The sun. [volume], October 02, 1911, Page 2, Image 2

About The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916

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THE SUN, MONDAY. OCTOBER 2, 1911.
larger volume of water lo trickle over
the edge.
mmiMoTion or ni ham.
But when the State oflU-ials mine to
examine the broken fragments to-day
it waa found that one of these notches
had been filled tip completely with con
crete and that work waa In pTugreM
on the other Kour feet of new concrete
waa found in this Rap and the forms were
up for more. V(rk had been done upon
it on Saturday.
The examination of Farley (iiinnett.
engineer for the Slate Water Supply
Commiaaion, ahowed thet one chunk
of concrete, weighing ierhaps a t n anil
half had been projected down hi ream
for toil feet. Another much longer section
lay sixty feet out of the plumb line f the
dam. Mr. (innnett found a man who
from the hillside saw that burating of the
wall.
"John Newman, a po!itioii:i of loudors
port." snid the Stale Kngineer tin even
ing, "told me that he was driving along
the hillside away from the dam 111 com
panion tumed back to look a, the flood
of water
"It seems to me thit there's an awful
lot of water corning over to-diy." said
Newman
" That's ri?ht.' agreed his driver, and
then as they looked Freeman shouted
"'By (iod. there it goes!'
"The big lump popped out of place
and catapulted down th" stream Then,
like the cracking of a whip, the othr
napped out In another second th"
great mass of wood pulp was being
flicked into the air like m'atohea, It went
up like a cloud The smokestack of the
Baylees Pulp and Paper Company werehid
den behind the spray and cracking !ojs "
The chunk that popped so far down
ma the first to give wav li was the top
half of a section ripped off as cleanly as
If it had been hawed The exposed sur
face of the base that remuined in plrice
showed to-day that it had not been rough
ened It apparently market) the end of
a day's work in the construction and the
only way In which the next day's section
had been welded to it was by four twisted
Iron bars which were pressed downward
to-day.
Mr. (Jannett was not willing to-night
to say what he thought had caused the
break. He will make a close Inspection
of the dirns before he makes his report
to the Water Supply Commission
The dam was owned by the Bayless
Palp and Paper Company, which his
lta headquarters in Kinghamton, N. Y.
The vast amount of water confined above
Abe dam waa used in the process's of
washing pulp after its chemical treat
ments before it is turned into paper.
AS ALARM ARRANGED.
After the false alarm of last spring the
Inhabitants of Austin decided that in the
event of a real flood they must not rely
Upon the speed of a horse's hoofs and the
strength of a man's voice to warn them.
It waa agreed that one long blast from
the whistle of the Standard Word Com
pany, which had its kindling yards per
haps an eighth of a mile tielow Main
etreet shoaid be the signal for the people
to spread out of the quurter mile width
of the valley and to climb the hills. They
went further and asked Harry Da via,
the general factotum around I ora Brooks's
roadhouse, which was tha nearest build
ing to the dam except the pulp mills, to
keep an eye out for danger signs in his
leisure moments
Yesterday morning Davis went up to
take a look at the dam with Fred Ander
son. superintendent of the mills. The
bandy man around the madhouse didn't
like the look of it. h said to-day. and he
went iaok to his job worried. He went
to the window more frequently in the lull
in business around tin noon hour.
It was a few minutes after I o'clock
in the afternoon that he heard the sound
of which the town hail been in dread
One look was enough to show Davis that
the break had happened. He ran to the
telephone as he had agreed to do and got
the telephone central in the Bank of
Austin building, where a young woman
named Lena Binkey had the receiver
aroes her hair. He gave the traditional
warning just as every one else who had
the chanoe gave it. They had been think
ing; a lot about the Johnstown disaster,
these Austin people, and in every case
they appear to have followed the action
of history.
"The dam has burst!" yelled Harry
Into the telephone.
"Quit yer kiddin'." said Mies Binkey.
"He says the dam has burst," she repeated
to her coworker, Katharine Lyons 'at the
Best desk.
"I tell you it has!" shouted Dsvis.
Something in the way Davis said it
tnade Lena believe it this time, and the
way that she reached for a handful of
wires sent Miss Lynns to work too. They
called up the Standard Wood Company,
thld the man who answered to send out
bis warning and then began calling every
one they could reach.
Miss Binkey waited till she saw the wall
of water coming and then she ran Into
the street. Miss Lyons stuck to her
switchboard until she saw the steeple
of the Presbyterian Church topple and
drop. Then she clattered'down the stairs.
She stayed so long that she forgot her
pocketbook. But it was just a step to
the higher ground, for. the bank building
was the last one of the western end of i
Main street, and she came out all right,
aa did Miss Binkey.
THOXUHT IT was tftk kirk HiONAl.
Somehow the men at the kindling
yards didn't i-ound the flood signal In
stead of one long blast there came eight
short toots ami then a sustained whistle.
That, wa the town fire signal The
immediate result was that the inhabi
tants leisurely laid down their tasks
and strolled out to where the blaze
was. In the flat valley they looked
up into the sky to see where the sparks
were flying tinly one group was active.
That was the volunteer fire department
They yanked the single no-.. cart of the
town into Main street, trotted off with
it and whirled
around the comer into
Railroad avenue, the chief thoroughfare
that cut off at right angles along th
banks of Freeman Hun. tin- creek that
went over the dam and then ripple f
through the town with a width of not mora
than a doen feel I ha llremen turned
up the valley and raced right at the wave
that was spreading toward them
VOIX.VTKF.R FIREMEN rtHCAPV,
John De.iel, a carpenter and moving
picture man, wa In; upon the
high ground tt the west, (loodycar'a Hill
He saw what the men below couldn't
aaa, and he shouted will) all id might
You can see how close t!.U hill i,, the
valley when you know lhj.1 the
him, dropped their rope and
his place nf aafoty, Tholr In
was scooped up a minute Inter
beard I
ran to I
" curt
is!
