The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1911-10-12
800 DEAD IN PENNSYLVANIA FLOODS

crushed by the crumbling buildings
and others were caught in the flames.
Little children playing in the yards
at home were caught up by the water
and tossed about on the flood like
playthings. Cattle and horses were
swept off, and even the sidewalks
were torn up. And over and above
it all were the shrieks of the hundreds
of poor people who could not escape.
Only -Four Buildings Left.
One thousand buildings were torn
from their foundations and crushed in |
the flood or destroyed by fire. The
water made it's way through the BUSH
ness section of the town, and left only |
four buildings standing.
Food Supply Soon Exhausted.
Until help comes from the outside,
little can be done to ascertain the loss
or succor the injured. Those so for.
tunate as to live above the line of the
flood were called to help the surviv-
ers from the valley and the food sup.
ply was soon exhausted, as every gro
Gerry store with the exception of one
small establishment, was swept away.
Many went without their evening
meal, and unless help comes they will
have no breakfast today.
Among the principal places de-
stroyed was the plant of the Emporium
Lumber Company, not vestige of it
being left. A part of the plant of the
Bayless Pulp and Paper Company,
whose dam gave way, also disappear
ed under the raging waters, and the
Commercial hotel and Davis house
went down before the rush. The
White house, another hotel, was burn
ed and it is believed that a number
of persons persisted with the building.
One of the spots where the force
of the flood was felt most severely
was at the junction of Freeman Run
with another small stream in the mid
die of the business section. The pri.
mary election was in progress in the
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 car
ried away. Not a trace Of the build
ing in which the election was being
held could be seen.
| Man in Auto Gives Warning.
At Costello, which was practically
destroyed by the raging water. the
people were warned by a young man
who sped through the valley in an au-
tomobile shouting to the people to
take to the hills. His course was over
| ,rh
Icy, but he maintained lead over the
rushing water and arrived at the little
hamlet in time to spread the news be-
fore the flood arrived.
The first alarm of the dam breaking
was given by Bell telephone line.
man, who saw the advance of the wa.
ter from the top of a pole. He tore
open long distance wire and notified
Galeton with his test set and then fled
to the hills, barely escaping with his
life.
The dam that broke was about half
mile above the town. 1t was 600
feet long and so feet high. It backed
the water for more than mile. The
dam was constructed of concrete ma
sonry. Only a year ago it threatened
to give way, but the damage was re-
paired in time to prevent a catastre4
phe.
Heavy Rains Swell Stream.
Heavy rains in the hills that sur
J rounded the town, had been falling
7 for the "a hours. Violent freshets III
small brooks that feed the Sinnama
} honing caused a sudden, swift rise OF
that stream. The new masonry gave
l way with a terrible roar as a great
l volume of water rushed into the main
stream from it's little tributaries. The
thunder of the crash came so swiftly
l that the people in the peaceful vii
9 NO warning of their impending doom
t The deluge hit with full force every
J. building Immediately in it's track ant
4 either carried them down or wrecked
l. them before their occupants were
l. aware of what had happened. II
e scores of instances people were drow \
ed in their homes without knowing
/ what had caused the flood.
n A sudden stop has been put to al
JIdlllC WlLulll d WluS dl Cd VI llIC oil ~ ~
!, en- section. Railroads have discontin
d ued their trains and help is being rush
e ed over water swollen roads in all
2, tomobiles, wagons and other hurried.
q contrived conveniences. Coudersport
1t the nearest town OF any size, ha
started every ablebodied man to thu
d assistance of the village. Scores o
II bodies have been rescued and are nov
o being hurried to Coudersport.
The dam was completed in Novcn
e Der, 1909, by the paper company at
u cost of 100000. The company's planl
e of which the dam was part is est
mated to be worth $1,000,000.
II The Johnstown food, which is re
II called by the Austiw. Pa, disaster, oe
e Cured on the afternoon of May 81
e 1889, and 2,142 lives were lost az
i, property was damaged to the extern
a | hO