The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-02
death Loss IN THE AUSTIN FLOOD WILL
: PROBABLY NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED FIFTY
d through the town into slnnema.

IitcT. 4u0 IOWA. e6So con-
sisted of comfortable fra... h,s, 80
and more substantial businesss.e s
ings along the main street. which f>.
from side to side across the ravine.
Five minutes after the dam burst
the stage had been swept of its seem
cry and its setting. Along the foot
hills were thrown telescoped houses.
At either end Of Main street, brick
buildings acted as buffers as the twen-
ty-five foot wall of water rushed
downward with its mass Of debris. AL
most hill high. the wood, steel and
nrick were piled. strange mixture Of
the contents Of stores and home and Of
varied length timbers and sticks.
The wreckage OF the dam had been
as complete as 1t was sudden. Two
immense sections from top to bottom,
hundred and fifty feet wide, were
thrown out bodily like the immense
gates of canal lock. The outward
swing was more than fifty feet and on
either side the remaining structure
gradually began to crumble. Repairs
OF cement fourteen feet square. One
OF the severed sections yesterday be-
gan at that patch.
The cause Of the breaking Of the
dam Is matter which the district at
torney of Potter county is to investi.
gate. The Bayless dam was examined
by experts more than a year ago and
certain recommendations were made
looking to its safety. The district at
torney has secured the names H some
of the experts who submitted the re-
summon them to testify at an inquest
to begin some day this week.
Relief Work.
Shortly after IL o'clock Sunday
morning the first relief train arrived
carloads of food and medical supplies
from the state arsenal composed the
relief loads. This was ordered by Gov
ernor Tener. the train leaving Harris
burg at 4:10 o'clock in charge of Ma
jor 'Finney of the Eighth regiment N.
g. p. with eight men as guards. At
Subery, Pa, twenty-one men of troop
c. of the state constabulary, all the
available men at hand. were taken
caused by the loading of the troop
horses.
1t 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 the
rumor that the vaults Of the Austin
bank and the safes Of several stores
had been wrecked. The rumor was
not true. The firemen and volunteers
did effective work in keeping off
would-be plunderers. In several cases
the guardians had hand to hand con-
f1icts with the marauders, in which the
latter were worsted.
The survivors of the flood had not
recovered from the horror Of the
scene this morning and for many
hours none but strangers visited the
ruins. AS the day progressed small
knots of survivors met and visited the
sight of the ruined town. Many strik-
ing incidents Of the flood and escapes
were recounted.
Credit for the quick spreading Of
the alarm was given to Lena Binckey,
q telephone operator. Upon receipt Of
the dam had broken, she pushed the
alarm button connecting with the fire
department and the engineers Office 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 fled for her life toward the steep
hillside at the north end of Main
street. Turning toward the valley, she
saw the great wall Of water descend
ing upon the town.
From where I Stood" she said to-
day. "the wall Of water seemed fifty
feet high. Above 1t rose great cloud
Of spray in which houses seemed to
toss. humping against one another,
spinning and turning as they fell to
pieces or were swept out Of my sight,
The noise was appalling.
when fed from Main street there
were scores of people behind me, many
of them children. They did not seem
to appreciate the imminence Of their
danger.
Some turned into stores as II to
make purchase. While was look
ing down upon them. utterly helpless
to give further warning, the cloud Of
mist that seemed to precede the flood
hid them from view and moment
later the water buried the houses
from my sight"