Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-04
JOO LIVES BELIEVED
LOST IN ERIE FLOOD

Continued from Fase One
r.soysrs. Arsmen and policemen were all
hut futile, ne the debris, floating on Ine
OK Mia current. made even venture lntV
the edge OF the water fatal.
rba waters rose with incredible swift
rsss after last nights downpour' ana
stream was soon racing down trenc"
street AZ the rate OF 20 miles an hour'
Barrels. boxes, pieces OF porcn luInl- NJ
ture and great trunks OF trees were w
Inc roijed along before the current, carry
tns, o,,srvtbine before them. The water
no,,red into cellars, tore away great sec
lions from the banks OF the creek and pc
osn ite work of undermining the struc-
lures built closest 20 its banks.
EFFECTIVE RESCUE WORK.
Every fireman and every available po-
uoen1ar was doing duty in the stricken
dlatricte Men, women and children were
taken from endangered buildings oy
means OF ropes, ladders and pieces OF
lumber hastily pressed Into service. AZ
one corner three women, caught IN the
great sweep of water, were thrown on
their feet but we're finally rescued by
strenuous efforts of the pedestrians.
The body OF Mrs. John Higgins, with
tho body Of her 19-month-old lnIent
claAped in her arms, was found tnls
morning by the rescuers. Previously the
body of her husband was found on
lawn near Mil Creek.
Fireman John schweitzer had his legs
crushed while trying to turn heavy
vgreokage 40 that the flood would not rush
higher than three feet In State street. the
main business thoroughfare. As he got
into the water a mass made by two
bridges coming down the torrent engulfed
him. He was dragged out with ropes
six bridges on the line Of the flood were
carried away and wreckage OF brick
buildings was piled 30 feet high in places
DIES TRYING TO SAVE CHIEF.
When the flood was raging at its height
many heroic rescues were made by fire.
men, policemen and civilians. Three times
Fire Chief Mcmahon was himself res
cued. after having carried women or chill
dren to safety. 1t was by mans breadth.
on the last occasion, that he and three
other fremen escaped with their lives.
1t was here that Donovan was killed.
They were carrying people from house
in the south end when 1t toppled over.
The JareclSl iron plant has been turned
into a temporary morgue, as 1t is near
the heart of the flooded district.
Whole families are missing in the flood
zone, which is 200 yards wide through the
residence and business district
The eastern portion of the city was cut
off nearly all night, but early today COM
municatIon was established with that sec
tion. A five-foot wall of water sur
rounded the flood zone during the night.
The flood was worst in the Mill Creek
Valley The stream runs through the
centre of the city. Four Mile Creek also
ran wild.
SUMMER PARK DESTROYED.
At the mouth of Four Mile Creek is
the summer park of that name. All
buildings there-theatre, refreshment hall
and several amusement places-were
swept over the high bluff into the lake.
company of 70 vaudeville artists lost
everything and narrowly escaped with
their lives.
on East 10th street. one and a half
blocks from State street, debris was piled
20 feet high 1t consisted OF parts of
broken frame dwellings. On East 18th
street house was deposited squarely on
the street railway tracks Almost the
same conditions prevailed on other cross
streets for a distance of two miles,
A public dining room TO feed the horne
less was opened at noon by the Mayor in
the building Of the Erie Herald.
RAILROADS TIED UP.
The tracks of the New York Central
Railway and tho Nickel Plate Railway
were washed away at Wesleyville, three
miles east OF Erie. Crews of 400 men
worked for IS hours restoring one of the
four tracks of that road, and transcon-
tinental trains were moving shortly be-
fore 10 o'clock this morning By that
time 20 through trains were congested on
either side Of Four-Mile Creek, near Wes-
leyville,
The east and westbound Twentieth Cen
tury trains were in the number,
Traffic cannot be resumed on the Nickel
Plate under 10 days. In places the track
IL washed away and overturned for II
quarter of a mile. Nickel Plate trains
will use New York Central tracks.
Health officer Wright this afternoon
Issued a public warning against possible
epldemics.