Ml
sister healde him Sh scrotm
ano pntnteo; down to slam street where
four ohoolgirla wera walking along .inn
in ami lonl ng into the sky for sparks,
As thev watched these four were caught
to the force of the wood and water and
(Green Stripe"
FDJB URUfi
O.B.NICMO Lat ACO
N!W YOSs. lOLt AdtrtS
hurled against the brick buildings Their
bodies have not been recovered
The man and woman on the hill thought
of a friend. Mrs. Carrie Foltz. who had
a confectionary store n little above the
level of the valley. Deiel ran to save
her and met another young man. Charlie
Barrows, helping her lip th" slope, Mrs.
Foil hud been baking .an afternoon nap.
She grabbed una wrapper and to-day that
garment is her wardrolie
There were countless cises of Hose
escapes The wave that hit Main street
destroyed a line of business places such
s any town of 3,000 has for its people.
tin one side was a shoe shop, a dentist's
establishment, a billiard room. tailor
shop, the Goodyear Hotel, a burlier
shop, a jewelry store, a hardware store,
a grocery s' one and the batik. Oppo
site was the Commercial Hotel, a
restaurant, another grocry, a drug
st are, two halierdasheriea. a meat market,
an undertaking establishment, and the
inevitable moving picture show, labelled
"Dreamland " They don't have matinees
at the film place, so no one was caught
there.
To-day the broken walls of th" western
end and the shattered aid" of the bank,
where the post office wa- sit in tel. were
all that stood alone in the waste. The
rest were covered with the great heaps
of boards and plaster.
MIX nOBIVSOS IS THR HIPMM
In one of the furnished rooms above
the candy store Bill Robinson, night
watchman of the pulp mills, was getting
his day's rest. He heard the roar and went
to hia window that facd away from the
dam. As he leaned out the impict struck
the building at the back. Bill was thrown
straight over .the isiilding opposite
and landed in the full depth of the water
beyond. He was fished out half drowned .
but the only injuries he had were a broken
jaw and a shoulder dislocated.
The force of the flood struck Main street
at exactly 2:31 A clock that was picked
up outside Irkin's shoo store had
stopped at that minute .lust before this
Tom Iwler, who kept bar at the Com
mercial House, came to the door to see
where the fire was He gathered an idea
of the real disaster from th" noise that
a-ne from aliovc I.awler's house was
only a few doors away and he threw off
his apron and made for it He grabbed
up hif 11 months old baby, called to his
wife and she ran out with another child.
3 years old Th"V were caught just
where the curent swerved from the
course of Freeman Run and were Itorne
to the opposite hillside l.awler held his
laby very close and linked one arm
through his wife's She held the other
child's hand
The four were found 200 yards down the
valley lying just out of roach of the water.
The wife was dead and so was the little
girl; but Lawler had kept hold of the liuhv.
The tiny little person was still breathing
when the rescuers came and many mothers
have kept it alive The father's injuries
were the most severe of any of those who
tire now in the Northern Pennsylvania
Hospital.
avfd by a pf Aril KB BED.
A girl named Madge Nelson, whose
father and mother were drowned, saved
herself beet, Ilea she went liaek into the
house to get a coat While she was on the
upper floor the house alxmt her broke into
three pieces She threw her arms alsiut a
feather bed and was found perfectly con
scious half a mile below
Joe McKintiey's three-year-old boy was
carried out of the house by his mother
and they were caught up together. The
mother held her boy above the water
and she was dead when they found her.
But the youngster looked up at the men
who grasped his arm and said:
"Is that thing coming again? My
mamma couldn't hold mo any longer.
She couldn't walk any further."
The Rev. Father P. W. O'Brien ran
into the street when he saw the tossing
pulp wood bearing down upon him. He
gained the hill, but he saw his house
swirled 150 feet down stream and brushed
against the hill. It was not very sub
stantial when it came to rest, hut the
priest took in many who were without
places of refuge. He said mass this
morning in a house on a hill where 150
men and women came in the dawn to
gather about, him. The church of St
Augustine, of which Father O'Brien was
rector, was completely demolished. So
were the Methodist and Presbyterian
churches and a meeting place of the Holy
Rollers. The Swedish Lutheran Church,
in the lower part of the town, was the
only house of worship left standing.
THF. FIRES START I P.
Immediately after the bulk of t(y
water passed flickering fires liegan to
appear a long the waste of the Buffalo
and Susquehanna shops. Torches that
were used in work about the engine rooms
were lighted ond fires were burning in
some of the furnaces. When the water
broke off the natural gas pipes the spread
of the flames was immediate. Over the
wood upon the surface of the water the
tire danced and in a second the kindling
of the. Standard Wood Company was
afire. Thero was no apparatus with
which to fight it
One of the first calls for aid that went
out from the roadhouse up the valley -all
the rest of the telephoneand telegraph
wires were down called for engines.
I lat cars brought them early this morning
from Oleim and Renovo, but the job was
hopeless. The smouldering fire, now and
then puffing out into a column of sparks,
k pl on through the d iy an I through the
evening. One of the engines was not even
unloaded. The strip of lire was segre
gated by (he pools of water left when the
wave hitl spent itself.
