The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-10-03
mighty volume toward the Iowlands.
The First News

Sne calleo as many persons as posi-
pIe. Out the time was short. The
raging God tore down the little VAIL
ley carrying death on its debris-coyer-
cd crest. Hundreds of women and
children, the men were away at work.
We're caught in their homes and
or crushed before they knew
what had happened. Houses went
down before the mighty on-rush of
water, and bent n broken, released
Their dangerous fluid. Before the
water had passed OF its terrible course
through the town a dozen fires were
burning in as many places and the
cries OF injured and imprisoned per-
sons Joined in the terrific hunder of
the lood.
Fire Adds to the Awfulness Of the
Situation.
Much of the debris lodged against
the shops Of the Buffalo and Susuue-
hanna Railroad and there the fire
ragged f1ercest. Many men were caught
mere and it is believed that few if n
escaped with their lives.
The course of the flood was through
the business center Of the little village.
A majority of the buildings were of
wood and those Which were not i'm
mediately wrecked by the torrent were
soon in flames.
So sudden was the onslaught of
water that many persons had no time
" 1lC 10 / HlllS. DuI OI.16IS IoColS-
ed warning and, believing it was fire.
fastened to the center of the town.
only to be caught in the flood and
swept away.
Houses Crushed Like Egg Shells.
The flood passed quickly. leaving
d~esolation in its 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 passing Of the water,
those who had fed to the hills has
tened to return to their ruined homes
in search of relatives and friends.
Here and there bodies had been cast
up along the path of the torrent, and
about forty bodies were recovered in
a short time.
Some Bodies Recovered Unrecogniza-
bIc.
Some Of them had been SO badly
battered by the tossing debris thai
they were beyond recognition, while
Others a been carried along with
no apparent injury. Many were
caught in burning buildings, and it
will be days before the real extent
of the calamity will be known. It is
believed that nc less han 400 per-
sons persisted and some estimates are
higher.
Washington, D. c., Sept. 30.-Red
Cross relief work for the Austin food
sufferers will begin Immediately.
Ernest P. Bicknell, national director
Of the Red Cross Society will leave
Washington at once for Austin.
Prominent Man q Victim.
Emporium, Pa, Sept. 30-State Sen
ator BALDWIN. Of Austin, and his en-
tire family, were drowned in the food
according to word received here at 8
o'clock tonight.
800 Dwellings Wrecked.
Harrisburg, Pa, Sept. 3O.-The wall
Of water swept down on the town
from a distance Of a half a mile when
it rushed against the 800 houses in
the borough. Less than half a dozen
houses were left standing, and the in
mates had no chance to escape.
Harrisburg, Pa, Sept 30.-A report
made to S. S. Eberts. Division Mana
| ger Of the Bell Telephone Company,
by Foreman stump at Austin, states
that the water swept down on the
town without the slightest
It to fill the valley.
The fury of the flood was so terri
Bile hat it seemed to tear houses to
! pieces and hurl the wreckage high in
the air. =
Stump says he saw the water engulf
people in the streets as they fled for
safety to the hillsides.
The dam was owned by the Bayless
Pulp Paper Mills and was rebuilt a
year ago. 1t broke at that time, but
did comparatively little damage The
| dam backed up the creek for almost
| three quarters Of a mile.
SOC Bodies in Burning Debris
Coudersport, Pa, Sept. 30--Forty
bodies have been recovered at Austin,
and It is estimated hat fully three
hundre are still in the ruins OF scores
OF buildings. The majority of the dead
are women and children.
May be as Many as o Lost.
Austin, Pa, Sept. 30.-F1ve hum
cred persons were ana many
more injured here this afternoon when
the great dam Of the Bayless Pulp
and Paper Company went out. Inc
| debris from hundreds Of cruSheo