Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-10-06
FLOOD, LO0SENED WHEN BIG
DAM BURSTS, CARRIES
ALL BEFORE 1T.
LOSS OF LIFE may REACH
ENORMOUS TOTAL OF 500
Scores Are Drowned or cremated and
Until the Debris Is Cleared Away,
the Last Pile Of Burning Refuse
Examined, the Number Of Dead
viii Not be Known.

Austin, Pat would take the
brush of Verestchagin, that won
derful Russian painter Of desolation,
to convey an adequate impression of
the ruin wrought at Austin. No more
words can tell the story, though they
may give an idea of what has oc-
Cured. The number OF bodies recov-
cred from the ruins of the village
wiped out by the bursting of the
dam of the Bayless Pulp & Paper Co.
is no indication of the number Of
dead. A conservative estimate of the
loss places the dead at 200 or more.
from the wreckage and Is Of these
identified.
1t is estimated that of the 675
houses in the village 500 have been
swept away. Nearly all were dwell.
ings and it is fair to presume that
at least one person was in each of
them. This would bring the total to
500 persons lost. AS matter of fact
no one can estimate with accuracy the
loss of life. Whole families were de-
stroyed. The hysterical place it as
high as 1000, the conservatives say
300. Until the debris is cleared away
until the last pile Of burning refuse
has been examined and the charred
bones of those who died by fire as well
as those who met death by drowning
have been counted and the number
of reported missing tabulated, the
number of dead will not be known.
Destruction Was Quick.
The story of the havoc wrought
could have been recorded on a camera
in five minutes. From the second the
dam gave away until the great wave
of water passed over Austin, only that
small space of time elapsed. At 2:3C
p. m. the main street of Austin was
filled with women doing their weekly
shopping. Scores of persons hat
driven in from the surrounding coun
try. The hitching rods along the
principal thorougfare were lined witt
horses. Four hundred employees were
at work in the pulp mill while Isl
more stacked lumber in the yards
There was a report as of a cannon
Then came another. There was nc
need to tell anyone who heard 1t what
had happened. The engineer at the
mill seized the telephone and called
to the central operator at Austin tha
the dam had broken. Then he threw
the receiver down and climbed FOL
s6fety. In a second the water wa:
about him, but he escaped.
Two minutes after the operator a
40
THE dam has gone out" a wall o
water so feet high was upon it. Fift.
feet high for the first half mile it fel
to height of 40 feet 1t carried al
before it. Frame buildings and thos
Of brick were toppled over.
Inhabitants Were Helpless.
Down Main street 1t came with
roar that struck terror to the heart
Of all in the town. Men clambored TO
places of safety. Those on the frs
floors of houses sought the uppe
floors only to be swept through win
iows by the thrush of waters. Their
was no bridge of masonry as a
Johnstown to hold the debris an,
make it funeral pyre. There wa
some railroad trestle. This went ou
with the flood. Not house from tn
paper mill, half and quarter away
to Goodyears and Davis hotels wa
left. Dwellings and business house
we're carried with their contents tow
ard and even to the village Of Co:
.ello.
There were few eye witnesses VIII
could describe what had taken place
Those who escaped know only tina
they heard the roar. The fire bell ran
when the engineer telephoned froI
the mill and ran and escaped. Thos
in the cottages on the hills saw tn
water rush by them, heard the roaI
heard the shrieks of the hundred
caught in the angry flood, were hell
less and in a few minutes saw tn
waters recede.