The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-06-02
Scenes Of Suffering and Stories of
Heroism Almost Be-
yond Belief.
The Damage to Property Runs Into
the Millions, Yet All is Not Yet
Known.
Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
Given by the Generous for the
Relief of the Suffering.

SANG HOLLOW, Pa, June 2, a. m.-
The first accounts sent out of the Johns
town disaster are far below the widest es-
Inmates placed upon the extent OF the ca
lamity. and instead of 1000 or 3,OO0 il is
probable the list will reach 5000. 1t is now
known that two passenger trains and two
sections of an express on the Pennsylvania
railroad have been thrown into the mad
dened terrent and the passengers drowned.
These trains were held at Johnstown from
Friday at ii a. m. and were laying on q
siding between Johnstown and Cone
naugh. The awful torrents came down
the narrow defile between, a distance of
nine miles, and with a fall of 500 feet in
that distance, sweeping away the villages
of South Fork, Mineral Point Woodvale
and Conemaugh, leaving but one building
standing, wooden mill. where
but an hour before had stood
hundreds, and dsshing on with
the roar of a cataract and the speed of the
wind upon the fair city in the foothills.
The railroad tracks bound the town at
the base of the mountains on the north.
Here is where the trains were standing
when the tide of water, like a catapult, cane
down upon them with such a rush and re-
sistless force that the heavy trains were
overturned and swept down the torrent
and lodged against the great stone viaduct,
along with four locomotives from the
Johnstown round house, the heavy ma
chinery and ponderous frame work of the
Gautur mill, the accumulated debris of
more than a thousand houses, furniture.
krs1 Ir.xo 49, lrsE
The low arches of the stone viaduct were
choked up Immediately, and the water
backed over the entire level of the valley
upon which the city stood to a depth of
thirty-eight feet In the great
sea thus formed thousands of
people were struggling for life.
Strong men were made sick at the sight, as
the flames cracked and roared amoug the
dry timber of the floating houses. Human
bodies were seen pinioned between the
house roofs, locomotives, iron beams, and
freight, passenger, pullman and baggage
cars. the greedy flames licking mp with
haste their diet of human flesh. The scene
was horrible beyond all description.
The infant q few days old to the wasted
form of age were burned before the eyes of
the beholders, and no rescue from their
fate was possible Strong men turned
away with agonized expressions and wom-
en- shrieked at the horror of the scene.
The dead have been computed at not less
than 5000, and the number may even ex-
ceed this estimate This would seem
incredible, but until the waters
shall have abated and the work of remov-
ing the dead from this tremendous mass be
finished. IL will be impossible TO tell how
many lives have been lost.
The scene to day was one of the most
heartrending possible for the imagination
of man to conceive. The accumulated
of forty feet, took fire from the ,upsetting
of stoves or lamps.
AN AWFUL SIGHT.
The Associated Press correspondent was
the first man 10 cross to J Johnstown proper by
means of a bucket suspended from q cable.
Once over he found the scenes magnifed
in their horror. Here were the ruins of the
residences of the cities most wealthy and
intelligent people, here were found the
bodies Of the most prominent citizens and
those of their entire families. Cinder, Mar
ket- MALL. IOcust hnu w dsnlnRtOn streets
had been swept clean and bare of al
buildings of whatever character, and
their inhabitants seemed TO have
fed into the streets at the first warning of
the drummer and rushed TO their deaths;
for those who remained in their houses
had an opportunity TO fee TO the upper
stories and where the houses were frame
they were hoated from their foundations
and many were saved. The hotel Hnlbert,
. brick structure had sixty-hve guests and
sixty-thr of these were killed by the fall
ing in of the floors and walls. The MorreI
Liberty school house, Alma hall, the gen
eral stores and Offices of the iron company
and one other building are al OF probably
1000 buildings that have not been fioated
from their foundations or caved in. The