It did not take long for the tide to soak
into the sandy soil f the valley in the
Allegheny foothills. An hour after'the
deep waters rushed by men waded up
t i their hips across the track in the town
To-day plunks had been placed gofoaj
the rivulets and It was possible to walk
across almost without muddying one's
feet. But then the rain came and with it
the depression that had been resting over
the town increased.
MOVINO THE HEAP.
And just before the clouds became
heavy it was decided to move all the
bodies that had been gathered in the
school house on Goodyear's Hill, on the
east side, over to Grabe's morgue on the
'Snow-shoe, as the opposite hill is called.
It meant a hard walk for the bearers of
the rough board litters upon which the
sheet covered bodies were carried. There
was no semblance of a road down the steep
slopes and horses were out of the question.
In the paths the carriers slipped down
the path on one side, walked across the
flats and over the planks that were slip
pery above the little streams. Then up
the other side they worked their way
The sheets across the bodies were damp
ened and clung close.
Sometimes one of these processions
halted the work of the wreckers who were
working under the direction of F. Herbert
Snow, chief sanitary engineer of the State.
The plan adopted by these crews from
out of town was to fasten a rope about a
bundle of loose boards high up on the
piles and then to attach as many pairs
of hands to the far end as could llnd a
place. The gang boss at the top called
the lime and the arms heaved in unison
Down would come a packet of crackling
splinters doors, window frames, some
times with the curtains still in them, and
loose boards without numler.
CONSTABt'I.ARV ON nrAHP
Before the arrival of the State Con
stabulary there was too much running
over the ruins The first w.ir.t flint I'hicf
j of Police I). F.. Baker said to Lieut. Mvers.
who came in command of the 100 men
of Troop C from Pottsville, was an appeal
to prevent body robbing The chief sail)
that it could not be stopped as long as
visitors were allowed indiscriminately
about the wreckage. The cavalry police
soon put a stop to that.
The members of the constabulary are
working here without their ponies. At
every crossing of th" valley, at th) en
trains." to the morgue, at every necessary
point th" keen eye I constabulary lieu
tenant has posted a mm They were
assisted by a detail of forty mn of
the F.ighth Regim-nt undr commmd of
Major. Finney and Cept. Schell. A de
tachment from the Governor's troop at
Harrisburg is also here to help.
SYSTEM IN BBLIKF WORN .
The relief work passed to-night into
the hands of Dr. Samul O. Dixon. State
Commissioner of Health, who came in on
one of the emergency trains Through
the day th" man in charge was Dr B.
Franklin Hover, chief medical inspector
of this Common Wealth, who was in Phila
delphia on his way to look after some
typhoid in South Bethlehem when Gav.
Tener reached hitn by tele-ibm and
ordered him to Austin. With Dr. Royer
came Dr. Thomas H. A Stites, chief of th"
State Tuberculosis l)ispnine; Dr
.1. C. B. Flowers. Phillips. Douglas and
McMullin from Harrisburg; B ashore from
West Fairview, Plank from Carlisle.
Trainor from Williamsport Fullmer from
Renovo, Simmons from Sh im tkm. Tool"
from Milton. Cressmge from Sunbury
and Falk from Kmporium. Also there
came a dozen trained nurses under Miss
Alice O'Halloren. chief visiting nurs? of
the department, and Miss Anna S. Kutzer
of Harrisburg.
NI'RMKS HKI.P tN TBI KF.EPINO
All tlay under the guidance of Dr
Flowers these nurses have leen working
like slaves, not at bandaging but at
making sandwiches and washing coffee
Pups In Odd Fellows Hall they
made their free lunch counters for the
townsoople and the workers from out
of town The other visitors, and then1
were hundreds of them, had to rely upon
their own resources except the news
iier men. who were the guests of the
matron of the hospital, comfortably and
safelv situated on the crest of Goodyear
Hill
The sightseers came in every sort of
conveyance Automobiles stuck in the I
mud along the road from Keating Summit.
Sitne of them were more successful and
landed their passengers where they could
walk over the plain to their heart's con
tent until the constabulary came.
The trains ran up the switchback road
from Keating Summit according to the
sweet will of the railroad officials This
stretch of track was not damaged; it
was on the line that led down the valley
to Costello and Wharton and n to Sin
nemahoning that four or five miles were
dest roved.
The folks who managed to get to Austin
brought their own fid. There wasn't
a morsel to be bought in the town. The
relief trains that have come in so far
have brought adequate provisions, hut
in the days Unit are to come the fund of
$15. ism which arrived from the Red Cross
through its agent, Krnest Bickuell of
Washington, will lie most useful.
CLOTIIIMI AND RKPUINU NEEDED.
Just now the doctors and nurses say
that they need most women's and chil
dren's clothing, bedding and sheets There
gre not even sheets in town, they say,
to cover the dead. They have asked
the newspapers to let the public know
that these arc the greatest needs.
DAMAOE ESTIMATED AT M.OOO.OOO,
Accurate estimate cannot be obtained
of the financial loss that the disaster will
mean to Austin. But the opinion o( sev
eral townsmen who are in a position to
know places it at M.OOO.UOO, Of this to
the Bayless company is assigned tl.&OO,
000; Goodyear Lumber Company, ll.ooo,
000; Buffalo and Susquehaiinu Railroud,
1600,000 and the rest in proportion.
Something like S.OOO.OOO feet of hemlock
wetit down in the flood
The people of Austin hardly Itelieve
that the town will he rebuilt. One man
expressed his belief when he was telling
thai the fall pr maries were held on Satur
day and that the result was not known.
