davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
and anxious people, who tell of the
awful calamity with still breath. Squire
Bennett has

awful calamity with still breath. Squire
Bennett has
CHARGE OF THE DEAD
bodies and he is having them properly
cared for. They are being prepared
for burial, but will be held here for
Identification. Four boys have just
come from the river bank above here.
They say that on the opposite side
number of bodies oan be seen lying in
the mud. They found the body of a
woman on this side. She was covered
with debris. but they pulled her out.
She had only few tatters of clothes on
her and the body was badly bruised.
No news ca II be received from Johns
town, and it may be many hours before
we can get any. r. B. Rogers, justice
of the peace at Nineveh, has notified
the coroner that 100 dead bodies have
been found at that place and he asks
what to do with them. From this one
can estimate that the loss of life
WILL REACH OVER 1000.
No one knows, no one can guess the
sickening sight that is expected to be
arrive at the scene above. Report has
just been received that twenty persons
are OH an island near Nineveh and that
a man and woman are on partly sub
merged tree. A report has just reached
here that at least 100 people we're con-
Sumed in the flames at JohnstOwn last
night. 1t is said to have been an awful
horror, but information cannot he OBJ
tanned here. The air is filled with
thrilling and almost Incredible stories,
but none of them has as yet been con-
firmed. 1t is certain. however. that
even the worst cannot be imagined.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
ALONG THE b. & O.
The Familiar story From West
Virginia and Maryland Points.

BALTIMORE. June On the Balti.
more & Ohio at Gaithersburg, the water
is said to be nine feet in depth. A mes
vania Railroad company, requesting the
Baltimore d Ohio to allow it to bring
the Pennsylvania trains that are shut
up in Wheeling. W. Va, over the Balti-
more & Ohio's line. The Baltimore S
Ohio would gladly have granted this re-
quest, but the road is not able to bring
its own trains in that city to Baltimore,
owing to the damage on the road. An
dreds of people line the banks of the
PatapscO to-day, watching the rushing
flood, which has receded but few
inches since last night. Nothing
SINCE THE FLOOD OF '6S
equals this. All communications further
west by rail are cut off. Halt the bridge
over the river at Gray's is carried away.
The contents of dwellings were re-
moved. Several buildings have been
swept down the stream. The only death
reported is that OF William Hudson, a
. flour packer at Orange. below slchesteE..
Last night as he was returning across
the suspension bridge, it was struck by
huge log and broke. Both man and
bridge was swept away. A special
from Frederick, Nd, says: The rain
night. The wheat crop i'll this county
has been damaged to an extent
that can not now be estimated,
and early fruit has been destroyed.
The Potomac at Point OF Rocks and
vicinity is rapidly Overreaching its
banks. and the damage there will be
great. Adyices from Westminster, Nd.
say surrounding lands are inundated
and many of the wOrkmen are unable
to get homes. Between New Windsor
and LinwOOd, and between Linwood
and Union Bridge, the Western Mary
land railroad is
COVERED WITH WATER
to the depth of one to three feet by the
waters of Little Pine creek, and the
track is washed away for considerable
distance. The extent of the damage can
not be ascertained until the flood sub
the Baltimore & Ohio, thinks there will
be no serious loss. Last night at Z,
everything beyond Washington was side
tracked, and trains Nos. 2. 6. 4 and 46
are still stationary beyond Piedmont,
but trains 5, AZ and two emigant trains
have been started west from Piedmont.
The Pittsburg division will be open
probably by 10 O'Clock tonight, and
between Piedmont and the river the
tracks are free. Two feet of water flows
over the bridge at Harper's Ferry,
which is heavily loaded with lOcomO-
tives and cars. The tracks on both
sides of the river are submerged as they
are at Point of Rocks and st. Johns
Run, between Cumberland and Martins
burg. There are four small bridges
undermined between Glen Cove and
Hyndman. The Cambria branches
leading to JOhnstown and Salisbury
branch are still blocked.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02

