Omaha daily bee., 1911-10-22
WHEN DAMS BREAK LOOSE
Wrath Of Resistless Waters, as
Pictured in Fiction.
ROMANCE MIXED WITH DISASTER
Charles Reade Describes the TER
rIbIe Consequences OF Dam
Giving Way in spite OF
Precautions,

with the admlxture OF romance over
looked, Charles Reodo's description In
Put Yourself in His Place OF the burst
ing OF the dam at Onsley reservoir, near
Hnllsborough, England. gives in fiction
thrilling picture OF tho realities OF the
disaster at Austin Pa, September 30,
1911. and at Johustown, Pa. May 81. 1889,
The novelist describes the dam, It's great
width and strength, and the special pre-
cautions OF the constructor TO enable
any undue pressure OF the water TO be
relieved without delay. Then came the
finding OF crack in the dam, the open
ing OF the sluice pipes, and the inspection
all too late TO avert the disaster which
tho giving away OF the dam brings on
the Inhabitants of the adjoining valley
The most remarkable OF the escapes was
that OF Henry Little and Grace Coventry
two lovers who had been separted, Grace
having married Frederick Coventry. Fol
| lowing is a description of the scene:
what seemed mountain OF snow
came rolling, and burst on them with ter
rifle violence, whirling great trees anc
| fragments OF houses past with incrcdu
lous velocity.
at the first blow, the house that stood
nearest TO the flying lake was shattered
and went TO pieces. soon after; all the
houses aulvered as the water rushed
round them two stories high.
Little never expected to live another
minute: yet in that awful moment, hi'
love stood firm. { lie screamed TO Grace
The houses must gol--the tree!--the tree
get to. the tree!'
But Grace, so weak at times was mon
than mortal strong at that dread hour
" What! Live with him. she cried
when l can die with your
"She folded her arms, and her pale fac'
was radiant. no hope, no GEAR
Now came a higher wave, and water
reached above the window stills OF the
badHoom floor and swept away the lad
der; vet, driven forward like cannon
bullet. did not yet pour into the bed
rooms from the main stream; but by
degrees the furious Good broke, melted
and swept away the Intervening houses
and then hacked off the gable-end OF
Grace's hous, as II Leviathan had bit
ten piece out. Through that aperture
the flood came straight in, leveled the
partitions at blow rushed into the
upper rooms with fearful roar, and then,
rushing out again to rejoin the greater
body Of water, blew the front wall clean
away, and swept Grace out into the
raging current.
Tho mighty reflux, which, after SHORT
struggle overpowered the rush Of water
from the windows, and carried Grace'l
helpless body away from the tree, drove
her of course, back toward the houses
and she was whirled past Little's win.
dow with fearful velocity just as he
was going to leap into the flood and
perish in an insane attempt to save her
with a loud cry he seized her by tho
long floating hair and tried to draw hel
In at the window, but the mighty water
pulled her from him fiercely. and all bu
dragged him in after her; he was only
saved by clutchlng the side OF the wal
with his left hand; the flood was like
some rvast solid body drawing agains
him, and terror began to seize on his
heart He ground his teeth, he set his
knee against the horizontal projection
Of the window, and that freed his left
hand; he suddenly seized her arm with
1t, and. clutching violently, ground his
teeth together. and, throwing himself
backward with a jerk, tore her out o
the water by an effort almost super.
human. Such was the force exerted by
the torrent on one side and the des.
perate lover on the other that not heI
only. but her stockings, though gartered
were torn off her In that fierce struggle
a New Danger.
/ a -.