Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-10-02
LOSS OF LIFE MAY
NOT EXCEED $50
Continued from page one)

| uatiol, WHICH seemed TOO appalling Tor
| the local committee which had worked
all night. Immediately orders to the
| railroad TO bring no more sightseers
/ TO Austin and Sentinels we're placed on
I the chief roadways with instructions
! to pass none but workmen. Hundreds
| of automobiles and carria ges were
| turned back
| Night of Hardship and Horror.
| During the night searching parties
with engine headlights, automobile
lamps, pine torches and improvised
| lanterns of every sort poked their way
! INTO every pile Of wreckage that was
| accessible. seeking any who might be
| alive, but scarcely a body was found in
| which life was not extinct The night
| had been one of hardship and horror
| for the men whom circumstance had
1 pressed into the sudden service of first
! aid in the flood devastated town.
| A Mammoth Concrete Dam.
The immediate scene of obliteration
| covers an area three-eighths of a mile
wide and one and ree-quarters miles
| long. This comprised the business
section and the valley residence por
ton and was bounded by Main Ruck-
aber and Thorn streets and Costello
avenue, crossed by two lesser thor
cughfares. Nearly a mile above stood
the mammoth concrete dam of the
Bayless Paper and Pulp company. 500
feet long, 81 feet high and 80 feet
thick at the bottom, tapering to
thickness of three feet at the top.
100000 Worth of Lumber.
Back of this dam yesterday lay
reservoir of water mile and half
long with an average depth of 80 feet.
Directly in front of the dam stood the
plant of the Bayless company with
four main buildings. Stacked high
near by was 100000 cords of 5G-inch
wood and slabs, and also portion of
ha c.4T
totalling in the Austin valley 15,0o0,O00
feet of hardwood and 100000 of hem
lock. This was q five year supply,
practically the last large cut of the
region, valued at s2.000.0o0.
A Smart, Little Town.
A mild stream, Freeman Run, flowed
through the town into Sinnemahoning
creek, leading to the SuSquehanna
river. The town proper was smart
little place of comfortable frame
houses and more substantial business
Buildings along the main street, which
ran from side to side across the ravine.
The principal business buildings in
cluded the brick structure occupied
Jointly by the Austin bank and the
postoffice, the department store of A.
r. Buck. the Goodyear hotel and the
Commercial house and numerous gem
eral stores
Brick Buildings as Buffers.
Five minutes after the dam burst
this stage had been swept of its
scenery and setting. Along the foot
hills were thrown telescoped houses,
while sides and fragments piled and
catapulted together. At the either end
of Main street brick buildings acted
as buffers as the 25-foot wall of water
rushed downward with its mass of de-
bris. Almost hill-high was piled the
wood steel and brick, a weird con-
glomeration of the contents of stores
and homes, with timbers and sticks
SHOT into the mass.
Break Started at Patch in Dam.
The wreckage of the dam was as
utter as it was sudden. Two immense
sections from top to bottom $50 feet
vide, were hurled out bodily as if they
had been the gates of an immense
canal lock. The outward swing was
more than 50 feetSand on either side
the remaining structure began to
crunble away. Repairs last spring
had consisted of a patch of cement
sections yesterday began at that
patch.
District Attorney to Investigate.
The cause of the breaking of the
dam is matter which the district
attorney of Potter county has taken
steps to investigate. The Bayless dam
was examined by experts over a year
ago and certain recommendations We're
made looking to it's safety. The dis
trict attorney has obtained the names
of some of the experts who submitted
the report to the Bayless company and
will summon them to testify at an in
quest to begin some day this week.
First Relief Train Arrives.
Shortly after II o'clock this morning
the first relief train arrived over the
Pennsylvania railroad. Four carloads
oi food and medical supplies loaded al
the state arsenal composed the relief
leads. This was ordered by Governor
John K. Tener, and the train left Har-
risburg at 4.10 this morning in charge
Of Major Finney of the Eighth regi-
ment. n. G. P. with eight men as
guards. At Sunberry y men of Troop
G of the state constabuiary. all the
available men at hand were taken
aboard with the troop horses.
PIunderers on the Scene.
It was shown this morning that there
was need of a strong hand to guard
the town Pillagers had been at work
during the night following a rumor
that the vaults of the Austin bank and
the safes OF several stores had been
wrecked. The rumor was not true and
the firemen and volunteers did effective
W erik in keeping off would-be plumber
ers. IN several cases the guardians
had hand to hand conflicts with the
n7aurauders in which the latter were
worsted.
Telephone Operator Spread Alarm.
Credit for the quick spread of the
alarm was given to Lena Binckey,
telephone operator. Upon receiving
the message from the Cliff house that
the dam had broken, she punched the
alarm button connecting with the fire
department and the engineers of the
Goodyear lumber mill below the town.
The engineer tied his whistle down
and the fire bell in the town was
sounded continuously. She then rush
ed to the street screaming the warn
ing cry THE dam has broken."
Then she fed for her life toward
the steep hillside at the north end of
Main street. Turning toward the val
ley, she saw the great wall of water.
descending upon the town.
Young Heroine's Story.
From where I stood, she said to-
day. the wall of water seemed 80 feet
high. Above it rose a great cloud of
spray in which houses seemed to toss
humping one another, spinning and
turning as they fell to pieces or were
swept out of my sight. The noise was
appalling.
When I fed from Main street there
were scores of people behind me, many
Of them children They did not seem
to appreciate the imninence of their
danger.
Water Buried the Houses.
Some turned into stores as if to
make casual purchase. While l was