"Will you hold the primaries again?"
hi was nsked.
"What for'" was his answer.
NBW JERSEY QFFBRM ffKLP,
tiov. n iUon trler Military (supplies Hrnt
In tnstln If They Are deeded.
Trf.nton, N. J., Oct. I, Oov, Wilson
to-day directed Adjt Gen Sadler to make
immediate arrangements to give assist
ance to the Austin flood sufferers snnuld
it lie needed. Gen. Sadler sent this tele
gram to Gov. Tener:
"Gov. Woodrow Wilsonl desires m to
extend through you to the people of Penn
sylvania the deepest sympathy of the
people of New Jersey at t lie gwful disas
ter that has occurred in your State I
am instructed to ask you if New Jersey j
can give assistance. Any or all of our
military stores are at your disposal."
Gen. Sadler mane arrangements with
the Pennsylvania Kailntud for the im
mediate transportation of military or
medical supplies should they be needed
special Prayer l lllsliup llurgsss.
Gaupkn City, U I., Oct. 1. The Bight
Rev, Frederick Burgess, Bishop of bong
1 .land made a special prayer ill the I
morning service in the Cathedral here!
lo-day lor the flood sufferers. He asked
for the protection of the town of Austin
and begged a blessing for the rescued
ones, care for those bereaved und peuce
for those who were gone.
OFFICIALS TAKE HOLD SLOWLY'
rt.v; iv CM Altar, at AVStlS
PlHt MAW UltVRS.
Complaint That County Authorities
Ntayrd AWfsf The lliirgessnilrs Him
self After Twenty-four Hours Then
Mate Ntrps In sort Work Hrglns.
ApstIN, Pa.. Oct. 1 The rescue
j workers, hamxred by the heavy rain
I to-day. had recovered only thirty-six
. Ixsiies when thev stoiine l work because I
of darkness late this afternoon The
estimate of the dead then ranged from
250 to .VKi.
A noticeible feature of the disaster
was the absence of the county officials,
who usually are on the scene en rly at such
a time. Potter county has no Coroner
Itecause it was not regardel worth while
to have a successor named to the last
one. In cases usually requiring a Coroner
the inquest is held by a justice of the
peace District Attorney Harry Wilson
of Coudersport did not go to Austin to
investigate. The absence of the usual
officiate led the executive committee of
the Borough Council to meet this forenoon
and request Gov. Tener to direct a rigid
investigation, and the Gov"rnor replied
that he and Adj -Gen Stewari would
visit Austin to-day.
State Senator Frank R, Baldwin, who
has taken a loading part in the work of
the committee which has been investi
gating Phlladelnhla. took an active isirt
in the day s work, although greatly N Tcl toAuatln. ttUim
fected by the death of his crippled father j Cashier Harry Davis ol the First Na
and blind mother, who were lost With I tiotial Bank of Austin had just time to
their daughter. Mrs. Michael Collins. J ' lose the vault door before the flood.
when she was trviag to save them. Sen
a tor Baldwin and his wife rushed out
of their home to go to the aid of his
parent hut the flood drowned them
lxfore their eyes and he and his wife
narrowly got out themselves. Senator
Baldwin's brother-in-law. William M.
Terr, the postmaster, and his wife were
saved by the prompt action of Burgess
MuiTin In breaking down a barbed wire
fence that hind"red their escape.
The rain was not the chief reason why
little progress in the rescue work was
made to-day. The workers numbered
eighty-five men brought from Olean this
morning. Although the State Health
Commission staff reached Austin at S
A. M. it was not until late in the afternoon
that Burgess Mtirrin formally requested
the department to take charge of the
situation. The physicians ami sanitary
engineers had no authority to take action
until requested to do so. because the vil
lage is an incorporated borough. As soon
as the request was made Chief Medical
Inseotor ltoyer consulted with I.ieut.
Mair of Troop 1 of the State constabulary
at Potistown and energetic plans were
made which were submitted to William S.
Dixon. State Commissioner of Health,
when he arrived on a special train at
o'clock to-night
It was then determined to engage 2U0
men from Buffalo ond other cities to tome
to Austin to morrow to liegin cleaning
up the ruins in earnest. Ssanitary en
gineers, under Chief Kngineer G. Her
bert Snow, will lx out early to-morrow
morning inspecting the broken water
and gas mains and preparing plans for
a tomorary sewer system. The bridges
in the main part of the town were all
wiied out and it will l the duty of the
engineers to Construct these bridges for
use .luring the rescue work
F. N Hamlin, who is president of the
Borough Council as well as superintendent
nf the Bayless company plant, was taken
to the hospital late this afternoon suffer
ing from nervous prost ration Dr Ash
craft of the State Health Department, in
charge of the hospital, refused to permit
Sunt Hamlin to fs seen.
C N Frav of the Heistrur's depart
ment in theiiealth Board rea -lied Austin
late to-night and will assume charge of
issuing death oertlfioatea, which have not
Iteen issued thus far Itecause there was
no ersoli with the authority to issue them.
Mr Frsv will also institute a registration
of the inhabitants to-day in order to de
termine just how many persons perished
The fear of thefts and operations by
ghouls led the authorities to-night to
drive every one from the wrecked part
of the city
Several thefts reported on Saturday
afternoon immediately after the flood
induced this action From the cash
register in the Austin Hardware Com
pany store $2i0 was taken, this store hav
ing withstood the flood The cash register
in the bar of the Hotel Goodyear was
robbed of t5 anil there wps a further
theft of $300 reported from the Goodyear
This afternoon when Chief of police
Baker was inspecting the ruins towerd
Costello he saw three men hammering
away at a large iron safe. The men ran
when he appeared
"The place is full of thieves now." said
Constable Harler of F.ldred. who came at
the request of his friend. Senator Bald
win, and in his capacity as health officer
helped to direct the work of the eighty-,
five workers in the ruins to-day. It was
on his suggestion that the constabulary
drew lines around the wrecked district.
