The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1911-10-10

the tank of Austin, but it was gone,
swept away gness, bee ause L did
not see it burning.
"But the worst Of all were the
cries OF the women and children.
You see, most oil Of the men were
at work, and they wera at home
alone. They had heard the warn
ing sent out by the telephone girl.
as least some Of the people say the
fire bell rang and thew thong Int it
was q fire. Some of them rushed to
the business section and were
/ caught In the water, for that flood
travelled like race horse Those
not drowned were crushed IN
tho cIumbling buildings and others
were caught in The flames. II was
frightful. 1 cannot begin to tell it
all.
Little children playing in yards
ut home %cie caught mp on the
water and tossed about on the flood
like playthings Cattle aud horses
were swept OFT a1d cvun the side
walks were torn MP"
Without warning the whole
breast of the dam suddenly gave
way and volu nc of water nearly
80 feet deep swept down upon the
unsuspecting town below The
business section lay in the upper
part of the town ana this was the
first to I've carried away Some of
those in the residence section ut the
lower ed had just enough wal ming
of the coming flood of water to
save their lives by rushing to the
hillsides, where they watched the
destruction of THEN homes.
In few minutes scarcely build
ing in the center Of the town was
left standing. Nearly all had been
picked DIP bodily by the rushing wa
ter and swept down the valley.
Many persons saved their lives by
climbing to the roofs or upper floors
of the buildings Stories of thrill
Ing rescues are told by those who
survived the disaster.
One man, submerged by the tor
rent as he rushed from his home.
was seen q moment later climbing.
in dripping clothing, to the top of
a SIZED that had been caught by the
swirling water. AS he chung to the
ridge of the roof, IN comparative
safety, he saw n little girls body
bobbling in the turbulent water
nearby. Without IN instaut's hest
tation he leaped from his point of
security and for several minutes
was seen battling with the water
and the whirlIng tiMbers in des-
perate endeavor to rescue the child.
His effort was vain, for watchers
saw both nan and child swallowed
up by the flood, not 10 appear
again.
An aged woman appeared at an
upper window of n house as it float
ed by. She was screaming frantic
tically for help. Apparently she
had beon alone when the flood
caught her homo in its grasp. A
young man clinging to a piece of
timber heard the angnisbed screams
saw the agonized face OF the woma1.
and promptly swan 70 her. Help
ing her TO the porch roof, he then
half dragged. half carried the won
an to the roof of the house where
both rode down the valley. Their
ultimate fate is not known.
Weakness Ct Dam was Known.
The little town Of Austin was sit
uated at the mercy Of the great dam
whice burst. 1T nestled in q mar
row valley with great hills rising Oh
each side, narrowing sharply ut The
base. The dam was almost at the
towns gate. Tue town itself
stretched with the buildings cramp.
ed close together III narrow file on
the level ground below. It had a
population Of Approximately 2. 500,
although when the various indus
tries there were going full blast a
year or more ago its population was
much larger
The dam which burst was one OF
the largest in northern Pennsylya-
MIA. 1T was CONSTRUCTED about two
/ years ago by the Bayless Pulp and
J Paper Company to impoupd water
for storage purposes. The Bayles