New-York tribune., 1911-10-02

out into the valley at the foot of Main
street. offered the first resistance TO the
tremendous wave which shot down from
the broken DAM and this hill turned the
destructive wave through the Main
street business district
Stretch CT Mud and Gravel.
The valley along the western edge OF
the village was covered yesterday win
comfortable homes. To-day it is bare
stretch OF gravel, mud and muddy rivu-
let's. All the houses in that part OF the
town we're carried away So great was
the force of the wave that even the de-
pressions Of the cellars are wiped out
But TO the east. around the Main street
right angled corner, the Goodyear mn
forced the water to disgorge its loac vi
broken wood and shattered bricks ana
the wreckage of the entire town Hes now
in two great piles. covering the most o.
what was the business section. AS one
comes into town on the railroad the
smaller of these two piles is the only
wreckage 10 be seen. but a walk of a
few hundred yards around into the Main
street shows the second and larger pile
OF debris
Even those immense piles Of torn I'M
hers and broken halves Of houses 40 not
impress the onlookcr as does the next
view Of the stricken town that one has
after "A tortuous climb over the wreck
age From the side OF the hills OF 'he
Blue Ridge Of the Alleghenies, on the
western edge Of the little town, the vista
Of quarter mile wide valley. just an
even mile in length swept entirely pare
with the evidence that only yesterday II
was covered with houses, discloses the
magnitude Of the disaster. Along Main
street where the wreckage cleaned by
the destructive wave is piled the force
of the load thrown against the buildings
by the water chopped off buildings
cracked them wide open and even moved
some Of them down to level with the
ground
Presidents Of the town are standing
about the wreckage in q hopeless sort OF
way. while volunteers from all the sur
rounding towns are starting the first
work Of clearing il away preparatory 10
the final search for the many hodles
which must he concealed in IT, untl
this lob has been done the extent Of the
loss of life will not he known. The
wreckage covers more than two acres
and is piled both high and solidly In
addition 10 the mass Of broken house tim
hers and scattered bricks there is mixed
in il 100000 cords of pulp wood swept
away from the paper company's plant.
This mass Of wood formed a battering
ram which helped the wave of water in
its terrible work Of sweeping down the
houses in its path. It was stored in the
paper companys yard, just below the
dam. and as the water crashed through
# picked up this wood. the first object
in its path, and carried it on.
Townsfolk Are Hopeless.
AT present the attitude of the towns
folk is one of hopelessness. Many OF
them said to-day that they would not
rebuild their homes. that they would not
stay in Austin any longer. Where they
would go or what they would do did not
concern them. their only thought seemed
TO be 10 get away from the place or
devastation The greatest present need
of the survivors is for women's and
children's clothing and for bed clothing.
Foodstuffs have been sent in abundance.
IN charge Of the state Board of Health
and tho state constabulary, but the do
nations of clothing have been meaere
so far
Before noon to-day a cold downpour
Of rain added 70 the discomfort of the
homeless ones. and while il helped to
ouench the smouldering fires that have
been going on since yesterday afternoon
il also hampered the work Of clearing up
the debris.
Perhaps the most distressing feature
of the day was tho sad procession Of
body bearers which threaded a passage
across the clean swept valley during the
early hours Of the afternoon. when it
was decided TO move all the bodies found
up 10 that time 10 Grabe's undertaking
rooms. at the east end Of the village. Up
10 that time about twenty of the dead
\ hodies had been kort en- the village
M schooihouse. situated on Goodyear Hill,
" on tho Western edge Of the town, 10 IA
cilitate tho work OF Identification. Dr
Rover and his assistants Of the State
Board of Health ordered that all the
bodies he brought o. the east end under
taking rooms. StretChers were inpro
Nised and a procession Of volunteers car
yied the victims Of the disaster across
the desolate and muddy field where less
than a day before their homes had stood.
Dam Recently Changed
Roughly speaking, the disaster was
caused by q section Of the dam about
thirty feet i'm width breaking off from