Senator Baldwin estimated to-day that
300 houses had been demolished in the
flooded district. Thev were occupied by
the leading citizens of Austin. The Poles
employed in the mills lived on the fringe
of high land around the city, called the
Snowshts?. Asked if he believed the flood
was the result of the negligence of some
one, Senator Baldwin said:
"Well, I guess the dam just broke.
Many of our people worked in the paper
mill and we were more or less interested
in it. so we thought it sife ,
Burgess HUrrtn said he talked with
Bupt. Hawley about the dam a month
ago and Hawley said:
"I'm on easy street now. I've got the
new dam finished and feel safer."
"Nobody thought the dam was danger
ous ex cent the women,'' said the Burgess.
"Bupt. Hawley told me he would have a
man always ready to blow the whistle
to warn us if the dam broke, The man
was ready yesterday and ran for the
whistle, lull "before he could blow it the
mill was in ruins.
"When the tire whistle blew I thought
some one was fooling and I ran over
where the bnys pulled the fire engine out.
When I saw the mountain of spray coming
down the street with toppling buildings
behind it I knew what had happened and
ran for my home. I saw my wife reach
high ground safely and was able to help
the postmaster and his wife.
Austin seems to have been ill fated since
it was founded twenty-five years ago
as a lumber and Paper mill town bv Wes
ley Garrison. The Bavless mill was
opened eleven years ago and in the last I
ten years the district wiped out to-day I
has heen twice destroyed ny tire, it
is said that not a cent of insurance pro
tected any tit me neavy noon losses, nut
mere is no aauoi uiai ine piani win nr
rebuilt.
There was no lack of food to-duy A
car stacked to the roof with 2n,(HKi pounds
of smoked meat and other supplies
furnished bv the oommiaaarv depart mtmi
of the National Qurrd had no) been
touched Other cars of supplies were on
their way from neighboring towns.
Austin was in darkness late lo-night
because of the wrecking of the natural
frtis mains, which not only supplied light j
ut fuel. A crew of men working hard
ail dav cot theliahteturnedonat II o'clock.
The great loss of life was due partly
lo barbed wire fences. The wife of Dr.
E. A. Minisiia, with her little girl; Mrs
Harry Sykes and Mrs. Woleott left their
houses in time, but were held prisoners
by a wire fence and could only scream
for alf which was beyond I hem!
Many stories of narrow escapes from
the flood are told Gladys Smith, a school
teacher, was on the second floor of
A
A Box of I O for 15 Cents
Get them INSIST if you muat but get them.
Mrs Kva French's house The flood oar-
ried the house Htm feet against an apple
tree, which was wedved into n butf win
dow, and then Miss Davis awoke to find
herself unhannc .
A man taking a bath on the fourth
nrstr of the Hotel Commercial went with
the tub to fhe grounti floor when the
building broke up. A night watchman
who had jut awakened hail the roof
taken from above him and found himself
across the street in a tailor shop just as
ins tied was ( rushed by the debris, I fourteen inches at the foundation. This
fcnr'Th!!, ,V. m.tS.Ui? '" "'Kht for !pnrt of the structure, it was said, rtood
tear tha' the fire that burned a 1 dav i . . . u i.
In a pile Of coal and Mwdust In iite Of tbe I on Hat'irday, when the dam gave
r 1 1 would epreed. The local fire apparatus'.' at he ends.
wji ewept away and the Bmet hport enginss
which saved t he town last night, hod been TAFT OFFKItS HELP,
sent back.
The engine was sent for again and Sends Telegrams Asking for Fart and
Burgess Backus of Smethport came to Promising Public Assistance.
Austin to investigate herore he ordered 1
the engine back, lie didn't want to leave I
'i-g)wt. town Unprotected longer than
! swept bv.
The force of the rustling water was
such that a two ton machine in the Bay
less mill was carried fifty le t and a s:e am
roller a quarter of a mile
When the water poured into the Sue-
away, after flooding Sinamohoning (reek p" '"y '''.V r j"'lvlll'11"1
it raised the Susquehanna nine feet 1 1 cesldent of the I lilted Stabs, in which I
Costello. which is built around Ihe Klk i m H"r,;' "Ur,? nation joins. Such a.
Tanning Company e plant, where the resi-' slstance ss ran be rendered by the tlovern
dents are largely employed, was liadly ment or the Bed Cross Is at your disposal,
damaged, although the property loss ' ''lease wire me st Omaha as to the e.ytent
was not so great because the buildines Of the disaster and as to your needs.
were small and there was but one person,
Mrs. Peaslo. drowned.
The only colored resilient of Austin
was drowned She was Mrs Willard
cook at the Davis house, and perished
in her home
SI tCOR FOR THE STRICKF.X.
Protlslons rrlve In tint I n -Coffins
Ncrdi-d Mtate CfMtgl slMilsry on Doty.
At-STiv, Ta.. Oct, 1 The State Con
stabulary arrived hero at II o'clock this
morning and the member! are patrolling
the town end surrounding country. Fifty
men have been sworn in as deputy police
and are airling in the search for liodlee.
