Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-02
STORIES OF ESCAPE
Phone Girls Saved Many Lives
in Austin Flood.
WIRED A QUICK WARNING
Rang Up Many Residences Before
Fleeing for Life.
GIRL ORDERS HER LEG CUT OFF
Plnloned in Debris, She Commands
Men to Get AK and Act
Quickly.
GIRL ORDERS HER LEG CUT OF

AUSTIN, IA, October Among many
deeds of herosm i'm connection with the
flood, those of Lena Binckey and Kath-
crime Lyons, telephone operators, stand
out conSpicuously because of their quick
ness to grasp the situation and prompt
ness to act They caused a mill whistle
to be blown continuously, called up many
on their wires and fed only when they
saw another moments delay would mean
their death.
Many of the refugee in the hills
breathed prayers of Thanksgiving for the
timely warnings that came to them
through the presence of mind and BRAY
cry of the young girls.
The dam has broken. This brief
warning was shouted into many of Aus
tins homes. and the same terrible news
also was flashed by the girls to the little
town of Costello. two miles below
Horror-stricken by what she had Wit
messed. Miss Lyons was found this after
noon among other refugees Her eX-
neriences in the short time it took to
u,;ne ont the community are best told by
herself
Phone Girl Saves Many.
dav when a message came from num-
Der near the dam IT was man >o'oe'
and he cried, The dam has broken.
Warn people below. atterwaro learn
ed that this man was Harry DAVIS. lie
and some others had been up there look
ing at the water and the pulpinS seepiis
through the dam.
II heard a roar like thunder up the
valley. 1t sounded as though Thousand
trees were snappingsright at my cars. l
hogan to work the switch plugs and call
as MANY people as l could. l worked
marty lines as much as possible. and then
/ thought about the people at Costeiio-
They were two miles down, and was
afraid that l could do no more for the
poor people in Austin. l only got cou-
ME of messages into Costello. and then
the crest of the wood seemed right by
my ears. 49,
II also caused the whistles in the
town to be blown and the DeliS fuiiS'
thinking this would bring the people
into the streets, SO they could see 1or
themselves in time TO flee flnaiiy hiS
board failed to work.
How ever got out and reached hlgher
land I don't know. l can't think about
it. | don't dare allow my mind to dwell
on what took place while l was at the
board
Miss Binckey, who showed equal he
roism. said:
seemed fifty feet high. Above it rose
great cloud of spray, in when houses
seemed to toss. humping against one an
other. spinning and turning as they zen
to pieces or were swept out OF my Sight.
The noise was appalling.
When I fled from Main street there
were scores of people behind me, many
of them children. They did not seem 10
aDpreciate the imninence OF their DAN
ger.
q casual purchase While I was looking
down upon. them utterly helpless to give
further warning, the cloud OF mist that
seemed to precede the HOOD ma tneiI
from view and a moment later the green
water buried the houses from my Sisnt.
Thought Alarm a Joke.
BOYD Lockhard, a young business man
of Austin, had a narrow escape He SAID
that when he heard the alarm given he
thought some one was playing prac'
teal joke, and he went in the street to
watch the peoples actions He looked in
the direction of the dam and saw the on
coming flood, he says but three blocks
away.
1T looked like wall of wood twenty
five feet high" he said. AT first glance
did not see the water at all, because the
wood at the pulp mill was carried before
the water and became a sort of battering
ram that tore away the buildings of the
town.
II ran toward the hill and by the
greatest effort got above the level of the
water while it was surging within ten
feet of me. The ground began to give
way under me, but l managed to Chamber
TO