Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-07-26
Newspaper Men at Johnstown.

Newspaper Men at Johnstown.
A special despatch from Johnstown to
the Washington Post gives an interesting
description of the hardships of the news
paper men who were sent to write up the
flood. 1t says:
"The correspondents were in terrible
condition. Some of them had started
from their offices without a change of
clothing, and had managed to buy flan-
mel shirt or two and some footwear, in
Guiding the absolutely necessary rubber
boots, on the way. Others had no extra
coin, and were wearing the low cut shoes
which they had in New York. One or
two of them were so worn out that they
turned dizzy and sick at the stomach
when they attempted to write. But the
work had to be done. Just south of the
telegraph office stands two-story frame
building in state of dilapidation. 1t is
flanked on each side by shed, and its
lower story, with an earth floor, is used
for the storage of fire bricks. The second
story floor is full of great gaps, and the
entire building is as draughty as a sieve
and as dusty as country road in
drought. The correspondents took pos
session of the first floor, using the sheds
as day outposts. Some old barrels were
found inside. They were turned up on
end. some boards were picked up out doors
and laid on them, and seats were impro-
vised out of the fire bricks. Candles
were borrowed from the telegraph men,
who were hammering away at their in
struments and turning pale at the pros
pect, and the work of sending dispatches
began.
"No man had assuaged his hunger.
Not man knew where he was to rest.
All that the operators could take, and
great deal more, was filed, and the cor
respondents began to think of themselves.
Two tents, colored cook and provisions
had been sent up from Pittsburg for the
operators. The tents were pitched on
the side of the hill just over the telegraph
"office," and the colored cook utilized
the natural gas of brick kiln just be-
hind them. The correspondents procured
little or nothing to eat that night. Some
of them plodded wearily across the Penn
sylvania bridge and into the city, out of
the Baltimore and Ohio tracks and into
the car in which they had arrived. There
they slept, in all their clothing, in miser-
ably cramped up positions on the seats.
In the morning they had nothing to wash
in but the polluted waters of the Cone
maugh. Others, who had no claim on the
car moved to pity night watchman who
took them to large barn in Cambria
City. There they slept in the hayloft, to
the tuneful piping of hundreds of mice,
the snorting of horses and cattle, the
nocturnal dancing of dissipated rats and
the solemn rattle of COW chains.
ssIn the morning all hands were out
bright and early sparring for food. The
situation was desperate. There was no
such thing in the place as restaurant or
hotel; there was no such thing as
store. The few remaining houses were
overcrowded with survivors who had lost
all. They could get food by applying to
the relief committee The correspondents
had no such privilege. They had plenty
of money, but there was nothing for sale.
They could not beg nor borrow, and
they wouldn't steal. Finally they pre-
vailed upon pretty Pennsylvania noun
tain woman, with fair skin, gray eyes, ,and
delicious way of saying You 'uns,
to give them something to eat. She fried
them some tough pork, gave them some
bread, and made them some coffee with
out milk and sugar. The first man that
STAYED his hunger was so glad that he
gave her 81, and that become her upset
price. 1t cost 81 to go in and look around
after that"