The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-10-05
Property Loss At Austin And Costello
Placed At $6,000,000
ONLY 1s BODIES ARE FOUND so FAR
Not More Than Eight Injured In The Little Hospital
No Lack Of Food--State Constabulary On Hand
To Keep Order--Survivors Stories.

| csCdpeu, Dul HedIuy was q oNOiN anu
there the flames appeared first. Then
looked for the Bank of Austin, but
1t was gone, swept away.
shrleks OF the Victims.
But worst of all we're the cries OF
the women and children. You see
most all the men were at work, and
they were at home alone, They had
heard the warning sent out by the
telephone girl, at least some of the
people say the fire bell rang, and
thought 1t was a fire. Some of them
dushed to the business section and
were caught In the water, for that
food Travelled like racehorse. Those
not drowned were crushed in the
crumbling buildings and others were
caught in the flames. It was fright.
full. | cannot begin to tell 1t all
Little children playing in yards at
home were caught up by the water
and tossed about on the food ike
! playthings. Cattle and horses were
swept off, and even the sidewalks
were torn up. never imagined there
could be such force. And over and
above II all were the shrieks Of the
hundreds of poor people who could
not escape don't know how any OF
us got away"
Thousand Buildings Gone.
It is estimated that a thousand
buildings have been torn from their
foundations and crushed in the food
or have 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 Freemans Run is mar
row and the town was built along its
banks. All the buildings in the lower
part of the valley were swept clear
off their foundations by the torrent
and many of those which remained
quickly fell a prey to the flames.
There was no one to attempt to stop
the fire. and II was allowed to burn
itself out, the survivors of the food
standing idly on the hill sides, stun
ned beyond the power to act A feeble
effort was made In the lower part Of
the town where the flood soon spent
its force, to save property and lives
but It was sporadic. The full force
of the catastrophe could be seen from
that point perhaps better than from
any other and all efforts were aban-
doned
Searching For Loved Ones.
The scene in the village is ap-
palling Here and there can be seen
the light of some torch or lantern as
a distracted father searches along the
banks of the food for some evidence
of his family and home. Men who a
day ago were among the most level.
headed in the community know not
what to do.
Scenes OF indescribable sadness
marked the village during the early
hours of the night Many women
who had lost their children wandered
in the darkness, crying their names
in the vain hope they would answer
while here and there worn and
broken man stood at the ruins Of his
home dazed, wondering when the
bodies OF his family would be found.
But il is the general belief some OF
them will never be recovered.
A Death Trap.
The railroad shops, where the
debris is piled high and which resist
ed for a time the force of the water
will probably prove to be the death
chamber of the majority of men VINO
were employed there. A resculns
party attempted to reach the interiors
of the ruins, but were driven back by
the smell of burning flesh. Those so
fortunate as to live above the line OF
food were called to help the sur
vivors from the valley, and the ioou
supply was soon exhausted as every
I,grocery store, with the exception OF
one small establishment, was swept
away.
All the Churches Gone.
William Nelson, one OF the mos.
prominent merchants of the town, anu
his wife were lost. II is said they
were walking on Turner street when
the wall of water rolled down tn"'
thoroughfare. Their bodies have "o'
been recovered Every house on
Turner street was destroyed by l"e
food and the debris piled high along
the little valley. The five or SA
churches in the town are all gone ."o
only public institutions left stanu"s
being the hospital and the scnoO,
house. They were above the "V'D
] line.