The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-02

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 with officials. including State Commis.
 sioner of Health Dixon, meeting oi
 the sanitary officers, physicians, sur
 geons and nurses was held, at which an executive organization was formed. County Health Inspector Dr. H. E.
 Ashcroft of Coudersport was placed ir
 charge. A relief company was formed with Attorney W. S, Dubois of Couders- | port as chairman A finance commit tee was formed with M. M. Metcalf oi Austin in charge. and a supply company was formed with former Representative w. K. Sweetland of Coudersport as chairman.
 Estimates of the loss of life in Austin diminished when an army of volunteer enumerators worked its way into the
 mass of wreckage. In the opinion of many the number of deaths will moi reach. 150 while the less hopeful place the list of fatalities at 30. The property loss will exceed $6,000, ,00C and it is the general opinion that the town will never be rebuilt, Two at least of the large plants will not be constrct- ed and a majority of the business men of the place have been financially ruined.
 State officials in charge of the situa- ton, after a nasty canvass of the popu- lation, expressed the belief that not more than 150 are dead in the wreckage. Only Is bodies have been recovered at late hour tonight.
 Chief of Police D. E. Baker. however. believed that fully 300 are dead or are missing.
 The 500 men who had toled all day in a heavy rainstorm abandoned their task when darkness approached with less than a score of the bodies of the dead found.
 Reports from Costello and further down Sinnemahoning grew of more en- couraging nature as the hours advanced. At Costello while there was heavy 1i- nancial loss it was said that no more than three persons were dead.
 Beyond that point no fatalities had been reported. The survivors will not suffer from hunger or lack of care as the supplies and medical assistance rushed 10 the scene seem ample to care for them.
 T. F. Bicknell national director Of the Red Cross, arrived and brought win him S1,5O0 for immediate aid to the VIC tims. Of the injured in the hospitals none is fatally hurt.
 The homeless persons have all been provided with shelter. On the outskrits of Austin are a number of houses which were vacated by workers in the Good year lumber mill when that plant was dismantled. m,
 These houses have been filled with homeless people, The residents Of keat- ing Summit have taken in the others which are several hundred.
 Provisions continue to arrive in large quantities and there will be no suf1erlng for lack of food according to the As- sociated Press representative.
 Many evidences of the tremendous pow or of the flood were seen today py the workers in the town.
 The greatest damage was done py pies of cut lumber swept before the Iiooo' .nis acted as a great battering ram "nich syept buildings from the foundations ana unauestionably caused the deaths VI, scores who otherwise might have escaped after surviving the first rush of water.
 Investigation into the cause of the breaking of the dam will be started al once according to officials in charge or the work of rescue. That there has been constant danger of the catastrophe due 10 the inability of the structure under the great water pressure, was known to many residents of the town and a thorough in vestigation is demanded by many of the survivors.
 The state officials here found that the Austin relief organization was en- tire1v able to cope with the situation. After outlining the work they will re- turn to their homes.
 The state probably will send 200 men to continue the recovery or bodles to- morrow. Luther D. Seibert, aided by the authorities, begun census Of the living and dead, and Is Interviewing every man he can find. As many of the survivors are foreigners he is nav ing hard work to be understood;
 Employes of the Bayliss mill had as thrilling experiehces as any other per sons in the flood. Many were at work when the flood came. Fifty out of 200 were young women employed on the first floor. It is thought all but i've escaped. A dozen were injured.
 Mary Blaitz, an employe in the count ing room, told the reporters Tn the hos-