River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-06-13
THE WORST ON RECORD.

iHe WORST ON RECORD.
Tho Recent Floods UneaualIed I'm Amer,-
can History = The Losses win Reach
over $50. OOO, 900 Nearly zoo Persons
Perished-In the Horror at the Johns
town Disaster the Magnitude of the
CatastrOphics Elsewhere Has Been
Underestimated.
PHILADELPHIA. June Were it not for
the unprecedented extent of the Johns
town disaster and the extraordinary loss Of
life caused by it the no which happened
at the same time in New York, Maryland
West Virginia, Old Virginia and the east
ern part of Pennsylvania would have
been regarded as almost exceptionally
des tructive 10 life and property. but
as it is they are almost entirely overlooked
in view of what has happened in the Cone
maugh valley. And yet from more than
one locality of this food area there has
come up cry for help which the authori
ties OF Pennsylvania and Maryland are
courageously trying TO answer without
making any general appeal for contribu-
tons additional to those which are now
going forward TO Johnstown.
The great storm, which had it's rise in the
Mississippi valley and gradually swept east
ward, did no damage west OF New York and
Pennsylvania nor east of those States but
expended its force upon the mountainous
regions in line north and nth from Cen
trail New York nearly TO Central Virginia,
and principally on the linss of the Geneseo,
Monocacy, Potomac, James, Rappahannock
and the historic AppOmattox rivers In
Steuben County, N. Y, and adjacent to il
between twenty and twenty five lives have
been lost and probably about s., 100 600
worth of property. In Eastern Pennsylvania
nearly 100 lives are known to have been lost,
and property to the amount of $4,000, 600
at least has been swept away The most Sc
rious disaster was at Williamsport, where
by the sudden collapse of bridge forty of
the persons st nding on it, watching the
flood, are said TO have been drowned in the
rushing waters In Virginia fortunately but
two or three lives were lost but at Rich
mond, Petersburg, Staunton, Danvllle and
other points four or five millions worth of
property has been lost. In Maryland
fifteen persons were drowned and a severe
money loss is impose upon the people,
probably amounting to ten or fifteen mill
ions
So far as actual loss of property is con-
cerned, these floods have imposed far
heavier damage than that at Johnstown, and
were it not for the terrible destruction of
life at the latter point we should have
worst which have ever occurred in the
United States
LATEST NEWS FROM YOUNGSTOWN.
JoHNsTowN, June Five thousand men
are now engaged in the work of clearing
away debris and searching for bodies
The indications are that the esti-
mate Of 1900 to 1900 will not ex-
,eed the actual number of lives lost
when all is known. The militia is in
possession of the town and its approaches,
and sightseers and curiosity seekers are
1ebarred from entering. Good order pre-
walls AMI the homeless and destitute are
being cared for as amply as possible.
There is strong movement in favor of
applying the torch to the wrecked build
mgssand although the suggestion meets
With strong opposition at this time, there
S little doubt the ultimate solution of ex-
sting difficulties will be by this method
IoHNsTowN, Pa, June 7-Colonel James
A Mcmillan, principal owner of the Cambria
iron Works, says the loss to his company
will be between s3,OO0,OO0 and s4,-
100000 His estimate of the total
.oss sustained by the towns of Miner
ii Point, FranklinborOugh, Woodvale,
1onemaugh, Johnstown, Cambria City,
CoOpersdale and Morrcllville, is about s12-
W90C0 Speaking from financial stand
point it will require constant effort for the
lext fifteen years for the Conemaugh val
.ey to recover from the shock of the flood.
It would never recover from the effect of
he terrible loss of life.
gang of worlSmen have located the day
express which was swept away at Cone
naugh. The ruins of the train lie
about 100 feet from the fourth but
Tess from the western end of the stone
bridge Parts of the parlor cars have
been found, as well as traces of the pas
;engers 1t is evident that many lives were
.ost on this train, more than at first SUI
posed The whole train affair is still :.
MYSTERY At least the passengers have not
20 far been found and located.
PHILADELPHIA, June General Manager
Pugh says that as near as can be learned
nineteen persons were lost from the day
express at Conemaugh Some of the pas
sengers heretofore mentioned as being
Head have turned up alive in various parts
Of the country, and probably some of the
names now given may be those of persons
still alive but not yet located
ToHNsTowN, Pa, June Food and cloth
Ing have arrived plentifully, but not in ex-
cess of the demand There are thousands
Of busy workmen to feed and the men in
control here feel that supplies can not ar
rive in too great quantity.
Up TO the present the committee has re-
ceived in actual cash contributions $25,-
80. 10 with so, 1855 promised in addition
The greater part of this is represented by
kilograms from distance instructing the
committee to draw on certain banks This
Is an impOssibility, as there are no
banking facilities left here. The
committee hopes that contributors will for
ward their imoney by express. Mr.. J. ID.
Roberts said that Philadelphia had
promised $500, 600, which is now at the dis
posal of the committee.
New YORK. June THE relief fund of
the mayor of this city has reached Sl63, 81.
The Chamber of Commerce fund is s42, 600.
Jay Gould contributed 1000
Whitelaw Reid, the United States Minis
ter to France, telegraphs that the fund be
Ing raised at the legation for the relief of
the sufferers by the ii cd at Johnstown now
amounts to $4,000.
PHILADELPHIA, June THE Johnstown
relief fund collected in this city now
reaches 100000 Fifty five carloads of
goods have already been started. The
Reading road has offered free transporta-
ton for flood-relief freight.
Boston has raised 6S,OO; Chicago, about
s90, coo; Cincinnati, s22, Ice; Louisville, sl0,-
900; New Orleans, $1,000; Kansas City, sl0,-
900
Dispatches from points in Illinois, Iowa,
Indiana and other Western States show
that the people fully recognize the needs
of the sufferers by the Conemaugh flood
and are disposed TO contribute literally to
their relief.
ToSsps Inv Fire and Flood.