching wave
Not knowing what had happened but
impelled by the instinct Of self-preser-
walton. they ran into the nearest build
ing which happened to be the house Of
one of their friends. They had scarcely
entered the doorway when the tearing,
roaring water was upon them. The
house crumblcd, and persons on the hill
side saw it lifted high in the air. Mrs
Elliott was seen TO reach for her daugh-
ter, and with arms clasEed about each
other they were swept down and out Of
view. with them went a boarder at the
house they entered. He made a vain
endeavor TO save the women, but was
struck by a doatng timber, and his body
was found along the bank Of the creek
just before nightfan. He was among
the few identified dead.
Natural Gas Pipes Burst.
\ dangerous situation developed i'm
mediatelv after the great wall Of water
had passed. Austin is piped for natural
gas. and the great force of the flood tore
the mains from the sweets. one Of
them. the largest pipe in the town, burst
in the business section. = moment af-
terward the gas gushcd out and In a
t,vinking it had taken fire. There was
no explosion, but tbc flames lcaped TO
height Of twenty feet or more, and
blown by strong wind, were commu-
Dicated To the nearest house.
In ten minutes q dozen other gas pipes
had burst and were pouring their deadly
infammablc fluid into the air. Men who
had rushed forward in the hope Of doing
some good were overcome and fell while
others we're caught I'm the flames and
ircincrated. The street became a glow
ing hell and there was 10 salvation for
those who CHANGED to be near How
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-16
Pumping for Irrigation; Ell Paso
Center of Great Pumping Field

~ CMPING for irrigation is new in
~ the west. but it has gained sup
= Dorters and followers as rapidly
ne any new system Of soil cultivation
that has ever been advanced Pump
irrigation is not new IS - system, loL
the Egyptians practice6 II centuries
ago when the water was RAISED by
crude methods of wooden wheels ana
buckets attacked to weighted pores
brf- these methods were slow and un-
satisfactorv- The modern method OF
raising The water with gasoline,
uauhrra- or crude au engines or eiec-
trfcallv operated pumps mas maze Dc
possible TO irrigate IN TINS nla1Ilel
with profit and satisfaction me
growth of the practice has been phe-
nomenal and communities that were
considered desert before the advent OF
the pump irrigator. have Jumped into
she forefront in productiveness and
taken the lead among wealth pr0duc-
ing sections.
Ell Paso is the metropolis Of one Of
the largest Dumped-Waler regions I'D
the world Everywhere on all sides
OF this city. the success Of pump lrrl-
cation is apparent. Deming, the closest
community TO El PaSO is one of the
leaders. and lands in the region OF
Demfnr have increased I'm value many
times over as a result Of, the practice
of pumping for irrigation
Pecos. ia west Texas Is another re-
zion where the irrigation pump has
been worth millions to the community
In making the lands productive, and,
accordingly, increasing their market
value. Pecos has some flowing arte-
sian wells, but the farmers who have
to pump, do not find the cost very
much of a handicap Midland. a little
further east. Is another city that is
growing very rapidly as a result OF
The pump-irrigation systems around
the town.
Roswell. Carlsbad and several other
regions in New Mexico. northwest Of
r. M N 80 D.
the san Simon and Sulphur Springs
valleys in Arizona are among the
thriving communities where irrigation
10y pumping has a hold that is almost
phenomenal and where the cost of lift
ing the water is so very light that Ii
is an infinitesimal amount in the gen
eral cost Of production POrtales,
north Of Roswell. in the Pecos valley,
is another of these pump irrigation
regions that has become a marvellous
producer in a few years. Electrically
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-16

