Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-01
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.
DISASTROUS FLOODS THROUGH.
OUT PENNSYLVANIA.
Entire Towns Washed AWAY and
Hundreds of Lives Lost
A Bursting Dam.


1HS anu al immense volume OF water
rushed down to the city, carrying with it
death and destruction. Houses with their
occupants were swept away and many
people drowned.
There IS no communication with Johns
town, but the telegraph operator in the
Pennsylvania Railroad Tower at Sang Hol.
low, twelve miles this side of Johnstown,
says at least seventy-five dead bodies have
heated past. The wires are all down, and
no trains are running east of Blairsville
which is about twenty-five miles west of
Johnstown. There is no way to get to the
scene of the disaster and full particulars
can hardly be obtained tonight although
every effort is being made to do so. There
will be no train through to the East before
tomorrow.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
PITTsBURG, May 31st.-A sudden freshet
IS reported in the North Fork river, east of
Johnstown, Pa, in the Allegheny mount
aims. Two-thirds of Johnstown is said to
be under water, and railroad and telegraph
poles are washed out. Pittsburg has had
no wire communication with Johnstown
for three hours.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
GREENsBURG pa, May 3lst.-A report
has just been received here that the great
est portion of Johustown has been flooded
and hundreds Of lives lost. Houses are
floating about, and people who are free are
panic-stricken and fleeing to the mount
aims. Alta point near New Florence eighty
tive persons have been seen floating down
the river on drift-wood. One report comes
that but two roofs of houses in Johnstown
can be seen. The Covetown and New
Florence bridges have been washed down
stream, and all the buildings along the
Conemaugh between New Florence and
JohnstOwn have been carried away The
railroad towers have been abandoned by
the operators.
TWO HUNDRED DEAD BODIES.
PITIsBURG, May 3lst-The latest reliable
information received from Johnstown Of
tiCials comes through the PENNSYLVANIA
Railroad officials, who aver that over two
hundred dead bodies have been counted
floating down the stream at Johnston
alone, while along the line many additional
lives have been lest. 1t is asserted there
are but Two houses in Johnston proper
entirely above the water line. A special
train bearing Pennsylvania Railroad Of
hcials and Associated Press correspondent
has left this city for the scene. Telegraphic
communication is entirely cut off, and un-
til the lines are repaired and operators
with the necessary instruments open up at
the nearest point, but little reliable infor-
AAotlOu Setu NC OpsdLISu.
ENTIRE FAMILIES DROWNED.
BRADDoCK PA, May 31st-En route to
the scene of the disaster, the telegraph
wires being down absolutely for six or
seven miles below the immediate scene of
the disaster, and being in an unavoidable
shape for three or four miles distant it was
at least half-past before an accurate out
line of the effect of the tidal wave could be
learned. The chief officials of the Pitts
burg end of the main line of the Pennsyl-
yania Railroad received most of their first
information from the signal tower at Sang
Hollow, six miles west of JohDstown. At a
quarter of o'clock a boy was rescued by
the men in the signal tower of the railroad
company. His name is unknown, but he
said that with his father, mother, brother
and two sisters ne was swept over the breast
of the new stone railroad bridge at johns
town, that the boat capsiZed few seconds
later, and they were all drowned so far as
he could tell.
The railroad operator officially reports
that before dark they were able to count
119 persons clinging TO buildings and
wreckage or drowned and floating in the
current. II this Information is to be
credited the damage in the town proper
must be in the nature of a clean sweep. As
early as 1 o'clock an alarm was sent 10
Johnstown that there was danger from the
dam. The railroad officials were notified
and in a very short time began to carry
people from the town to places of safety on
the regular trains and hastily improvised
rescuing trains. Superintendent Pitcairn
of the Western Division of the Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad was on bis way 10 the South
Fork and was notified of the impending
trouble.
TWO YOUNG LADIES DROWNED.
TYRONE pa. May 31st.-The Juniata
river has overfloved its banks at this place
and flooded the entire southern portion of
the city, causing great destruction to
property, and the people living in the
Hooded districts had to be removed from
their homes in wagons to places of safety.
All railroads entering this place are greatly
damaged by the foods. The water was
never known TO be so high at this place.
At Carmensville one man was drowned
and at Clesrfield two yonng ladies were
drowned in trying 10 escape from the
flooded district.
Susauehanna river overfiowed its banks
at Clearfield and the entire place is under
water and ali means of escape are cut off.
Many people took refuge in the Court
house and opera house. This evening it
is still raining hard and the waters are ris.
ing rapidly.
ENTIRE VILLAGE DESTROYED.
GREEYsBURG PA }, May 31st.-Johnstown
is completely submerged, and the loss of
life is inestimsole. Houses are going down
the river by dozens, and people can be seen
clinging to their roofs. At Camptown Viii
lage several hundred of the inhabitants
houses are almost entirely covered, and a
great many dwellings at Blairsville are
submerged. Scarcely a dwelling in the
vicinity of Sank Hollow can be seen. The
- - =,
ported, have given away, and that Salts
burg, it is feared will be carried away. Peo-
pie here who have friends in the flooded
district are eagerly waiting for news at the
telegraph office. Great uueasiness prevails.
The river at Liyermore is rising, and great
destruction will follow.
WAS IT WATER SPOUT.
PHILADELPHIA, May 3lst-All the wires
of the Pennsylvania Railroad, west of Will
more Station on the Pittsburg Division,
TWENTY-FIVE miles west OF Altoona, have
been down since A. NJ, and consequently
information in regard 10 the break west of
that place is very meager. Enough has
been learned. however, to indicate that the
rush of water is the worst ever known in
that section. The Chicago Limited Epress,
which left New York at O'Clock this
morning, the fast line leaving there at the
same hour, and the train leaving that city
at o'clock last night are all blockaded.
such thing has never been heard Of be-
fore" said the railroad Superintendent to-
night, land nothing short of water-spout
could have caused such damage" Lillys
is little mining town OF about 300 or 400
inhabitants. For water TO rise high
enough to obstruct the passage of trains is
unprecedented.
"A dispatch has Just been received by
me-" said the Superintendent, which says
that the water is rushing over the tracks at
a height of at least FIVE feet above the ros d.
bed. and this l say could be brought about
by nothing short of water-spout. l have
no doubt that if our operator at Sang Hol-
low said he saw bodies from Johnstown
floating down the river. as reported in the
Associated Press bulletin, that it is true, as
his tower is located right on the bank OF
the river"
RAILROAD BRIDGES SWEPT AWAY
CHICAGO, May 3lst.-At 1880 tonight a
dispatch was received by General Manager
Pugh dated al Wilmore, from the conductor
of the east-bound New York and Chicago
limited, which left Pittsburg at O'Clock
this morning, saying the train was safe and
that all were well on board. Mr.: Pugh in