Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-05

1853.
through the opening for just about, an hour,
see it now"
.Now, tell me. Don't you think that some
thing might have been done to prevent tnls
calamity"
A Fatal Mistake.
~ do not know. hardly think SO; although
tried when saw the waters rush over the
middle there. 1 got my men to mako ditch
over beside the hill, where the abutment was
more solid. know that the breastwork. which
had only diameter of about 80 feet at the top,
was bound to go if the water once began to
wash over. Colonel Unger was here when l
was digging this ditch, but when he saw me at
It, he told me to let it go. He never Thought
the dam was going to burst but knew better
0f course, when Colenel Unger told me to stop,
stopped, but think that great deal OF the
danger might have been avoided"
"Wel 1t was an awful spectacle to see tnas
mountain OF water rush down the valley and
tear down everything before 1t. saw some OF
the biggest trees that have ever seen here
torn completely out of the ground and carried
down the stream, and when all was over the
beautiful landscape was changed into chaotic
wilderness. Mr.. George Fischer's farm stood
over there besides the stream, and the firsr
rush of the waiter carried the whole place
away and you could not find out now where
L
land is completely ruined by the gravel, sand
and stone which is covering it in some places
at depth of 80 feet"
An Old Nuns Experience.
We left the Italians packing their trunks and
valises. 1--WE are going away in the morning,
because we cannot do anything here now. We
cannot even amuse ourselves by fishing in the
lake, because it is empty" were the last words
they said, and retracing our steps across that
awful field of devastation, we made detour
as far as the road from, where we started. AT
the bank of the creek stood an old man trying
to get across. THAT is grandpa Fischer; let us
talk to him." said the guide. Fischer was
man 40 years OF age, and father OF the man
who lost his property. He had been thought
dead because no one had seen him since
Decoration Day. The old man himself said:
II never thought that 1 would have to go
through the likes of this in my old days. Last
Thursday went to see my grandson down in
Minersville, near Johnstown. and on Friday
meant to come up again, but, alas, since then
have gone through an awful time. When the
waters came rushing along the Canemaugh
towards town we were all at my grandson's
home, but soon the waters broke in on US l
went to the roof of the house and SO did my
grandson, his wife and his child. There we all
sat
Praying to the Lord
to keep us alive, but it was not to be. Sud-
denly big wave of water came along and
dashing against the house my granddaughter
and her little child were carried off the roof.
No sooner had the husband noticed it than he
jumped after them to save them, but what
vain attempt. All three drifted down the
river until at last lost sight of them all.
There sat on the top of that house, an old
man. 80 years old, and probably not soul in
the world left who cared for me or belonged to
me, for was sure that our homestead here had
gone with everybody in it. Well, sat on the
house for an hour, when another wave dashed
against 1t 1t began to weaken and at last it
drifted away. held to the roof as best could.
but it was "a hours before got rescued. All,
this lake, this lake. l have lived here for
nearly 40 years and always said that would
yet live to see the dam break. Well, 1 saw it
once about 20 years ago, but never drempt
to live long enough to see it again. However.
we must take things as they are: 1t is no use
complaining. am too old for that now"
The Clubs Guarantee.
Fright here on the side of the creek" said
the guide, stood another farm belonging to
Mr.. George Lamb. He lost everything he had
in the world, and he got nearly drowned him
self in trying to save his pigs. Do you see
those trees looking out of the sand? Well, that
was his orchard, and you can judge how deep
the sand must be when nothing but the crown
of the trees looks out of it. All his land is
ruined, but he says that the club will return
him the money"
HOW is ClaC!
II do not know, but the people around here
say that the members of the South Fork Club
when they built the dam gave bond of 1000,
600, with the understanding that when the dam
would break they would give that amount
toward all damage done to property and other
wise: If that is so it will come very handy to
good many people,"
"By the way, what do the people around here
"a good many things We are very sorry for
the members Of the South Fork Club, because
the members brought great deal of money to
the farmers. But we have always lived in con-
slant fear of the dam bursting. Whenever
there has been any rain here at all the first
question would always be: Will the dam be
# aid come nobody wanted to believe Il. It was was
the same as the cry about the wolf. But the
people here believed it, because the roaring Of
the waters as they broke through that hole
could be heard for miles around here. But let
us go further"
Scenes of Desolation.
Following the course of South Fork creek
we came to the front of a hill where the rivulet
takes a turn to the right. At that bend the as
pect presenting itself was most curious The
water of the creek formerly ran quietly
through a beautiful forest of enormous hem
lock trees, but from this bend in the river
gap had been made in the woods about 50 feet
wide and every tree which had formerly COW
cred the ground, and in whose shadow the
small stream ran down toward the Conemaugh,
was pulled out by the roots. Some OF the trees
were standing on their crown, the roots spread
out alott, but there was not a yestige .pf bark
left on any tree. All was bare as if an army of
beavers had been attacking them.
Thus it continued for about quarter of
mile. until again bend occurred in the
stream, this time the course going to the left.
The same scene of utter wilderness uprooted
and Embarked trees, and the valley covered
with enormous stones of tons upon tons of
weight, was reproduced. From here the great
big mountain of water, which had been seen by
scores of the people on the train near Johns
town on that memorable Friday afternoon,
took its downward course through South Fork
village and into the Conemaugh. There were
only five lives lost in South Fork-Philip Her
bert Charles Geisenheim, Lizzie, Theobald
and John Torrens-but nearly half the village
has been destroyed. Before the dam burst the
South Fork people were notified, and hence
they we're able to escape, though their homes
hod ban dasrr0va6 HEINRICHS.