The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-05-18
HOT SPRINGS FREE
OF FLOOD DEBRIS
Business Activities Were
Again Resumed I oday;
Worked All Night

ASSOCIATED Press DispatcnJ
Cambridge. Ohio, May 16.-
More than score Of persons
were injured, one seriously, when
tornado struck Byesviile, five
miles south of here, last night.
Approximately twenty buildings
were unroofed. Charles Griffith,
sixty five, was crushed 80 badly
when his two story frame house
was demolished, that he IL ex-
pected to die.
Hot Springs, Ark, May 16.-
Merchants of this stricken city
opened their doors for business
again here today after q night
through which crews of men work
ed in tireless efforts to remove the
wreckage and debris left behind by
the food and fire late Monday when
torrents from mountain cloudburst
dashed down the slope to form cur
rents in its principal streets-while
flames enveloped the buildings in
an entire block and added another
threat of death to that of drowning.
Central avenue, Hot Springs main
thoroughfare, and the chief stream
bed Of the swirling flood thirty six
hours earlier, again was open to
traffic though the working squads
were able to clear away but a small
part of the fotsam which the cur
rent had strewn or piled against
thoroughfare as base street the
sanitary forces today were working
out gradually in the rest Of the
damaged area.
Normal Activities Return.
Normal activities of the city had
returned or were soon to be resum-
ed. All public utilities-gas, cleo
'slc lighting and street car service.
which were put out Of order by the
elements--were again functioning.
Mrs. Kate Christiansen. the only
ious injury in the disaster, lay in
local hospital today stil1 in
critical condition as q result Of
crushed skull which she suffered
when she was caught in her car by
the Central avenue torrent and
swept along for three blocks. Physi-
clans despaired Of her recovery.
Mrs. Christensen was uncon-
scious when her rescuers, by swim
ming, drew her from the flood.
Stories Remarkable Rescues.
Stories OF remarkable rescues as
told by eye witnesses today SWELL
ed the wonder that many lives had
not been lost in confirmation OF
early belief. Among the outstand.
ing heroes Of the disaster Is Cap
tain John Lovett Of fire company
Engaged in the work Of rescue
while the waters and fire were at
their height, Lovett carried a wo-
man from a burning building only
to be engulfed in the current. Half
watkins half oxxyiyx -,
his way to a hose cart, lifted hts
human burden to safety, then slip-
ned back into the stream He WAS
swept away and thrown against 4
concrete post. When comrades lift-
ed him from the water he was un-
conscious.
When flames burst from the win
dows Of the Grand Rapids hotel the
food was at its height, reaching a
4Dth OF nine feet in many places.
Hotel Guests Trapped But Escape.
Guests were trapped in the Mar
quette hotel. the largest structure
DESTROYED by the fire, but escaped
when the flames sent them into the
torrent which had been Central
avenue. With children in their
arms or held aloft above the flood.
men and women braved the stream
and waded or swan to safety.
Others were snatched from their
feet by the speed Of the current
which whirled them along until res
cuers braced in groups grappled
with them and dragged them to
higher ground.
Ropes hastily stretched by fire.
men at intervals across the hooded
street brought many to safety.
Property loss was still undeter-
mined today though some estimates
placed 1t between one and two mil
lions.