Only fifty buildings remain in what
was Austin, and these are perched along
the hillside All live churches were
destroyed and the Austin National Bank
is the only building that still stands in
the town lielow. The loss of life is now es
timated at lietween four and five hundred.
More than a hundred tsidies have been re
covered and there is a great need of coffins.
Ihe school house on th" hill has been
converted into a morgue and it is crammed
with liodies ,
lledies are said to have been seen as
far as ten miles south of Austin and a
great many of them will never be recov
ered, as they will lie swept down the
mountain creek into the Susquehanna
Itiver Tile flood has covered up every
thing with wreckage and not even a
foundation or cellar remains. Except
for the bank building the site of Austin
is a levelled mass of wreckage Fires
are still burning among the piles of drift
and many bodies ure being burned The
RenOVO fire OOtnpnny'l men are on the
ground antl an- gradually overcoming
the flames ThejT brought 200 men with
them on a special train.
At the Buffalo and Susquehanna car
shop! a great pile of Ixidie is lielieved
to lie under the wreckage The fire
companies are trying to extinguish the
flames there so as to recover the bodies
Kehef trains have Uen sent from Will
ittmsrt. Port Allegheny, St Mary's.
Olean. Corning, Galeton and Coudersport
i nree carioatis oi provisions ana cloth -
ing were sent from Williamsport to-dav
"... .... . . .
: . . . .- r -.
and tni' citizens nave raised more tnan
11,000 ai a relief fund All the cities in the
State are handing in contributions to
n US IS II . illf ims Hill iij I III mate
proved a gods.....! It has rained all day
and the injured and women and children
have been sheltered by the tents. The
State Department als sent a relief train
wivu iiiwii nifWMiaaw .nei. uiusva.
Dr. Sykes is in charge. Dr. Trainer
of Williamsport is the head of another
relief corps of doctors and nurses. Dr.
Matsuay lost his entire family in the
flood. He is on the ground now and one
of tiie bravest of the remaining citizens
of Austins
Word received here from Costello,
the small village south of Austin, says that
ten of its residents lost their lives in the
flood. Fifty buildings were washed away
ami licit) is needed there very badlv
A call for coffins has lieen sent out from
here and a great many of them must be
here by to-morrow. Belief is gradually
reaching the town und no actual suffering
from lack of food or shelter has yet been
experienced.
SAYS ONLY 130 ARE RE AO.
Hrprrirntatlve of the llsjIrM Cempanj
Nn Itrptirt to the Owner.
Binoiiamton, N. Y.i Oct. 1 According
to a report received to-night from .lames
H. Andrews the number of dead at
Austin, Pa., will not exceed 150 and Ihe
number of Injured is nol more than 250.
Mr. Andrews was sent to Austin last
night as the representative of George (
Bayless, president of the Bayless Pulp
and Paper Company. He reached Austin
thil afternoon lie had funds for relief
work and Ihe supplies that he has ordered
are being forwarded to Austin to-night.
George ('. Bayless und his brother, i
K. . Bayless, who is secretary of the i
company, probably will go to the scene
of the disaster to-morrow. Both were
at Ihe railroad station last niglt pre- !
IMired to go lo Austin, when they were 1
prevailed upon by friends lo send Mr.
Andrew! and to await bis report of condi- I
I lions before leaving here.
The dam was built by ihe r. .1 Brintnnll I
Going to
Move?
! Cfa-i in in
k3lttrilli 111
R1I11 9
avU8IilC3.
I Where?
IWI'OHH Mr DRCIUR TEI.KPHONR nit'
IVKI1K I UK .MOI'YUI llll' mow HVt. is
TISn. AM, tiik spon hum" won hi
Willi. K.. U n II KUM.PARTICUI.AIUI, I I I. I.N !
ri.ABRlriRD, AUK UlfJTKO IN THIS VA
I'ANCV DIRRCTORV. NO-PAOE BOOK I
KHKtr. TO l-KOII.F. I.OOKIMI I OK MCW
limits. KITHER ton HIslM'ss on 1
nwr.i.i.iMi ri iii'osis.
THE TROW REGISTER
Ml East 12th Street
HOW SIRECIOdf, miHIIKC MO BOOttBI NOIHC CO
fubll-hrrl 1 l oo Oirhsrd
Royal Bengals
Cigars
satisfying smoke at a
satisfying price.
Company, of which the owners were
j c. J. BrinUUtll and T. B. Crary of this
oity and George Reynolds of Hntland. VI .
Brintnall was killed in nn automobile
accident in .lune, 1909. in the progress of
the work and Reynolds had active charge
until the dam was finished.
A member of the company Mid to-night
that the trouble with the dam two years
I ago was in the centre, which slippo I
Omaha, Oct. 1.-- President Taft while
en route to this city to-day sent this tele
gram to acting Secretary of War Oliver,
Gov. Tener of Pennsylvania and Miss
Mabel Boardman. president of the Amei i
1 can Bed Cross, regarding the Austin. Pa..
disaster:
I have just sent the following teleuram
. to the Mayors of tustln, Costello and Whar
ton "I have been shocked and horrified hy
ihe news of the catastrophe thai has befall!
I your thriving Village 1 to express to
"William II. Tatt.
GIRL'S STORY.
TMLBPBONB
Miss Lyons Tells How She Was Warned
and How she Warned Others.
Austin. Pa.. Oct. 1. Pauline Lyons,
the operator of the telephone exchange
at Austin, related her experiences to-day:
"I was just preparing to leave my
board when I heard a sound like dis
tant thunder up the valley. Then 1
had a call frVim a station near the dam
and a man's voice cried that the dam
had broken. He said: Tell as many
as you can. Tell them ut Costello s.
