The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01
Forty Bodies Reco0ered From the Wa ter While Fully 45O Are Undc- counted For-Will RiOdl the
 JOhnstoWn Flood
FIRES ARE BURNING FIERCEvss
 AND VICTIMS WILL BE CRF22 ATED
Governor Tener is Asked Send State Cons ary Guard Ruins and Preserve Order-Relief Trail Ire Rushing to the Stricken City, While the Head of the
 Red Cross Hurries to Scene

Austin, Pa. September @.--Mere than 300 persons were drowned and untold numbers were maimed here this after noon when the great dam of the Bayless Pulp and Paper company holding back more than 50o,00OOoO gallons of water, went out Forty bodies have been re- covered. many of them so maimed that recognition is impossible. Governor Tensr of Pennsylvania has been asked for help and relief train is on the way from Coudersport 14 miles away.
 Salient facts of the disaster are: Dam burst one and half miles north of town.
 Water to the amount of 4oo,5oo.o .o0O gallons rushed down on town.
 Fires follow bursting of natural gas mains.
 Scores of persons caught beneath de- bris and otherwise slowly cremated over 1000 buildings wrecked.
 Heavy rains of past two weeks caused reservoir to overflow since com pleted year ago.
 Much property swept away.
 Physicians, nurses and supplies being rushed from surrounding towns over the mountain to devastated district. Governor Tener orders state health and charity officials to the scene to- gether with Adjutant General Stewart and a large force of state police.
 Town had population of 3200.
 Costello town of 450 population, be- low Austin, swept away.
 Two-thirds of citizens believed to have perished.
 Thousand Buildings Destroyed
 It is estimated that 1000 buildings have been torn from their foundations and crushed in the floor, or have beer destroyed by fire. frlle water made its way through the business seetion q the town and left oY}y fui1 buildings sssa ndilIg. The valley of Freeman's Rur is narrow and the town was built along it's banks All the buildings in tht lower part of the valley were swIep clear of their foundations by the tor rent and many of those which re- nained quickly fell a prey to thu flames.
 There was no one to attempt to stoI the fire and it was allowed to burn it self out, the survivors of the foot standing idly on the hilisides, stunned beyond the power to act. A feeble ef fort was made in the lower part c the town where the flood soon spen
 
 but it was sporadic.
 The full force of the catastroph could be seen from that point bette than from any other and all effort were abandoned. It is reported som lives were saved at this point, bit i they were, their names were not ob tained.
 The scene tonight is appalling. Her. and there can be seen the light of torch or lantern, as a distracted fathe searched along the bank for some evi dence of his family and home.
 Men whom a day ago were among the most collected in the communit, know not what to do. There is no leader and hundreds ar waiting for morning before they will at tempt to act. The few who are trying to bring some order out of chaos ar handicapped by the cries of the bereave' and maimed. es
 Devastation Unknown
 The extent of the devastation will no be known for a week.
 Scenes of indescribable pathos marke the village during the early hours of tn night. Many women who had lost thei children wandered around in the dark ness crying their names in the vain hop they would answer. while here and ther worn and broken man stood at tn ruins of his home, dazed, wondering whe the bodies of his family would be found It is the general belief some of tn dead will never be recovered.
 Many were burned in the fire and other were ground to pulp by the masses c timbers and stone swept down by tn flood.
 The terrible force of the water is show by the story of one man, who. standin in the street, declared he had seen two story brick building scrumple up lik paper. Residences suffered because their wood construction. While no acct rate estimate of the damage to all ca be had before tomorrow, the survivor are ruined completely.
 Shops where debris piled high and whc resisted for time the force of the w. ter will probably prove to be the deat chamber of the majority of the men WI were employed there. A rescuing part attempted to reach the interior of u ruins. but was driven back by the sme of burning flesh Strong men ocean towards and until aid comes from tl outside little can be done to ascerta the loss or otherwise succor the injure Those fortunate enough to live @aboN the flood line were called to help tl survivors from the valley and the fot supply was soon exhausted. as evei grocery store, with the exception of or small establishment on Costello stree was swept away. Mary went witho anything to eat anu uiileSS uetp com thev will have no breakfast in the nor ing.
 Miraculous Escapes
 Many incidents are being told tonig o, roiraculous escaps.s and terrib deaths. The young fsife ie C of f, Dr. Man T, r.a+ wall of water swept into Il town. The house was torn from i foundations, crushed almost nest Instant a and the entire na family in ,Ss droMnsd Nosn1ta ? Mah5WIs ,hs n,l1 and Gmself escaped
 ''f Policeman iI Z. A. Bahker, a candida for sheriff Potter county. was Ma,n street When the )alarm was give Main ,sl ,',,sa Twas only a short distan swas @ Hsran to 1t With all speed al srriyed arrive " time to give his wife al family family wrning. They fled to the h and escy'ed. e
 promin{,t merfhants bf the town aI p,s wii1. werehost. 1'hey were wall