Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-04

tails of the drowning of a quarter of a
hundred, thought lost in the flood, were
obscure. The body of John Higgins,
washed up at 9Th and German streets,
was the only body recovered at day
light The fe-savng crews from the
Lake Erie shore front and the members
of the naval militia have already start
ed the search for others known to have
been swept away.
The narrow escape of Fire Chief Nc
Mahon with four f1remen, in success
full attempt to rescue three women, led
10 the report of their death, but they
jumped to safety from second story
windows as the house was washed
away from under them.
Only three serious accidents had been
reported at the hospitals up to an early
hour this morning. Two wouldbe res
cuers were struck by floating debris
and suffered broken legs, while a third
was nearly drowned when the Four
teenth Street bridge was swept away.
The washing out of the main line of the
New York Central and the Pennsyl-
vania railroads stalled a dozen or more
passenger trains here, with no pros
pect of their departure for couple of
days.
Train Halted on Viaduct.
One crowded train bound for New
York was brought to stand on the
Mill creek and those on board for
hours watched houses and household
goods swept down the torrent
The rush of the water down State
street flooded nearly every store on the
thoroughfare and floating wreckage
added to the damage by smashing hum
dreds of display windows
Throughout the night the torrent of
rain continued, with only brief inter
walls of clear weather. Only the wide
mouth of the creek at the lake shore
prevented a much more serious devas-
tation. Piles of debris on the streets
intersecting the path of the flood were
heaped up fifteen feet high in some
cases, and similar refuse washed into
homes along the course of the stream
caused perhaps the greatest items OF
damage,
A dozen of the largest plants in the
city will be closed down for ten days
or two weeks, until the machinery in
the first floors can be cleared away.
Wreckage Lodges in Culverts.
Stretches of Mill creek had been
covered over in several places ana
homes and factories had been built
over the ordinarily quiet stream.
Wreckage lodged in those culverts ana
caused the water to back up until II
spread far over each bank.
Early this morning, as details OF the
disaster began to collect, the sto,y ~
Firemen Sherry and Bates stood out
among the scores of heroic acts. TAX
ing a girl from her home on the creek
bank, they started down the telephone
mole which had enabled them 10 reach
her, when the house fell againsI t .he
pole and all three were swept INTO the
swift current. A block farther down
the trio were pulled from the stream
by the almost superhuman enosts VI
other firemen.
Associated Press Mans Experience.
The first bulletin of the flood was
sent to the outsides world by the AS
ISOLATED Press operator, who Waoed IN
water up to his armpits to the west
ern Union Telegraph office, distance
of five blocks. and there sent out his
story of the flood.
All Telephone wires were put out OF
commission by the flooding of conduits
and it was several hours oeIore
crippled telegraph communication
could be partially restored
The Jarecki manufacturing plant was
washed away and twenty automobiles
that were in the garages went with
: A little girl standing on the banks of
Mill creek was carried down to her
death when the bank caved in.
The flood started at 18th street and
came down through the Mill Creek val
ley. 1t rose four feet in five minutes
and then the onrush of water came so
fast 1t was impossible to estimate the
speed with which it rose. Houses were
torn loose from their foundations and
culverts were choked.
Houses Piled Up in Street.
The worst congestion came at 9th street.
which is in the center of the city. Half
q dozen houses were washed away here