Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-10-05
KILLED WHEN DAM
BREAKS, FLOODING TOWNS
Wall Of Water RuShes on Austin and Costello,
Pa, and Inhabitants Are Ingulfed as
They Flee in Panic Through Streets.

down and its blasts re-echoed through
the valley.
The residents of Austin heard the
whistle. but did not dream of the
food.
The wires were quickly torn down
and it was impossible to convey any
warning.
The little town Of Costello. below
this place, has been annihilated. The
population is between 400 and 500 per.
sons.
Practically every building in Cos
tello was leveled by tine torrent.
only 100 Bodies Recovered.
Only 100 bodies have been recov.
cred, many of them SO manned that
recognition is impossible.
The survivors are in a frenzy
There is no organization, the town
being dazed by the force of the ca
lamity, which came without a mo-
ment's warning.
Burgess Michael Murn has not been
located and it is feared he has been
drowned. Hundreds of men, women
and children are searching through
the ruins of the village for their fam
lilies and friends.
The only light is the glare of hun
dreds of houses, which caught fire
from broken gas pipes almost before
the food had passed. Meantime,
many bodies lie in the wake of the
flood.
1t will be many q long day before
the section stricken will recover from
the blow. Bonfires lighted or the hill
sides at night are the gathering places
for little groups, who stand and con-
verse in low tones, a%nxiously peering
out into the darkness whenever the
fire casts a glare on the form of o
passerby, hoping against hope that
the passerby will prove someone for
whom they are waiting and watching
yet with a feeling that they are hop
ing against hope.
Four Business Buildings Standing.
1t is estimated that a thousand
buildings have been torn from their
foundations and crushed in the flood
or nave been destroyed by fire. The
water made its way through the bust
ness section of the town and left only
four buildings standing.
The valley of Freeman's run is a
row, and the town was built along its
banks. Ali the buildings in the lower
part of the valley were swept clear OF
their foundations by the torrent, and
many of these which remained, quick
ly fell.
the fire and it was allowed to burn
itself out, the survivors of the flood
standing Idly on the hillsides, stunned
beyond the power to act. A feeble eff
fort was made in the lower part of
the town where the food 500 spent
it's force, to save the property and
lives, but it was sporadic. The full
force of the catastrophe could not be
seen from that point perhaps. better
than from any other, and all efforts
were abandoned.
Many Die in Flames.
Many persons, crushed and helpless
in the wrecks of buildings only partly
destroyed by the water, were con-
sumed in the flames. Their shrieks
could be heard by the helpless ones
who, awakened from their paralysis
by the scenes about them, endeayored
to save a life here and there where it
seemed possible. But they we're driv-
en- back by the deadly fumes of the.
gas or the heat of the flames, and half
an hour after the food had passed
they stood on the hillside pitiful in
their inability to do anything but be
moan the fate of their friends. Won
en- and children there were among the
wounded and dying, but among the,
scores of men who might at other
times have braved death to save the
lives of the unfortunate there was
none to dare.