I afterward learned that fuis man was
Harry Davis.
"The first thing I did was to have the
whistles blown. I thought that the
people in Austin still had n chance. The
noise liecatne louder, almost deafening.
It sounded as though u thousand trees
were snapping like twigs. I worked
as tost as I could ringing up homes .and
particularly party lines.
"'The dam is broken'' was all I called.
"From the window I could see rolling
down toward the town site the mass
of woodpulp and water. We were on
higher ground than many buildings and
I felt that my chances were U tter than
the poor ieople in th" lowlands. So
deafening did everything b me that
I could scarcely hear my own voice.
"I suppose 1 put alsuit three calls into
Costello I hoped and prayed that those
poor people down there Would escape
to the hills before the flood reached them.
Then my board failed to work. I re
member nothing clearlv as t.. what fol
lowed. How I left the building and
reached the higher ground I never will
tie able to fell "
Hundreds of tons of woodpulp thick
ened the water that rag. d down the
valley. This mass, spreading out into
acres, crumbled every structure it met.
Great masses of pulp now clog the ruins
throughout the valley.
LVMBBR mills tSSVRED.
Mr. Van Wert. Manager f the emporium
Co.. Tells of the Situation.
Mr-NT Vkrson-, N V.. Oct. 1 W. Ever-
i r ami nvri, hoduim ew l rtru man-
1 L. , ,
,ne r'rnl'"'''"m Lumber ( ompany
. A. ...... IV. l i
at Austin. Pa., and whose plant w in
the path of the tlood. resides at '.'71 Sum
mit avenue. Mount Vernon. He does not
Irnnw ev., I,,.. ..... .V I i
J"0" "ar,ly1 JfJ ,nl ,th Company
! " ustained but believes that more than
! OuOiOOO feet of lumlier was carried away,
1 have grave fears for the safety
f
I William M Wa ker. the v c
president of
the Emporium Lumber Company, his
wife and four children," said Mr. Van
Wert to-night "His home was directly
in the ath of the whirling waters und I
don't know if any of Mr. Walker's family
escaped. Mr Walker was one of the lead
ing citizens of Austin and was vioe-presi-dent
of ttw Kmporium Bank. The home
office of our Company is at Keating Sutn-
nit. which is nine
I stipsse our men are very busy l,'.kim
after the villagers who escaped the tl.x.d
1 Mr Wolker intended wMt.li. r.. a....
mues Irotn Austin, and
! move to Olean. N. V which is ' huS
across the State line.
"We knew from our experience a veur
ago thut the dam might give wuv ut'uny
moment. At that time the dam nearly
gave wuy liecause the concrete founda
tion sank, but engineers got busy and
dynamited the top covering, und the mill
ions of gallons of water then impounded
und brimming over threatened the town
lielow were gradually drained off. This
caused our company to take precaution
ary measures to save our property.
1 understand that one of our big mills
was destroyed, but our monetary loss will
not km so great, us the property was Well
insured "
BROKW
BMffiRS
sT0l P1XC2 AMD fOURTH AVENUE
Younij Men will
find in our Fall
showing of Suits
and Overcoats,
styles and pat
terns becoming
to young figures.
Our Young Men's
Clothes are specially cut
and designed, and made
from woolens that har
monize with youthful
: styles.
Perfect-Fitting Enjli.h Mo lei Sc'i
' Suit, reeds b - put -on.
I
BSTAB-OVget HALF A CENTURY
'DAM RESTED ON SANDSTONE
KNtttNKKR HATTox TKU.
ITS rOHHTRCCTIOS.
Of
Ma)slnondlngaVlrreMdrtnc I t
Founds! Ion Ran flown I nor Iv.
- I'lssures Iti-M loped t ml. r li
tlegmsnn Apprmrd Itrpnir mn
Wilminotov, Del., Oct. I T. I halkley
Mutton of this city, th civil enK,t,.,r
who designed the dam of the
Pulp and Paper I 'ompany at Ausiu, t
eiid to-night that if the reoomm,.,, billon!
of B, Wegtnonn, ooneulting engineer ,
the New York I'rolon Aqueduct i ornmj,
sion, and hlmeelf regarding rep,-,,rs .fl
the basin were curried out he could hot
understand how Ihe disaster could ,.
occurred. He said:
"I do not know whether our rec,.om.
menclalioris were carried out, for W1,
not consulted further. I do not ,noaj
In fact, whether the repairs were Bltds
or not."
Mr. Hutton said he had not been aH.
vised what part of the waterway had
given away ami was therefore not in
position to advance u definite iheo
for the disaster.
"I have not seen the dam since fantun
1911). when Mr. Wegmunn and I siads
the recommendations," he Continued
"Wegmann examined It and approved
the design. The dam was built in tn
btstt manner possible. The foundation,
were of sandstone. This caused damn!,
when water got uader the foundation,
lieeause of fissures in the rocks Hftnr
wo had bored nine feet to a seemingly
safe bottom."
Mr. Hnrton said he had been of i),,
opinion that the Baylesscompnny Wal Dot
using the basin since he pronounced h
unsafe. He further said:
"A gooxl test of the rock foundation of
the dam was mado before we began t he
original construction. The fissures
isied further down, however, for the rock
under the dam slid in January, igui,
allowing the long wall to go forward,
when the weakening fissures became ap
parent. Tho foot of the dam was set in a
channel four feet deep in the rock founda
tions. The sidea of the dam, the structure
lieing of reenforoed concrete, were set
twenty feet into tho rock of the billion
each side. They were anchored there
by steel rods 21, inches thick and 25 feet
long. Naturally when the foot of the dgn,
slid forward the top pressure became too
h.-avy for the base to withstand.