operated pumps. getting their power
from a central plant operated upon the
community Of interest system, is the
main feature Of this system roswell
has a plant of a similar character that
is a great success
Individual pumping plants are found
scattered throughout the southwest
all are successful. but 1t is IN such
large and thriving communities as
DeminC. Pecos. Roswell. Carlsbad. VIII
lams, Douglas, san Simon, POrtales
ana Mldlaud - here the real value OF
the pumping proposition IS eNempn-
fled and manifested In these sections,
until a few years ago, hardly anything
was grown. The discovery of water
al a SHALLOW depth and the installation
OF pumps that would lift the water at
a small cost has apparently converted
worthless land into soil that readily
brings prices that would be considered
fancy even in the old settled regions,
where the rainfall is sufficient for
ample crop production.
The pumping system for irrigation is
solution of the problem that the
farmer of the west has had to contend
with. IL has opened up millions of
acres Of valuable land to profitable
cultivation.
The First Efforts
When, some IS years ago, a far
sighted New Highlander, visiting in
Fresno county, Cal. was driving over
the nOrthen half of that county. then
perhaps the driest desert spot in the
Illle0 states. MS lnOu2nLS Ien upon
the possibilities Of the country If water
could only be placed on the land; even
at that time considerable portions Of
southern California had become highly
developed through irrigation. water
being secured from rivers and noun
tain streams This New Highlander
figured that if water could be placed
on this land, at that time absolutely
worthless and growing 10 vegeta-
ton. that a wonderful Development
would spring up but though he and
others spent months in trying to ar
range some method to secure water,
none was found; and st was shortly
after this that the New Highlander made
a discovery that in time is to rank him
with the discovers Of the law of gravi-
tatiOn, and electricity. This discovery
was simple. yet no one seems to have
thought of IL before 1t was simply this:
If sufficient water could be found be-
low the surface and brought to the
surface at a cheap enough cost, would
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-16

such water irrigate the land and prove
as good for irrigation IS river or noun
tain water or rain2 This young man
was laugher at when he explained his
theory. Doubters said that underground
water would not irrigate; that it had
too much mineral; that it lacked sur
ficient air. that II was a foolish dream ,
but the New Highlander went at 1t.
and though be drilled a hole in the
ground to depth of more than 2S5
feet, going through land without an
atom OF moisture, he finally struck
water By force pumps, this was lifted
TO the surface, bitches put in, and,
though the supply by this first attempt
was small, enough was brought to the
surface to demonstrate that in all es-
sentials it acted just as well on the
soil as any other water. A small tract
three acres. was cultiTa ted, and
the result is now history. The land,
surrounded by thousands and thou
sands Of acres of desert produced a
Solving the Cost.
The New Englander had demonstrate
ed the principle that water brought
to the surface from below would irri-
gate land Just as we'll as any other
water. This done, there were several
other problems to solve. This water
must be brought to the surface in suf-
ficient quantities to make it worth
while 1t most be brought TO the sur
face cheap enough TO warrant the cost
Of the installation Of the plant Unless
land is level a plan must be worked
out to spread the water over the sur
face at reasonable cost. Crops
raised on such lands must be able to
compete with crops raised otherwise,
and therefore. cost of production must
be within the cost of raising such
crops by other means.
These problems seemed simple vet
it has taken nearly Is years to make
even a small portion of the unedu-
Gated world believe that pumped water
irrigation, sO-called, is a success; and
such a success as no other method OF
irrigation is. and of such a character
as TO make crops sure and to produce
crops with clOck-like regularity and
place them on the markets of the world
at a lower average cost than by any
other known method. Today, one can
so TO various places in Fresno county.
California, especially in the northern
part of the county. and find land irri-
gated entirely by pumped water. Is
years ago worthless. today producing
El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-16
EGGS ARE HIGH


Tel ne not in broken measures
Modern farming does not pay.
For a farm produces chickens
And the hens-dO they not lay2
Eggs are high and going higher.
And the price is soaring fasts
Every time we 80 to market
II is higher than the last.
Not coop but il produces
Every day an egg or two
50 each farmer gains his milliouG
Even though his hens be few
Every egg is very precious
And the hens are held IN awe,
When a hen begins to cackle,
Then the farmer goes ''HaW, HaW.
In the broad and busy farmyard
struts rooster now and then,
But the shrewd. bewhiskered farmer
Only notices the hen
Trust no rooster. hOwe'er snowy
BE the feathers Of his tail.
Pay attention to the biddies.
And your wealth viii never fail
Lives of farmers ali remind US
We may roll in wealth some day.
If we hustle to the market
With the eggs our pullets lar.
Pacific Poultrycraft)