between Altoona and JolnstOwn. a dis
tance of forty miles, at least. is ex-
pected to last as long as the snow block
ade OF a year ago. The wires to Wilk
transport are still down. All dispatches
received from that city by way of Read.
ing state that the lumber boom had
broken at O'clock this morning, and
the water was rushing through the up
per end of the town. About 2 o'clock
this morning word was received at VIII
Transport that the boom at LOckhavep
had been broken and that
THE PLACE WAS OvERFLOwED.
Since then no news has been received
as to the condition of affairs, as the
wires between Williamsport and Lock-
haven went down Immediately after the
sending Of the dispatch, and cOmmnni-
cation has not yet been restored. The
positions of east and weSt-bOund through
trains, as placed in these dis
patches, remain unaltered. No definite
information can be given as to when
these trains will move. A:dispatch re-
ceived from WilliamspOrt at l o'clock
this afternoon states that that city is
flooded and the water still rising. The
Philadelphia & Reading railroad bridge
was swept away, and crashing against
Montgomery. seriously damaged the
latter structure. A train of loaded cars,
which had been placed on the MOntS
gomery bridge. prevented it from being
carried away. Up to 1 o'clock no
news of any sort had been re-
ceived from LOckhaven as to
the state of affairs and there
the condition of the water-swept city is
only a matter OF conjecture. A dis
patch from Lancaster says: SiXty-five
RATS broke loose from their mOOrings
near Wrightsville this morning and
were carried down the Susquehanna,
involving loss OF over $4,000. Dis
patches have been received by the Offic-.
ials from Pittsburg and these confirm
the Associated Press reports of the aw-
full calamity at Johnstown and the re-
sulting loss of life in thatvicinity. The
bridge at JohnstOwn is constructed Of
stone and was not swept away. The
fire which ragged among the debris was
against it. which it is stated. probably
renders the structure worthless.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
LOSSES AT HARRISBURG.
Bridges, Houses and Railroad
Tracks Swept Away.

1fdCAS oWcpC away
HARRISBURG, Pa, June 1.-The great
rain storm has entailed terrible loss
here. At the East and South ends of
the city the water rose above the banks
of Paxton creek, swept away bridges
and reached the first story of houses.
Hundreds of families were In distress
and forced to leave their homes. Mayor
Fritchey conducted the relief expedl-
ton, which utilized all tine boats to be
torrents, he and his assistants did good
work. While thus engaged the mayor
and one of his officers narrowly escaped
drowning. The Susquehanna river
at this point is eighteen feet
above low water mark and
rising every hour. Independence is
land is completely covered. The tracks
of the Pennsylvania railroad south of
here are covered by about two feet OF
water. Trains from the East stop here
at this writing, the probability is
that it will be several hours before traf-
fic to the West will be resumed. Ad-
vices Just received from points up the
river say that the beautiful fish houses
owned by Harrisburgers, about ten
miles from here, were washed away
with sheds and outhOuSeS OF every kind.
Great embankments have caved in. fcul-
verts and sewers are demolished ana
great trees laid prone. A party OF news
paper men. representing New York and
Philadelphia journals, came here early
this morning with the expectation of
reaching Johnstown. Finding trvale to
the west at standstill from this
point, some of them went down the
Cumberland valley with the intention
of boarding Baltimore s. Ohio train
going testhe West by a circuitous route.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
DIRECT FROM JOHNSTOWN.


up at the viaduct to a height of 40 feet,
and then took fire from the upsetting of
stoves and lamps. Then were strong
men made sick at the sight. AS the
flames cracked and roared among the
dry tinder of the floating houses,
human bodies were seen pinoned be-
tween the house roofs, locomotives,
iron beams, freight, passenger and Pull
man and baggage cars, heavy iron
beams. the greedy flame licking with
haste their diet of human flesh. The
scene was horrible beyond description.
From infancy few years old to the
wasted figures Of age were burned
before the eyes of the beholders, and
no rescue from such fate was possible.
Strong men turned away with agcnized
expressions, and women shrieked at
the horror of the scene. The dead has
been computed at
NOT LESS THAN 5000
and the number may even exceed this
estimate. This seems incredible, but
until the waters shall have abated and
the work of removing the dead from
this tremendous mass is completed it
will be impossible to tell how many
lives have been lost. The Asso-
ciated Press correspondent was the
first man to cross to Johnstown
proper by means of basket
suspended from cable as passengers
are removed from wrecked ships. Here
the scenes were magnifed in their
horror. Here were the residences of
the little city's most wealthy and in
telligentpeople. Here were found the
bodies of John Dibert, the banker, and
his entire family, consisting of
daughter and two grandchildren.
William Overlook, John Dorsey, of
Depew & Co., tobacconists, Philadel-
phia, and one of the most popular ira
yelling men on the road. DIR. j. C.
Cooper and wife, J. @. Benschoff, book
seller, William Gilmore, wife and
family, James Howard, Neil McAuley
and wife. Mrs. Droling and FAM
lily of three, Mrs. Cyrus Elder,
wife of the general superin-
tendent Of the Cambria Iron company
and daughter and many women and
children who could. not be identified.
Police officers and others were rem
dering all possible aid, but the
number of dead seems great
er than the number of the living.
Cinder, Market, Main, Locust and Wash
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
THE CAMBnIA's Loss.
Complete Wreck OF the Great
Steel Works..

