Omaha daily bee., 1911-10-01


the crest of the surging torrent
With the passing OF the water, those
who had fled to the hills hastened to
return to their ruined homes in search
OF relatives and friends Here and there
bodies had been cast up along the path
Of the torrent and about forty BODIES
were recovered in a short time some Of
them had been so badly battered by
the tossing debris that they were be-
yond reorganization, while others had been
carried along with no apparent injury.
Many were caught in burning buildings
and it will be days before the real eN-
tent Of the calamity win be known. II
is believed that no less than 40 persons
perished and some estimates sre higher.
Estimate zoo Dend.
HARRISBURG, Pa. Sept ao.-Loug
distance telephone messages received acre
from the vicinity OF Austin, give est!-
mates Of more than 4OV lives lost by the
bursting of the dam.
A telephone operator, who cut in on a
wire near Austin, telephoned that the
wreckage of the houses left by the flood
was burning fiercely shdrty after .
O'Clock and it was feared that persons
imprisoned in the ruins would Je Gre
mated.
The wall of water swept down on the
town from a distance of only half a mile
and as 1t passed Though a valley its
force was little abated when it rushed
against the 800 houses in the borough.
he dam was owned by the Bayless Pulp
and Paper company. according to the
operator, and he'd millions OF gallons OF
water. Less than ha.f a dozen houses
were left standing and men. women and
chance 10 escape Foreman stump of the
Bell Telephone company at Austin wired
from near the wrecked town that the
oompanys property had been destroyed
and told thrilling story of escape by
running to the hill near where he hap
pened to be-
Reports from Coudersport by telephone
tell that the disaster occurred about 8
oclock. but word of the horror did not
become known until more than an hour
later as the telephone wires were de-
stroyed, and farmers driving into the
borough gave the only news.
Relief parties have gone from towns in
Potter and Tiogs counties
The dam was built of concrete and was
located in the Sinnemahoning creek
CnrraNs Train Down Valley.
The water caught train Of freight cars
near the station and thsY we're carried
down the valley with the wTeokagA Of the
railroad buildings. The hotels IN the town
we're destroyed and as they were located
in the path of the torrent no one lie
thought to haveescape d from them The
fire started in the ruins of a warehouse
and communicated to row Of houses
which had partially escaped the flood
Telephone reports vary widely as to the
number of people who escaped. but eye
witnesses declare that the streets wore
filled with people who had little chance
TO escape.
The report made by S. S. Ebertz divis-
ion manager Of the Bell Telephone COM
pany to Foreman Stump. says that the
water swept down on the town without
the slightest warning 1t appeared to fill
the valley from side to side and the fury
of the flood was so terrible that 1t seemed
TO tear houses to pieces and hurl the
wreckage high in the air,
Stump says he saw the water engulf
people on the streets abs they fled for
safety to the hill sides The company'S
telephone exchange was wiped out and
its operators are thought to have been
lost.
Baldwin Lived At Austin.