Evening star., 1915-08-07
Government Will Be Asked to
Halt Filling of Mill
Creek.
MAYOR ASKS RAILROADS
TO CANCEL EXCURSIONS
Stricken City in No Condition to
Care for Crowds of
Sightseers.

ERIE, Pa. August l.-Competent en-
sineers were at work today preparing
data for presentation to- the War De-
partment in Washington with Il View to
federal regulations that would prevent
further filing in of the Mill creek
channel and thus teEI TO avert a rcPe-
tition of the disaster of Tuesday night.
The investigation of the channe- was
In charge of Charles ii. English, city
solicitor, with the assistance OF Roder-
lex J. Gillis of the Pennsylvania water
ways commission. For years ii has
been known that filing in of the Mill
creek channel was in progress. while
many buildings were being added to
the number along the little stream
This restriction of the flood waters to
SO narrow a channel is believed by en-
sineers TO have been the principal
cause of the disaster. Shortening of
bridges and culverts also will be con-
sidered. the data to be used at the
coroner's inquest being turned over to
the government for its guidance.
Wreckage Workers Increased.
The forces of men working in the
wreckage We're further increased to-
day. and hundreds of wagons were
pressed INTO service. Dy Hdilite was
brought into use and such piles of
debris did not yield readily were
blown to pieces. The first efforts of the
workmen were toward celaring path
ways across streets choked with broken
buildings and ripped up paving.
The company of state consta bulary
brought in during the night. and care
full watch was kept for looters, al
though no arrests were reported.
Mayor Stern after consultation with
the officers commanding the state force
today telegraphed the railroads enter
Erie to discontinue excursions sched-
uied for Erie tomorrow. He pointed
out that the city was still much dis
turbed and would be unable to care for
the many thousands of sightseers it
was reported would come from Pitts
hurgh. Cleveland and Buffalo.
Many persons who are not exposed
to the danger of typhoid directly have
taken advantage of the free innocula
tion against the disease and doctors
were still busy today taking care of
applicants.
Eleven victims of Tuesday nights
food were to be buried today, While
Coroner Hanley and his deputies were
arranging for the inquest, which had
been set for Monday.
Erie Meeting the Crisis.
Erie is m.eeting the crisis. and while
$4,000 has been raised by the citizens to
meet the first expense.
Monday morning committee of a hun
dred business men, headed by former
Postmaster Isador Sobel. will begin a
canvass of the city not touched by the
flood to raise a huge fund and from this
money those who have lost their all in
the disaster will be given new start in
life. A small committee of the best busi-
MOI yxil ha ha nf he
button of this fund.
The state health authorities are getting
in their work, and while hundreds Of de-
caying bodies are still in the ruins-ani-
mails from slaughter hOuses-and human
sanitary precautions are being taken. and
the health officers say that they believe
an epidemic will be averted.
Three More Bodies Recovered.
Three bodies We're recovered yester-
day. and all have been identified. They
are: William Dewitt, who was picked
up in the bay by the life-savng crew;
Mrs Hinnie StoZer, found under a pile
of ruins, one block from her home,
which was wiped away, and Edward
CARRIER, proprietor of a garage, found
in ruins along the creek bed.
This brings the number of known
dead to twenty-nine, with many others
+unaccounted for.
The general opinion is that many
bodies were washed out into the bay,
and with strong undercurrent through
the channel may never be recovered.
The women of Erie are doing their
share in the work of caring for the
homeless Tons of clothing have been
collected by them and It is being DIS
tributed to the sufferers, The work of
collecting this clothing was under the
direction of Mrs. Stern, wife of the