Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-10-05
800 PERISH WHEN
DAM GIVES AWAY
WATER BUSHES DOWN NARROW
VALLEY, WIPING OUT PENN
SYLVANIA VILLAGES.
FLAMES ADD TO TERR0RS
Bodies OF Victims Are Crushed and
Roasted, Making identification of
Many lmpossibIe-Property Loss Is
Estimated at SIS, 100000

Coudersport, Pa.-OYer 500 men,
women and children, one-tenth of the
total population, were drowned and
countless numbers injured when the
mammoth dam Of the BayIess PuID
and Paper company burst with a roar
ana poured its half billion gallons
OF water down upon the town of Aus
TIN, fourteen miles from this city.
Located in valley between two
nigh hills that extend east and west
Ior miles, Austin was at the mercy
OF the food which swept nearly every
building away, piling them up at the
mouth OF narrow gulley east of
town.
Catching from broken gas pipes.
hre quickly added its terror, the
flames raging unchecked, roasting
awe the victims who remained in
the debris.
Within few hours 139 bodies
had been recovered, but they consti-
tute only a fraction of the entire
number of victims, many of whom
were swept on down the valley with
the food.
In the valley below Austin are the
villages of Costello and Wharton.
After laying the larger towns in
ruins the flood swept on to them.
caught in the nav of the rushing
water they, too, succumbed, but
warned by a modern Paul Revere.
VINO dashed ahead of the food over
rock roads in a motor car, the in
habltants had time to escape.
The property loss in the valley is
estimated at $6,00O,00O
The first alarm of the dam break
ing was given by Bell telephone
Ilneman, who saw the advance of the
water from the top of a pole. He
tore open a long distance wire and
notified Galeton with his test set and
then fed to the hills, barely escap-
ing with his life.
The dam, a great structure $50
feet long, spanning the little valley
formed by Freedman run, and rising
to the height of 40 feet, was built
TWO years ago. 1t was Of concrete.
81 feet wide at the base, and said to
be constructed after the most an
proved plans Of modern engineering.
The basin behind it had never been
filed with water until a few DAYS
ago, and water was running over the
TOP or the structure. Many persons
went out of the town, a mile and
half away, to see the unusual sight.
and 1t was while they were watching
the overlooking water that the first
break occurred.
1t was wonderful sight" said
Harry Davis, Buffalo & Susquehan-
ma locomotive engineer, who was in
the little knot of persons near the
dam
There was nothing to indicate
that the dam was about to give way
and some one had just remarked
about it's strength when, with a sharp
report, a hole appeared in the west
end. In a moment water poured
through and it was Immediately seen
that the hole was getting larger. In
minute it was twenty feet wide and
extended almost the entire height of
the dam.
Then there was another report
and it seemed as if the whole struc-
ture was giving away.
with cry of alarm I fed to the
nearest high ground and persons
scattered in every direction. 1t was
apparent that all the great body of
water behind the dam was going out.
Some were caught, and before I
could tell what was happening the
water was tearing down Freeman
Runs wall, fifty feet high, and sweep,
ing everything before it.