Evening star., 1924-12-25
Wall of Water Descends Un-
expectedIy Upon Parmar-
town in Night During HoIi-
day Celebration.
DEBRIS BEING SEARCHED
FOR MORE LIKELY DEAD
Telephone Operators Able to Warn
Many Inhabitants of Valley of
Peril-Work in Darkness to
Rescue Victims-No Damage
Estimate Of Loss Given.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ATLANTA, Ga, December 2s.-
Twenty-three persons are known
to be dead and fourteen more are
In hospitals at SaltviIIe, Va, as the
result Of the breaking of a muck
dam across the Holston River last
night, Sheriff John Litton OF
Abingdon, Va, told the Asso.
ciated Press today over long -dis
tance telephone.
By the Associated Press.
ABINGDON, Va, December %
Five persons were known to be dea1
and 200 estimated homeless a
Christmas day dawned upon the
workers securing the Holston River
valley below Parmartown, Va, for
other victims of the 1ood which
swept over the town last night
The hospital and private homes og
Saltville, Va, near the scene of the
disaster, were said to be filled with
men. women and children who sur
vived the icy waters into which they
were thrown when a muck dam across
the north fork of the river is re-
ported to have collapsed without
warning at 10 o'clock last night and
loosed veritable wall of water upon
the town.
Town Virtually Ruined.
The valley and town today were
reported virtually ruined. For miles
below the town articles of furniture
and small outbuildings had been de-
posted by the waters along the
banks of the river, while dozens OF
houses were reported to have been
swept from their foundations and
carried along by the swirling waters
Hundreds of people in Parmar
town were in the midst of pre-
Christmas celebrations when, with
out warning, the muck dam OF the
Mathieson alkali works, a quarter of
a mile above the town, is said to
have given way, under pressure of
the water, and sent it down into the
valley to trap the joymakers in their
homes.
Hedged in by the hills, the waters
poured in upon the celebrators, and
the men, women and children retired
to await the coming of Santa to the
little town along the river banks.
Houses were swept along by the
waters, the icy chill of the river
awakening sleeping children and
hurting them from their beds.
Comes Without Warning.
Those caught by the swiftly moving
current had no warning until their
homes were lifted or the windows
crashed before the sudden avalanche
of water, and the survivors stumbled
from the houses into the cold water
to make their way to the banks in
the best manner possible.
Hundreds of those trapped by the
waters escaped from their homes
and made their way to the banks
rescuers or were able to make their
way to nearby towns for aid.
The addition of the water from
the broken dam to that of the al
ready swollen river caused the north
fork of the stream to rise rapidly, en-
dangering scores of other homes fur
ther down the stream. In many places
below Parmartown the river early
today was reported still to be out of
its banks.
Telephone operators at Abingdon
and other places in this section were
kept busy notifying persons in the
danger zone and scores of people left
their homes to avoid the flood.
News of the flood spread quickly
to other towns and dozens Of rescue
parties were hurried to the scene,
spending the night in searching along
the river banks for other survivors
or the bodies of other food victims
Five bodies were reported to have
been found and carried to undertak
ing establishments for Identification
Reports reaching Abingdon early to-
day were that one of the victims
was a Col. Scott, a brother Of j. D.
Scott of Saltville. Other victims had
not been identified early today.
Work Through Night.
Rescue parties divided their atteu-
ton during the night between search
ing for dead and caring for the in
jured, rushing survivors to nearby
towns after administering first aid
The valley itself today was report
ed virtually to have been swept clean
by the food Of the night. The homes
of approximately 200 persons who
lived in Parmartown were said either
to have been made uninhabitabie by
the waters or swept from their foun-
dations into the stream and carried
down the river.
No exact estimate of either loss OF
life, injuries to persons or damage 10
property could be obtained early to-
day.
Virtually all residents of the town
were said to have been employees of
the alkali works, and officials of the
comuany spent the night in aiding in
the direction of rescue work and
assisting in preparing an estimate OF
the damages.
The muck dam was thrown across
the north fork of the river half
mile below the main dam of the alkait
works plant and a quarter of a mile
above the stricken town. With its
collapse Ii loosed an immense amount
of water accumulated from the recent
heavy rains in the mountains above
the town. The cause OF the break
had not been determined early TODAY