The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-10-04
Pennsylvania Village De-
str0yed by Flood.
HUNDREDS PERISH
AND OTHERS HOMELESS
Great Dam OF the Bayless Paper Mill
Broke Away and the Waters Rushed
Down on an Unsuspectlng Town OF
$500 People and Many Hundreds are
Killed.

great dam of the Bayless Pulp and
Paper company at Austin, Pa, IA
miles from here, went out at 2:30
o'clock this afternoon Forty bodies
had been recovered from the ruins
when darkness came this evening, and
1t is estimated that fully 400 are un-
accounted for and are believed to be
dead.
The dam. which was $50 feet long
and 40 feet high, was 80 feet thick at
the base and held back more than
500,OOO,0OO gallons of water. For the
first time since its construction two
years ago, the water was running
over the top today, and many persons
went out from Austin, n mile and
half away, to see the unusual sight.
They were Mortified when a section
about 20 feet wide gave way on the
west side. A graf volume of water
passed through the hole, and the
alarm was quickly sounded People
ran for their lives to the hills nearby,
but some were caught in the flood
and whirled down the valley. A mo-
ment later another break occurred,
this time on the east side. 1t was
much greater than the first and per-
mitted the bulk of the water behind
1t to rush in mighty volume toward
the lowlands.
Telephone Girl Gave Warming.
Harry Davis, a locomotive engineer
of this place, reached a telephone
and notified the operator at the ex-
change. She called as many persons
as possible. But the time was short
The raging flood tore down the little
valley, carrying death on it's debris
covered crest. Hundreds Of women
and children-the men were away at
work-were caught in their homes
and drowned or crushed before they
knew what had happened. Houses
went down before the mighty crush
broken released their dangerous fluid.
Before the water had passed on it's
terrible course through the town
dozen fires were burning in as many
places, and the cries of injured and
imprisoned persons Joined in the ter
rible thunder OF the flood.
Much Of the debris lodged against
the shops of the Buffalo & Susque-
hanna railroad, and there the fire
ragged fiercest. Many men were
caught here, and 1t is believed that
few, IL any. escaped with their lives.
The course Of the flood was through
the business centre OF the village. A
majority Of the buildings were Of
wood, and those which were not i'm
mediately wrecked by the torrent
were soon inflames
SO sudden was the onslaught of
water that many persons had not time
to flee to the h..is, but others received
the warning, and believing it was
fire hastened to the center of the
town only to be caught in the flood
and swept away.
Passed With One Mighty Sweep.
The flood passed quickly, leaving
desolation In it's wake. Houses had
been crushed and tossed about like
toys, while hundreds of bodies had
been carried down on the crest of
the surging torrent. With the pass
ing of the water. those who had fled
TO the hills fastened to return to
their ruined homes in search Of rel
atives and friends. Here and there
bodies had been cast up along the
path of the torrent and about 40
bodies were recovered In a short time
Some of them had been so badly bat
tered by the tossing debris that they
were beyond recognition, while Others
had been carried along with no ap-
parent injury. Many were caught in
burning buildings and it will be days
before the real extent Of the calamity
will be known. 1t is believed that no
less than 400 persons perished and
some estimates are higher.
Engineer Describes Disaster.
In describing the hood Engineer
Davis said:
There was nothing to indicate that
the dam was about to give away. With
sharp report hole appeared in the
west end In a moment water poured
through and 1t was Immediately seen
that Che hole was getting larger. In
a minute 1t was 20 feet wide and
extended almost the entire height of
the dam. Then there was another