Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-06
MOST GRAPHIC
Is the Story Told by a
P. r. R. Civil
Engineer.
THAT SCENE LINGERS,
And There Was Tragedy
Enough About it to Bring
on Insanity.
THE VIEW FROM THE ROOF
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM 10 THE DISPATCH J

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.l
BUFFALO, June 5-James Pemberton Smith,
son of T. Guilford Smith, the wealthy .coal
merchant, is a civil engineer employed by the
Pennsylvania Railroad. On Friday, when the
disaster occurred, he was at Johnstown, stop
ping at the Merchants Hotel What happened
he described this evening as follows: In the
afternoon, with four associates we spent
time PLAYING checkers in the hotel, the streets
being flooded. At 430 we were startled by a
shrin whistle. Thinking fire was the cause,
we looked out of the window. Great masses of
people were rushing through the water in the
street. which had been there all day, ana still
we thought the alarm was fire.
IAN OF a sudden the roar Of the water burst
upon our ears, and in an instant more the
streets were filed with debris, great houses and
business blocks began to topple and crack and
go down as if they were toy block houses. Peo-
pie in the streets were drowning on all sides.
One of our company started downstairs and,
alas! was drowned. The other four, including
myself, started upstairs, for the water was fast
rising
As if by Magic.
"When we got on the roof we could see whole
blocks swept away, as if by magic. Hundreds
of people were floating by, clinging to roofs of
houses RATS, timbers or anything they could
get hold of.
'The hotel began to tremble, and we made
our way to an adjoining roof. Soon afterward
part of the hotel went down. The brick
structures seemed to fare worse than frame
buildings, as the latter would float, and the
brick would crush and crumble into one mass
of ruins.
ave finally climbed into room of the last
building mentioned, and remained there all
night, in company with 1l6 other people, among
the number being a crazy man. His wife And
family had all been drowned only few hours
before. and he was Taving maniac.
And what a night! Sleep? Yes, 1 did little;
but every now and then a building nearby
would crash in, and we would all jump, fearing
that at last our time had come.
Finally, morning came. In company with
one of my associates, we climbed across
the tops of houses, built a raft and
poled ourselves ashore to the hillside.
don't know how the others escaped. This
was o'clock Saturday morning. We started
foot tor South Fork, arriving there at 8 P.
NJ Here we found that all communications by
telegraph and railroads were cut of by the
food, and we had naught to do but retrace our
steps
AwfulIy Worn eat.
Tired and footsore? Wen, should say SO!
My gum boots chafed rsy'feet so could hardly
walk at all. fThe djgtance we covered on foot
was over - mill !. On Sunday we got a
train to Altpona Here we found the railroad
connections ~ cut of, so came back to Johns
town again on Monday; and what a desolate
place! hs1 to obtain pass to go even into the
city. Here it is:
PASS Pemberton Smith through all the
streets.
"ALEx. HART. Chief of Police.
"A. ]. MoxHA1G. Acting Mayor"
'|The tragic pen pictures of the scenes in press
dispatches have not been exaggerated. They
cannot be. 1 don't know how many were
killed. The city co ltained $1,000 inhabitants
Dead bodies are strewn all along the river for
miles. Even down in Pittsburg one or two
have been recovered, and many will never be
found"
Ibid you see the BRIDGE"
1.-THE worst sight of all was to see this great
fire at the railway bridge. 1t makes my blood
fairly curdle to think of it, 1 could see the
lurid flames shoot heavenward all night Fri
day. and at the same time hundreds of
people were floating right toward them
on tops of houses, etc. and to meet
q worse death than drowning. To look
at a sight like this. and not be able to render
particle OF assistance, seemed awful 1 had
narrow escape, truly.
In my mind can still hear the shrieks of
men, women and children, the maniscs rawlings
and the wild roar of sea of water sweeping
everything before itr'