The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-10-05
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Mill Dam Near Austin, Z
Loosens Mighty
Torrent

Five Hundred Million Gallons of Wa
ter Break Through Dam With
Mighty Roar and Rush Down Upon
Towns and Valley, Where Fires
Add to Horror.
DeaiIs Of Catastrophe
Dam of the Bayliss Pulp & Paper
company burst one mile and half
north of town
Fire follows bursting CT natural gas
mains.
Scores of persons caught beneath
debris and slowly cremated.
Over 1000 buildings wrecked
Heavy rains of past two weeks
caused reservoir to fill for first time
since erected two years ago.
Food supply has been swept away.
Costello, town of 450 people, be-
low Austin, swept away.
Ccudersport, Pa, Sept. 3O.-with a
roar that could be heard for miles
the great dam of the Bayliss Pulp &
PAPER company, at Austin, Pa, four
miles from here went out at 1880
o'clock this afternoon.
The dam which was 130e feet long
and 40 feet high, was 80 feet thick at
the base and held back more than
50O,OOO,O00 gallons of water. For> the
few times since its construction, two
years ago the water was running over
the top cf the draw today and many
persons went out from Autsin Il lie
and a half away, to see the unusual
sight.
They were panic stricken when a
section about 20 feet wide gave way
on the west side A great volume of
water poured through the hole and
the alarm was quickly sounded. Peo-
pie ran for their lives to the hills near
by, but many were caught in the flood
and Whirled down the valley. A mo-
ment later another break occurred.
this time in the east side. 1t was,
much greater than the first AMI per-
mitted the bulk OF thes water behlnd-
it to rush in mighty volume toward
the lowlands, carrying screaming hu-,
manity with it.
Operator Spreads Alarm.
Harry Davis, locomftive engineer,
reached telephone and notified the
operator at the exchange. She called
as many persons as possible but the
time was short.
The raging flood tore down the little
valley, carrying death on its debris
covered crest. Many women and
children, the men were away at
work, were caught in their homes and
drowned orcrushed before they knew
what had happened Houses went
down before the mighty crush OF va
ter, and gas pipes, bent and broken
released their dangerous flood. Be
fore the water had passed on its terri
bic course through the town, dozen
fires were burning in as many places
and the cries of injured and imprison-
ed persons in the terrific thunder or
the food.
Gas Takes Fire.
Austin, Pa, Sept: 30-A dangerous
situation developed Immediately after
the great wall of water had passed.
Austin is piped for natural gas and
the great force of the flood to'Te the
mains from the streets. Onefof them,
the largest pipe in the town, burst IN
the business section. A moment al
terward the gas gushed out and In
twinkling it had taken fire. There
was nc explosion but the hames leap
ed to height of seventy feet or more
and, blown by strong wind, was
communicated to the nearest house.
In ten minutes dozen other gas pipes
had burst and were pouring tneF
deadly infiammable fuid into the air.
Men who had rushed forward In the
hope of doing some good were over
come and fell, while others were
caught in the flames and incinerated.
The street became a glowing hell and
there was no salvation for these VINO
chanced to be near. How many per-
ished at this point is not known.
Death by Fire and Water.
Austin has little fire protection at
best and with this swept away by the
flood and nc one left to man the little
apparatus the town possessed, the
progress of the flames was unlnter-
rupted. Rapidly they swept 1rom
house to house, leaping streets and
alleys and fed by the cintinual supply
of gas from bursting mains there was
no staying their progress. They llck-
ed up what the water had left.
Women and Children.
Women and children there We're
among the wounded and dying, but
among the scores of men who mlgnt
at other times have brayed death 70
save the lives of the unfcTtunate there
was none to dare.
Down at the shops of the Buffalo q
Susquehanna railroad history was In
the making. The buildings we're le-
Gated below the business section IN
the banks of Freeman run and were
more substantial than mcst OF the
houses which had been swept away by
the flood. When the great mass OF
crushed and broken timbers, repre-
senting the homes Of a few before.
came crashing down they lodged