"I understand tho company has had
under course of construction a second
dam up stream from Ihe ill fated on
It wasdesigned totako some' of the strain
from the original dam. Th water w
eventually to ho allowed to rise half way
up Ihe face of Ihe original waterway
when the now barrier should have leen
completed.
The great wall of masonry, fifty nva
foot in lieight and 800 feet across the val
ley, was finished on Thanksgiving I lav.
lft 10. it had not lieen completed two
month liefore the havy snows of thi
winter caused roaring torrents Thin
caused a mighty volume of water to pil
up behind the wall of masonry and stone
Mr. i bit i. in descriisid the breaking of ths
dam on January 24. 1910, when 4 workman
saw the great wall tremble, buckle and
slide forward forty-four inches on ha ltt
He aroused the town and the LnhOfiitarUl
took refuge in the mountains ai d for
two days remained there An outlet pipe
provided by Kngineer Hutton W01 plugged
up. At the direction of Hatton ana .V
the risk of their lives workmen for thi
Bayless Company blew a large hole in
the concrete waif with dynaniit'
The imprisoned wa'er esoaj ed through
the breach and th" dam and town uph
eaved, njwaaat this time thai Mr Hatton
pronoum-ed the dam unsafe and made
tensive recommendations along the linen
of reenforoement. He was not engaged
to suisrvise this work. He said to-nigh'
"I am noi responsible for anything that
may tiave hapjsuied."
Owing I,, extremes in temperature soon
after Ihe dam was finished by CAI, Brintnall
A- Co. of Binghamton. the contractors, thi"
wall of concrete cracked in several places
The dam cost 1100.000. Mr. Hntton laid
great stress to-night upon the fact that
the design of the dam had lieen approved
by Kngineer Wegmunn of the New York
t'roton Aqueduct Commission.
.-Mimnsi nra I ross to tin Nulterrrn.
Washington, Oct. 1. The National
Red Cross will probably take action to
morrow to aid the sufferers of the flood
disaster at Austin and Costello. Pa
Krnost P. Bicknell, a relief expert of th
society, left Wushingfon last night for
the scene of the disaster and is expected
to arrive there to-day. The officers of
the society are uwuiting a report from
him as to what character of relief meas
ures are hiost needed before calling upon
the public for assistance.
PfCCIAli MITIIKs,
Face Paint Tabooed;
Remove Skin Instead
"A few years o only one class of
women painted Ihelr faces," says Dolli
Madison in Chicago News ' It Wat I
sign of social ostracism mid was tabooed
in refined circles. The custom has be-
come o universal we must admit it ft to
he deplored and to be shelved as soon ns
possible."
How foolish to seek artificial "beauty
of this sort, obnoxious from artistic and
moral standpoints, when it is so easy to
ohlain a truly tint lira I conipleilon bv the
use of ordinary mercollssd wax Morcc
Ibted wnx. Obtainable at any drtiK-sief.
is so effective, lion -Injurious and inex
pensive, no ons need think of Ming 001
thing else lor I he purpose. Applied li 4
cold crenin nt night, and washed 111
I he niorillng, It lit once hepius to sh'oi It
remarkable rejuvenating effects H
gent ly absorbs tha lifeless surface stil
in tiny particles, showing the fresher,
livelier, beautiful undarakin. Naturally
it takes iih ii nil surface dsfsctt
DIED.
CONNORS. On September .10. Mary Conoon.
aged "i years, ai thr Chapel of ihr sh-pim
Uerrlu Burial ami i rtmotlon 1 o sttti nJ
huh m Intermtoi Ban Prsndtro,
t: i. kins. Robert Caoll tSlklai. funeral i fl
FVNoaMi i hi foh." I'll UrM r:t.t i s'
r ' a m fur i.i BVIUMIIOli bt t. 7th and n i
UE METAYER, mi October i. Leon Pbliipp' :
Metayer iBaraa ie aulehalnvllle n ;
ear. funeral at toe ehapei of utr s'pmi
Merrill Burial and Cremation Co itiia
blili si. NoUcI of ums hfrcaftcr.
MANIEHHE. At Ida residence, New Vprk,
Sunday . llrlober 1. 1011. Alfred lev
tin' latr Benjamin r Manierre
funeral at West hud Collegian Cburrh n' 'I
roruer of Wis! End a . and 77di 08
Weanoeda) morning, October i,ai loo'riooti
Interment Wooniswn Cemetery at ronvii'
lonce of thr family.
Ut'ltl) Pasts'! Intn ihp lit l,.-v , f-'itn lt!i
horns In Brooklyn. as Sunday. tctobei 1
:jii.
I rank it mill, beloved hunbaud of An
in. an. in the osi ii year ol hl am'
I literal and Interpieni private. Klnclll
omit
flow IT.
Tll.TON On Saturday. Srpifmbrr M IWh '
i bkcogo, HI . Henry A., Iniaband of I 0 1
i uiun ,
Bei lrr Tuesday ntofntngi October I. no pw1
si i 'bagel Moravian CWntalery, New 1 '
gtaten island.
I MH'.HT Ak I'.llsi.
r K 4 k K. I'aHPHF.I.I., 141 941 Vilt
Obapels. Ambulance Serv ice. Tel. IIM 1 MOSS