The Mena weekly star., 1911-10-05
NEARLY THOUSAND LIVES LOST BY BREAKING OF PENNSYL-
 WANNA DAM.
Millions of Gallons of Water Swept Down Narrow Valley, Destroying Every House in Path-Awful
 Fire From Bursted Gas Mains.

httctili, I d., totpt. Ou.-DclWctH c0t and 1000 lives were lost this after noon when this town and Costello and Wharton, below here, were de- stroyed by the bursting of a dam The reservoir of tine Bayless Paper and Pulp Company burst and wall of water twenty-five feet high swept down Freeman's Run at a speed es- timated at mile minute. Frame buildings were carried away. Stone and brick buildings were crushed Fire broke out in the debris and is still burning.
 One hundred and sixty bodies are reported found at 1 o'clock. Reports from Costello say the town has been washed away with part of the inn mense plant of the Penn Tanning Company. Nothing has been heard from Wharton, although it could scarcely have escaped as the valley is very narrow between Costello and that point.
 The dam, which was 530 feet long and 4g feet high, was g feet thick at the base and held back more than 800 million gallons of water. For the first time since it's construction two years ago the water was running over the top today and many persons went out from Austin, a mile and a half away, to see the unusual sight.
 Spectators Saw the Break.
 They were mortified when sec ton about 20 feet wide give way on the west side. A great volume of water poured through the hole, and the alarm was quickly sounded. Peo- pie ran for their lives to the hills nearby, but some were caught in the flood and whirled down the val ley. A moment later another break occurred, this time on the east side. It was much greater and permitted the bulk of the mass of water be- hind to rush in a mighty volume to- wards the lowlands.
 Harry Davis, locomotive engi- neer of this place, reached the tele- phone and notified the operator at the exchange. She called as many persons as possible, but the time was short. The raging flood tore down the little valley, carrying death on it's debris-covered crest.
 Hundreds of women and children the men were away at work--were caught in their homes and drowned or crushed before they knew what had happened. Houses went down before the mighty onrush of water, and gas pipes, bent and broken, re- leased their dangerous flood. Before the water had passed on it's terrible course through the town dozen fires were burning in as many places and the cries of the injured and inn prisoned persons joined in the ter rife thunder of the flood.
 Lodged Against Railroad Shops.
 Much of the debris lodged against the shops of the Buffalo & Susque- hanna railroad. Many men were caught here and it is believed that few, if any, escaped with their lives.
 Tine course Of the flood was through the business center of the little village. A majority of the buildings were of wood, and those which were not immediately wreck ed by the torrent were soon in flames.
 So sudden was the onslaught of the water that many persons had no time to flee to the hills. Others re- ceived the warning, and believing It was fire, hastened to the center of the town, only to be caught III the flood and swept away.
 The flood passed quickly, leaving desolation in it's wake. Houses had been crushed and tossed about like toys. while hundreds of bodies had been carried down oIi tic crest nf the surging torrent.
 With the passing of the water those who had fled to the hills nas- tened to return to their ruined homes in search of relatives ana friends. Here and there bodies had been cast up along the path of the torrent and about 40 bodies were re- covered in a short time. Some of them had been so badly battered by the tossing debris that they were be- yond recognition, while others had been carried along with no apparent injury.
 A Thousand Buildings Destroyed.
 It is estimated tonight that a thousand buildings have been torn from their foundations and crushed in the flood or have been destroyed by fire.
 Stone Buildings Crushed.
 The terrible force of the water is shown by the story of one man who declared he had seen a 2-story brick building crumple like house of cards.
 Tine railroad shseppss where the de-
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