New-York tribune., 1911-10-02

rrron 4 star Correspondent of Tho Tribune
Austin. Penn, oct. 1.-Thc wave of
destruction which swept through this
little mountain village yesterday lert IN
its wake to-day two great piles Of wreck
age and debris. mountain high on t"o
sides of the town and between n desc
lated plain w.Ked clean of everything
except mud and water. Relief trains
and SUPPLIES poured into the stricken
town all day. and both volunteer and
professional workers turned 90 with help
/ ing hands TO distribute food and cloth
ing and to clear away the awful wreck
age.
Omcial investigation disclosed that the
dam Of the Bayless Pulp and Paper
Company had been changed within the
last few days i'm such a way that the
pressure was increased 10 a point be-
yond the strength Of the concrete walls.
The stories Of thrilling rescucs arc in
numerab @. but none surDasses the ace
count given by survivors Of the unsuc-
cessful attempt made 5y Mrs. ST.. g. Coli
Inns TO save her old father and mother.
Mrs. Collins was the sister of State SON
ator Frank +. Baldwin. Tho Senator
was I'm O. part Of the village more tban
half mile from his fathers home. Mrs
Collins, who saw the terrible advance ~
the destroying wave. turned back into
the house 10 help her crippled father and
her mother. Into the street tho three
made what haste they could toward
the protecting hin a short hundred
yards away, but the wave caught rhem
and they We're dashed % death Shs
could have saved herself. said tho SIR
vivors. of Mrs. Collins. but with her old
parents she could not got % safety.
Greater love hath no man"
Death List Much Reduced.
: Compared to the first excited ostiulatss
of the loss Of life. to-day's developments
showed a greatly reduced death list.
The Chief Of Police. d. T.. Baker esti-
mated after an unofficial and rapid
census that not over three hundred per-
sons lost their lives. Or. b. F. Rogers.
Of the Pennsylvania state Board Of
Health, estimated that the death list
woulI not exceed two hundred. As q
matter OF fact, there were just sixty
dead bodies in the morgues OF tho town
at nightfau to-day, and Of these only
fifteen had been identified.
The most notable fact IN this connec-
ton was the almost entire absence oc
children in the crowds of survivors who
wandered dismally about the little town.
Il is expected that when the census %
survivors is taken, which Will not be for
another day or SO. it VIII show that the
chief losses Of life were among tho
women and children.
At present the town is dazed, and apart
from the neighborly friendliness Of the
residents there is no organized effort by
the tOwnspeople themselves 20 relieve
6 suffering. The state officials. medi-
cal constabulary and national guards
men are doing everything that can be-
done IN the mean time. but until the
town recovers from the shock there will
be no attempt made to compose an OFF,
cial list Of the dead and missing.
This little town of about three thou-
sad inhabitants is situated as 20 physi-
ograrIy in precisely the position which
would make il most susceptible 20 a dis
aster such as struck il yesterday The
wc.t edge OF the town is bounded by
cliglike hill. al the foot OF which runs
the creek known as Freeman's Run. To
IN east and not over half mile from
the western edge. is another mountain
wall The valley in which this hall ot
the town lies runs north and south. and
al le south end Of il IS the plant of the
Bayless Pulp and Paper Company, with
the broken dam, some six hundred feet
ACROSS. walling up the creek
Just one mile north from the dam ths
little creek runs under foot bridge ar
the corner OF Main street and Railroad
avenue and shoots away 20 the north.
where II joins Sinnemahoning Creek.
and then the west bgaEch Of the susQue-
hanna. Main street raeets Freeman's
Run al a right angle. ana the outlines
OF the village itself are sharply marked
with the same angle running from Main
streer east. Goodyear Hul, which 1uts