The Portland daily press., 1889-06-04
SURVIVORS OF THE CALAMITY
Tell of the Loss of Their Dear Ones
In the Flood.

PITTsBURG, June 3.--A special to the Dis
patch from Johnstown says "The road !
travelled over the mountains yesterday
morning to Morrellville is at best only trail
through dense forests. met no less than a
score of crazed women and broken-hearted
men trudging across that mountain in the
hope of reaching Florence or Bolivar to find
their missinglones. dead or alive. Their
questions about bodies and rescued people
were agonizing, but they prepared me for
worse to come.
Sunshine never once dispersed the louds
in this mountain country yesterday. 1t was
high noon when, descending the eastern
sloop, M0rrellyille was seen in the dis
tance. That is one of the suburban wards
Ordinarily it would have been an arena of
hills, wavy in their alternating lines of pine,
fir and hemlock boughs, that wreathed the
white, trim houses of Morrellville round
about, but the clouds dropped their mist of
melancholy upon the landscape. There was
something about it all that even a mile awsy
impressed one with a sense Of indescribable
sadness. Drawing nearer / hailed stall
wart fellow who was listleSsly carrying a
bundle of clothes under hisIarm. He kindly
gave me the desired information, and then /
asked him If he knew of any casualties.
The same sadness that the clouds overhead
inspired was in the mans answer.
" Il might tell you of my own,' he replied.
My name is Gabriel Fleek. My boy, aged
II years; my wife's mother and three sisters
in-law were all drowned before my eyes, but
there is merciful God in heaven, for he has
spared me my wife!
81 went little further, John ID. Jones, a
former policeman, spurred his horse In the
opposite direction. Something inspired me
to speak to him, too; My inquiry brought
9 i and little son are all who are alive
OF family Of IA. saw most of them go
down.
ST was still quarter of mile to Morrell-
Vile. But here was the next testimony
heard from garden gate:
ga friend of mine, W. S. Weaver, a prom
inent confectioner, was saved by us, but 20
of his nearest relatives were all lost
I'm Morrileville at last. You want news
do you?' remarked a pale-faced young wom-
an. Go there to Young's livery stable and
look up stairs
Il did so. There, in long barn of hall.
were grouped some eighty peopie-men,
women and children. They were wounded
from battles with the debris, or sick from;
exposure. Some were lying down, others sat
country surgeon labored among them. 1t
was an improvised hospital to make city
doctor weep. Over in Johnstown proper 1t
was found that another hospital had been
formed in the Parks Opera House. Thirty
three homeless persons were housed there.
One of these, Edward Fisher, young man,
tried to commit suicide three times during
the previous night, because of grief over the
drowning of his pareEts and sister.
when the Hurlbert House fell in 1t Is
said that fifty-three guests were within its
walls. Ali were drowned except seven. The
proprietor, Frank Bentford, was saved. DIR.
John Lowman was drowned. He has been
practising surgery and medicine in this
county for over fifty years. Chief Harris of
the police department saved himself and his
smallest child by climbing out ON the roof of
a neighbours home. His wife and eight chill
dren, in attempting to follow, were all lost.
Last ngiht twelve special policemen were
hiring all the assistants they could find to
stop the wholesale robberies that were going
on. Thieves had grown so bold that they
carried chisels with them to break open
safes and chests. The Cumbria and Johns
town companies offered to pay for all police
protection for three days"