The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-10
A NAME OF I'LL OMEN.
Again the Country Hears of
a JohnstoWn De1uge.
IT Is THE NEW YORK TOWN NOW.
A Dam Bursts and Lives and Prop
ertY Are Destroyed.

JoHNsTowN, N. Y, July 10, 1S89.-A ter
rible freshet visited this place between
six and seven o'clock last night. 1t had
been raining heavily all day.
Cazudutta Creek, which had been fear
fully swollen from recent rams, became.
with the additional water, raging tor
rent, and rushed through the lower sec
tion of the town. Johnstown contains
about eight thousand inhabitants, and
among its industries are several large
glove mills.
Three large dams block the stream at
intervals and to these bodies of water is
due the distressing accident. When the
first dam gave way it was a source of
curiosity to the people, and to this fact Is
laid the loss of life.
bridge when the arch fell into the rush
ing torrent, which was filled with wreck
age and humanity. Cries for
help alarmed the residents.
Chief Mcdonald. with President
Northrup, of the village, Police Justice
expedition. Lanterns were procured and
parties went along the stream with ropes
to assist in the rescue.
SWEPT DOWN THE TORRENT.
One person was seen splashing and
plunging in the water near the Johns
town, Fonda and Gloversville Railroad
bridge, one-quarter of a mile down
stream.
AS he fioated past those ON the shore he
cried, "For Gods sake help me-" He was
swept by in the current so close to the
shore that a man who was in a boat
secured to pile of wreckage got hold Of
him, but owing to the swift current was
unable to hold him and he was swept un-
der the floating driftwood. Two other
persons came down moment later cling
ing to plank and shouting for help, but
were swept out of sight below the railroad
bridge.
BODIES RECOVERED.
At four O'Clock a. m. the body of Burt
Speedwell, fifteen years of age, was re-
covered from the debris at this place. An
hour later Albert Cokely was pulled out
from under the driftwood that had lodged
back of Evans Mills Soon after the
body of man named TreadWel was
found in the same place.
At nine a. N. the body of Charles Frear,
fifty-five years of age, a carpenter, was
uncovered from under the wreck at
Evans Mills. The bodies are badly
bruised. They were removed to Police
Headquarters, where they. will be held
pending Coroner's inquest
Charles Abbott was carried down from
the Ferry street bridge to the dam, where
he went over, going down a distance OF
sixteen feet but miraculously succeeded
in swimming ashore and escaping with
out injury.
Peter Evin, a stone mason, says he went
down with fifteen others, and was carried
under the Ferry street bridge, but sue
ceeded in getting out below. He was
bruised about the face. Purdy Case
rescued two men named Nellis and Vos-
burgh by means of ropes.
SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD.
Citizens are engaged this morning in re-
moving the wreckage of Schreiver' s
| mill, near the depot, where they think
other bodies have been lodged. 1t is be-
lieved that the two men who went down
| on plank lost their lives at the dam and
| that their bodies were carried down the
| stream and are now floating in
| the Mohawk River. No one knows
how many people were drowned Or
who is missing. The flood was SO great
| and the current SO swift that no help
could be rendered without great danger.
| The State street iron bridge and the rail
road bridge were both swept away. They
were large structures.