Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-06-06

borough and Cambria City.
OTHER DISTRESSED TOWNS.
PITTSBURGH. Pa, June l-Reports from
along the Kskiminetas river into which
the Conemaugh empties are most distress.
ing. The river near Saltsburgh is f1iled
with wreckage, and q number Of persons
were noticed clingiDg to such timber a.
would bear their weight. At Blairsville
men are stationed ON tho bridges and
banks in tho hope Of rescuing some OF
those who were being carried down the
stream.
The volume of water is unprecedented
The iron bridge connecting Blairsville
carried away and with it q train Of heav.
lily loaded cars standing upon the bridge
to hold it in place. This was the largest
and strongest bridge on the West Penn
sylvania road. It is thought that all Of
the West Pennsylvania railroad bridges
will share a similar fate.
All the towns in the Kiskimenatas val
ley are expected to be submerged. Among
them are Livermore, Salisbury, Apollo
Leechburg and Avonmore having popu-
lations of from 5000 to 10000 each. The
Inhabitants along the river have been
warned, but are almost panic stricken at
the idea of their great loss of property,
which is inevitable.
Later reports from Coketown is to the
effect that the entire town is submerged
and a number of lives have been lost at
that place.
THE FATAL RESERVOIR.
PITTSBURGH. Pa, June LIN order
to understand the nature of this
calamity it is necessary to describe
the location of the reservoir at Johns town.
1t lies about two and one-half miles north
east of Johnstown and is the site of the
old reservoir which was one of the feeders
of the Pennsylvania canal. It is the
property of number of wealthy gen.
tlemen in Pittsburgh, who formed
themselves into corporation the title
of which is the South Fork Fishing and
Hunting Club This sheet of water was
formerly known as Conemaugh lake It
was from 200 to 300 feet above the level of
Johnstown, being in the mountains. 1t
was about three and one half miles long
and from a mile to a mile and quarter
in width and in some places it was 100 feet
in depth. 1t held more water than any other
reservoir, natural or artificial, in the
United States. It had been quadrupled
in size by artificial means and was held
in check by a dam from 100 to 1000
feet wide, ninety feet in thickness at
the base and of the height of ITO
feet The top had breadth of over
twenty feet. Recognizing the menace
which the lake was to the region below, the
South Fork club had the dam inspected
once a month by the Pennsylvania rail-
road engineers, and their Investigations
showed that nothing less than some con-
vulsion of nature would tear the barrier
away and loosen the weapon of death.
NARROWING SCENES.
DERRY, Pa, June la fool of death
swept down the Allegheny mountains
yesterday afternoon and last night all
most the entire city of Johnstown was
swimming about in the rushing, angry
tide. Dead bodies were floating about in
every direction and almost every piece of
movable timber was carrying from the
doomed city a corpse of humanity drift
ing with the raging waters, God knows
where.
At Derry a group of railway officials
were gathered who had come from
Bolivia, the end of the passable portion of
the road westward. They had seen but a
small portion of the awful food, but
enough to allow them to imagine the rest.
Down through the pack saddle came the
rushing waters. The wooded heights of
the Afieghanies looked down in solemn
wonder at the scene of the most terrible
destruction that ever struck the romantic
valley Of the Conemaugh. The water was
rising when the men left at six O'Clock at
the rate of five feet an hour.
Clinging to improvised RATS, con-
structed in the death battle from floating
boards and timbers, were agoniZed men,
women and children, their heartrending
shrieks for help striking horror to the
breasts of the onlookers. Their cries were
of no avail Carried along at railway
speed on the breast of this rushing tor
rent, no human ingenuity could devise
means of rescue.
With pallid cheeke and hair clinging
wet and damp to her cheek, mother was
seen grasping a floating timber, while
with her other arm she held her babe.
The tidal wave struck Bolivar just after
| dark and in five minutes the Conemaugh
rose from six to forty feet, and the waters
| spread out over the whole country. Soon
houses began floating down and clinging
| to the debris were mon, women and chill
dren shrieking for aid. A large number
| of citizens at once gathered on the county
| bridge and they were reinforced by a
number from Garfield, town on the oppo.
| site side. They brought a number of ropes
| and these were thrown over into the boil.
| ing waters as unfortunates drifted by.
| Up the river there was a sudden crash
| and a section of the bridge was washed
away and fioated down the stream. strik-
| ing the tree and washing it away. All
| three were thro own into the water and
| were drowned before the eyes of the hor.
rified spectators just opposite the town of
| Bolivar.
| Early in the evening a woman with her
| two children were seen to pass under the
| bridge at Bolivar clinging to the roof of a
coal house. A rope was lowered to her but
| she shook her head and refused to desert
| the children. 1t was rumored that all
| three were saved at Cokeville few miles
| below Bolivar.
A later report from Lockport says that
| the residents succeeded in rescuing five
people from the hood-two women and
| three men. One man succeeded in getting
| out of the water unaided. They were
kindly taken care of by the people of the
| town.
A little girl passed under the bridge just
| before dark. She was kneeling on part OF
| floor and had her hands clasped as il in
prayer. Every effort was made to save
her, but they all proved futile. A rail-
roader who was standing by remarked
that the piteous appearance of tho little
waif brought tears to his eyes.
There is absolutely no news from Johns
town. The little city is entirely cut ofl
from communication with the outside
world. The damage done is inestimable.
No one can tell it's extent The Cambria
Iron Company's works are built on made