PHILADELPHIA, June IA dispatch
received at p. N. from Pittsburg states
that the Pennsylvania railroad people
have succeed in getting a temporary
wire through from Sang Hollow to the
western end of the railroad bridge,
which is west of JOhnstOwn. The debris
lodged against the bridge, and piled up
to distance of probably forty feet. is
stated to be still burning. Until the
flames die out, so as to admit OF a
passage across the bridge, nothing
can be done towards repairing the
heavy washout between the bridge
and JOhnstOwn station. The des-
patch also states that the Cambria Iron
company's plant, on the north side OF
the Conemaugh river. at JOhnstOwn, is
a complete wreck. When this dispatch
was received it was not thought here
that this portion of the plant had been
seriously injured. 1t was known that
the portion of the plant on the south
bank of the river was washed away,
and this was thought to be the
EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE
to the property of this immense cOrpor-
alton. The plant is said to be valued at
S5,OOO,O0O. Dispatches received at the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad Office this after
noon give the damage sustained to rail
road property as follows: One span
of the bridge crossing the West
branch of the SHSQuehanna at Linden
is gone, and it is feared that the whole
bridge will go. This bridge was pre-
viOusly reported as being ballasted with
a heavily loaded freight train. The
Philadelphia Il Reading Railroad COM
pany's bridge over the West branch of
the Susquehanna, which was carried
from Muncy down against the Pennsyl-
vania company's bridge at Montgomery,
where it was lodged for while, worked
it's way under the latter structure and
swept down to the Pennsylvania roads
bridge at Lewisburg, carrying that
bridge completely away. Additional
information from the Philadelphia u
Erie branch is as follows: The four
span bridge across the Juniata river at
Granville has been carried away. The
water is still rising in the Juniata. Be-
tween Granville and Tuscarora, dis
tance of forty miles.
NOTHING IS KNOWN
of the condition of the rOadbed or the
bridges. There are twenty bridges
south of RalstOn on the Northern Cen
tral branch. Of these, five are washed
away, and all the rest are badly dam
aged, With one exception. Inc CumDer-
land Valley railroad lost a new iron
bridge crossing the Potomac river near
WilliamspOrt, Md. The bridge crossing
Sinnemahoning creek at SinnemahOn-
ing is gone, and the bridge over the
same stream at Keating is badly dam
aged, and will also go. The railroad
yards tracks at Emporium have been
badly washed away. At WilliamspOrt,
Pa, the west branch of the Susque-
hanna is said to be thirty feet high.
There is eight inches of water on the
floor of the railroad station there. This
would indicate that nearly the whole
city is overfowed. At Harrisburg the
Susquehanna river is still rising, and is
now very high. At Steelton two and
one-half feet of water flows over the
Pennsylvania railroad tracks, ana the
steel plant at that place is also sub
merged.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
has had such awful results. An awful,
mud-5edraggled,

