The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-10-01
As HARRTSBt HEARD IT.
Early News OF the Disaster by Telephone
From C0udcrsplrt. Pa.

HARRISBURG. Pa, Sept. 80. The town
Of Austin in Potter county. has been
wiped out by a deluge of water resulting
from the breaking Of a paper mill dam
at c:3o o clock this afternoon The low
est estimate placed on the death list ia
201, while others say tn housand have
drowned in the torrent which carried the
community of 500 homes down valley
for "A distance of a mile or more. Fire
followed the food and only small num-
ber OF dwellings on the hills remain.
Austin is remote part of Potter county
in the north central part of Pennsyl-
vana. The nearest town oe anv size is
Coudersport. From tha, place this after
noon came an appe1l TO sand linemen To
repair telephone wires. A later message
brought the first news Of the disaster
Coudersport. with which Harrisburg has
been in telephone communication. con-
firms the story Of the disaster and adds
a meagre description Of the way in which
Austin met her fate.
The Bayless pulp and paper mill. en-
ploying nearly every man and boy and
many Of tn" women in the town Of Austin,
the population of which is 1000. got its
power through the big dam. the bursting
of which let loose the torrent that wrough
the destruction Of Austin. The town is on
tho famous trout stream known as the
Sirnemahoning Greek The dam opened
tho doors of freedom to at leas, three or
four hundIc million gallons of water
Tho lake was confined by dam SIS feet
high and GOO feet long. II was a mile
and a half frcm Austin
Details Of how the hundreds Of people
lost their lives are lacking All Couders-
port has been deserted by the population.
which has adjourned TO the scene Of the
disaster. Over the long distance tsla-
phone it is ascertained that no real esti-
mate can be placed ON the number Of
fatalities. One message TO this city says
900 persons have been drowned, another
says 100 and three others say that hasty
investigation places the number Of dead
at 200 or more.
A sudden stop was put to all traffic
within a wide area of the stricken region.
The tracks of the Buffalo and Susquehanna
railroad, which runs through Austin, were
washed away, it is said. for twenty five
miles. Trains have been discontinued
and help is being sent by automobile s
and wagons.
Coudersport, the nearest town of any
size, has shipped the entire hospital corps
and all able bodied men to the assistance
Of the town, which is now reduced to a
mass of wreckagc spread over an area
twenty times its original size.
A later telephone message to this city
says that the entire town of Austin has
been destroyed and al that remains are q
few dwellings on the outskirts of the pla ce
Houses were foated like so many pieces
os pine wood and witness says that he
has seen many dead bodies. many of
which are being carefully conveyed to
Coudersport,
The latest message by telephone from
the editor of the Coudersport Democrat,
says hundreds Of men and women and
children are suffering from broken limbs
u, result Of being thrown and pitched
ahput the interior Of houses turn d topsy
'lrvv ~ the deluge.
The Bell Telephone COMPANY mana ger
u"r" hls received word from a section
foreman mined Stump that the latter
and his helper barely escaped death when
they were repairing lines on top Of a polo
II snort distance from Austin.
=. ) tberts, central Pennsylvania
manager for the Bell Telephone Company
says .'hai III" fact that Austin cannot be
Reached On the telephone verifcs the
report that the town must hc destroyed
IN" dam backed M water for mile
ihe water wa" forty-iivc feet deep.
RACE HoMl FROM BASEBALL GAME
tu'.in in situated on I; narrow valley
between steep hills. The chief industry