The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-02
DOUBTFUL|F TOWN
WILL Be REBUILT
Practically All Business Men
Utterly Ruined by
Flood
INVESTIGATION ORDERED
Attempt Will Be Made to Place
Blame for Dams
Destruction.

'(Continued From First Page)
Austin Bank and the post Office, the
department store Of ~ r. Buck. the
Goodyear Hotel and the Commercial
Hotel, and numerous general stores.
WreekaEe Complete us IL Is sudden.
Five minutes after the dam burst
this stage had been swept of its
scenery and setting. Along the foot
nils were thrown telescoped houses.
whoie sides and fragments piled and
catapulted together. AT either end OF
Main Street brick buildings acted as
buffers as the twenty-five foot wall of
water rushed downward with Its mass
OF debris. Almost hill high, the wood
steel and brick were piled. strange
mixture of the contents OF stores and
homes and OF varied lengths timbers
and sticks shot into the mass The
~reckage OF the dam had been as com
piete as 1t was sudden. Two immense
sections from top to bottom, q hundred
and nifty feet wide were thrown out
BODILY ike the immense gates Of a
canal lock. The outward swing was
more than fifty feet. and on either
side the remaining structure began
gradually to crumble away Repairs
insi spring had consisted OF patch
OF cement fourteen feet square. one
OF the severed sections yesterday be-
gan at that patch.
The cause OF the breaking of the
dam is matter which the district
attorney of Potter county has taken
steps to investigate. The gayless dam
was examined by experts over year
ago and certain recommendations were
made looking to its safety. The dis.
'fict attorney has secured the names
OF some OF the experts who submitted
me report TO the Bayless COMPANY
and Will summon them 20 tes,i1v al,
an inquest to begin some day this
week
Relief work has not been systemati
caliy organized tonight. bu, II ts
hoped that by morning the chaotic
condition Will have seen somewhat r.
lioved
'he hrst relief train arrived over the
Pehnsyivania Railroad. -Four carloads
OF food and medical supplies loaded
~ the State arsenal composed the
reiief loads. ms was ordered nv
Governor John X Tener and the trim
iett Harrisburg at $40 this morning in
charge OF Major rinney. of the Eighth
Regiment. y. G. p. with eight men as
guards. AT Sunbury. Pa. 81 men
OF troop C. OF the State constabularv
all the available men at hand. were
taken aboard and a delay OF an hour
was caused by the loading OF the
troops.
PiilaSers Mt Work Among the Dead.
1t was shown this morning thar
there was need of strong hand to
guard the town. Pillagers had been
at work during the night. following
the rumor that the vaults of the Aus
tin bank and the safes of several
stores had been wrecked. The rumor
was not true. and the hremen and
volunteers did effective work in keen
ing off would-be p!underers. In sew
eral cases the guardians had hand to-
hand conflicts with the marauders. in
which the latter were worsted
The survivors of the flood had not
recovered from the horror of the scene
this morning. and for many hours none
but strangers visited the ruins. AS
the day progressed small knots of sur
vivors let and visited the site of the
ruined town Many striking incidents
OF the food and escapes were re-
counted.
Credit for the quick spreading of
the alarm was given to Lena Binekey,
q telephone operator. Upon receiving
the message from the Cliff House that
tho dam had broken, she pushed the
alarm button connecting with the Fire
Departments. and the engineers OF the
Goodyear Lumber Company began TO
blow the alarm. The engineer tied
the whistle down. She then rushed
to the street screaming the warning
C The dam has broken" Then she
fed for her lie toward t { steep hill
side at the north end of Main Street.
Turning toward the valley she saw
the great wal; Of water descending
upon the town.
from where l Stood" she said to-
day, tine wall OF water seemed fifty
Feet hign. Above 1t rose a great cloud
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