CHASTITY BURDEN 80
was it that came in among the meadows,
and yet there was look of peace upon
the features that brought tears to the
eyes of the rough men who found her,
and who fastened the body by short
string to post. She had work day
life, poor creature, her hands were
rough, her face thin and worn, and her
hair was as streaked with gray as the
stormy sky just after dawn. Whether
incredulity and fo0lhardiness numbers
its flood victims by scores or by the
hundreds, no one yet knows, and 1t will
be many days before the writing upon
tOmbstOnes and the tracing of ''the
unknown dead" are ended. There has
grown up bitter feeling among the
surviving sufferers against those who
owned the lake and dam, and damage
suits will be plentiful by and by. The
dams in Stony creek, above JOhnstown,
broke about noon yesterday, and thou
sands of feet of lnmber passed down
the stream. 1t is impossible to tell
what the loss of life will roll up, but at
9 o'clock the coroner of Westmoreland
county sent message out saying that
ONE HUNDRED BODIES
had been recovered at Nineveh, half
way from here to Johnstown. Sober
minded people do not hesitate to say
that 1900 is moderate. 'How can any
body tell how many are dead?" said a
railroad engineer to me this morning.
II have been at Sang Hollow with my
train since II o'clock yesterday, and l
have seen fully 500 persons lost in the
flood" J. w. Esch, a brave railroad
employe, saved sixteen lives at Nineveh.
The most awful elimination of the aw-
full night was the roasting of hundred
or more persons in mid-food. The ruins
OF houses, Outbuildings and other struc'
lures swept against the new railroad
bridge at J0hnstown. and, from an
overturned stove or some such cause,
the upper part of the wreckage caught
fire. There were crowds of men, wom-
en- and children on the wreck. and their
screams were soon added to the awful
chorus of horror. They were literally
ROASTED IN THE FLOOD.
Soon after the fire burned itself out
others were thrown against the mass.
There were some fifty people in sight
when the ruins suddenly parted, broke
up ana was swept under the bridge into
pitchy darkness. The latest news from
JOhnstOwn is that at o'clock but two
houses could be seen in the town. 1t is
also said that but three houses remain
in Cambria City. The first authentic
news was from w. N. Hays, of the
Pennsylvania Railroad company, who
reached New Florence at O'clock. He
says the valley towns are annihilated.
The Associated Press now has the only
wire between New Florence and Pitts
burg. and has it connected with its
main circuit.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02

SANG Hollow. June 2, a. m.-The
first accounts sent out of the JOhnstown
disaster are far below the widest esti-
mates placed upon the extent of the
calamity, and instead of 1000 or 5000 it
is probable the death list will reach
5000, many say 10000. 1t is now
known that two passenger trains, two
sections of the day express on the Penn
sylvania railroad, have been thrown
into the maddened torrent and the
passengers drowned. These trains were
held at Johnstown from Friday at II
a. m., and were lying on siding be-
tween Johnstown and Conemaugh sta
tions. The awful torrent came down
the narrow defle between the noun
tains, distance of nine miles, and with
fall of 800 feet in that distance, sweep
ing away the villages of South Fork,
Mineral Point. Woodvale and Cone
maugh. leaving but one building stand
ing, woolen mill, where but an hour
before had stood hundreds, and
dashing on with the roar of cataract
and the speed of the wind upon the fair
city at the foothills. The plain in which
but yesterday sat JOhnstown, sits in the
mountains like jewel in queens
damon. The great Gautier steel works
sat in this plain and the city below it,,
the railroad tracks bounding it at the
base of the mountains on the north.
Here is where
THE TRAINS WE'RE STANDING
when the tide of water like catapult
came down upon them with such resist
less force that the heavy trains, locomo-
tiveS, Pullmans and all were overturned
and swept down the torrent and were
lodged against the great stone viaduct
along with forty-one locomotives from
the Johnstown round house, the heavy
machinery and ponderous frame work
of the Gautier mill, the accumulated
debris of more than thou
sand houses, furniture. bridges,
lumber, drift and human beings. The
low arches OF the stone viaduct chOked
up Immediately, and the water backed
over the entire level of the valley upon
which the city stood to the depth of
about thirty-eight feet. In the great
sea thus formed hundreds, perhaps
THOUSANDS OF PEorIiE
were struggling for life. The scene to-
day is one of the most narrowing posi-
BILE for the imagination of lcan to con-
ceiye. The accumulated drift gorged
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
RELIEF WORK.
Prompt Measures To SuccOr the
Survivors.

PITTsBURG, Pa, June Arrange
ments are being made to have as many
of the sick and injured brought to the
hospitals in this city as are able to stand
the transportation. The physicians SUBJ
scribed 1881 to the relief fund. The ex-
ecutlve committee of the Allegheny
meeting of all old soldiers III select
council chamber, city hall, for tomorrow
evening, when contributions for the
flood sufferers will be received. This
evening Chairman McCreery, of the ex-
ecutive committee of the relief assOci-
citation, sent an appeal tor aid to all the
towns in Western Pennsylvania.
At o'clock this afternoon car loaded
with provisions and clothing, supplied
by Gusky, was sent out. At 1855 o'clock
the second regular relief train was sent
out. 1t consisted of six box cars and
one passenger coach. The cars con-
tanned clothing and provisions, also $50
cOf1ins. In the passenger coach was the
relief crew, about sixty in all, and COM
posed mostly Of members of the Ameri-
Gus Republican club. The train was
under the charge of James b. Scott,
and the orders were to get into the
flooded city if possible. Twelve police
Hull tHC no oiio
relief train passed out of the union
depot the large crowd that were gath
cred about gave the party
A HEARTY CHEER.
At o'clock telegram was received
from Gov. Foraker, of Ohio, asking if
the relief committee were in need of
any tents, if so, that he had LOCO which
were at their disposal. Mr.. McCrea, on
behalf of the executive committee, ans
wered the telegram stating that they
could use 500 tents and to forward them
Immediately. Business was practically
suspended at the postOffice to-day, so
far as Eastern mail was concerned.
Philadelphia mail was sent via Wheel
ing, and New York mail via the Pitts
burg & Lake Erie to Buffalo. The
postOffice employees this afternoon sub
scribed s14l to the relief fund. 1t was
rumored to-day that the loss of life
would probably bankrupt some of the
life insurance and beneficial orders in
the city. Some of the insurance com.
Continued ON Seventh Page.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
EARLIER REPORTS.
Story of the Disaster Before the
Worst Was Known.

New FLORENCE, June 1.-The calanl-
ity of yesterday was as singular as it
was fatal. 1t is now very evident that
more lives have been lost because of
foolish incredulity than from ignorance
of the danger. For more than year
there have been fears of an accident of
just such character. The foundations
of the dam were considered to be shaky
early last spring, and many increasing
leakages were reported from time to
time, according to people who live in
Johnstown and other towns on
the line of the river. Ample
time was given to the Johns
town folks by the railroad officials
and by other gentlemen of standing and
reputation. In dozens, yes, hundreds
of cases, this warning was utterly dis
regarded, and those who needed it early
in the day were looked upon as towards,
and many jeers were uttered by lips
that are now cold among the rank grass
beside the river. One poor nameless
woman, who looked with sightless eyes
at the gray clouds from the Shiny bank
of meadow just below New Florence,
wore smile that perhaps had Its birth
in that spirit Of "Who's afraid?" which
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
ONE THOUSAND LOST.
A Conservative Estimate Makes
That the Figure.

New FLORENCE, Pa, June 1.-The
banks on both sides of the river at this
place are crowded with anxious watch
ers, and with horrifying frequency their
vigils are rewarded by the discovery of
a dead body. Within the last half hour
three floating bodies have been recoy-
cred at:thfs point, and hundreds of peO-
pie from Johnstown and up-river towns
are hurrying here in search of their
friends and relatives, who were swept
away in last nights flood. The most
intense excitement prevails here. The
street corners are crowded with pale
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
THE VERY WORST.
Awful Havoc on the Pennsylvania a
ROad-.-LOckhaven Inundated.

PHILADELPHIA, June 1.-Indications
point to the present trouble being the
worst ever experienced by the Penn
sylvania Railroad company. During
the blizzard of March, 1883, the road
was blocked on the New York division
and East of Altoona for nearly five
days. That memorable blockade was
caused by the snow. the road not being
damaged in any way. The present
suspension of traffic, caused by the
washing away of bridges and viaducts,
heavy landslides. long and deep wash
outs and the fall of masses of rock from
mountain sides to the track below,
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02

VER|TAb[E VALLEY OF Deaf H
Latest Particulars of the Disaster Confirm the
Worst Previous Re-
ports.
THE DEAD WILL NUMBER AT LEAST 5000,
And s1ooo,ooo Will Hardly Begin Replace the Property
Swept Away by the Awful
Deuge.
FIRE ADDS ITS TERRoRs TO THE SCENE,
EzzzzszzzzzsEEz
Burning to Death Seven People, Who Sought
Refuge on Drift Heaps Wrecked
THE RIVER BANKS LINED WITH coRPsEs,
While Hundreds More Float Current in Never
Ending Procession Of
Death.
EazEsEzzEIszsss5
PASSENGER TRAINS ARE ANNI1ILA1ED
And Their Hundreds of Occupants Hurled Into Eter-
nifty Without Moments
Warming,
EsaEK2kkEEixHk1zAzEEED
THE CARBON GROWS BEGIN TO COME,
PIueking at the Bodies as They Are Whirled Along
on the Bosom of the Foaming - .~e@.-.-s
Torrent.
VULTURES IN HUMAN FORM COME ALSO.
They Steal the Valuables of the Dead Even Strip
the Bodies of Their Cloth
ing.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02

They Steal the Vauables of the Dead Even Strip
the Bodies of Their Cloth
ing.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
RIVER BANKS LINED WITH coRPsEs,

While Hundreds More Float With the Current Never
Ending Procession of
Death.