Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-06-03
The MAD RUSH
OF a Wall Of Water a Mile
Long.
The Awful Scene Described BY an Eye
Witness.
THE MAD RUSH
Why Johnstown People Didn't Heed
the Warning When the Dam Began
to CIumble.

Mt Grouse, proprietor OF the South Fork
Fishing Club Hotel came TO johnstown this
afternoon lie SAYS that when the dam OF
of the Conrmaugh broke the water seemed TO
leap scarcely touching the ground and bound
ed down the valley crashing. roaring and
carrying everything before it. For u mile
the front seemed like solid wall 70 feet
high, The warning given the stricken city
was sent sent from South Fork village BY
freight agent Dechert. When the great wall
that held the water began TO crumblc at the
top he sent a message begging the people of
Johnstovn for Gods sake TO take 10 the hills.
Tie reports no serious accidents at South
Forks. Richard Davis ran TO post office hill
when the water rose. As TO pecherts mes.
sage he sad 1t was Just such as had been
sent down at each flood since the lake was
made. The warning had 80 often proved
useless little attention was paid II.
cannot describe the mad rush - he said
AT first It looked like dust, that must have
been spray. could see house. going down
before ii like child's play blocks set on edge
in row As it came nearer | could see
houses totier n moment. then rise and the
next moment be crushed like egg shells
against each other"
At Woodyille there was a row OF brick
stories high that stood broadside to the cur
rent. few of the tenants He'd but many
went 10 the attics 10 watch the food To-day
scarcely the foundation of the row Of brick
houses can be found.
Conductor Bell OF the hrst section of the
day express, east, laid up at Conemsugh on
the night of the disaster. He said today
that the first and second section laid side by
all tOnemSngh Friday afternoon on accout
of a washout al Lilly. The second was next
to the hill and the first ON the outside. sud
denly saw wall of water 30 feet high
We barely had tune to notify the passcn-
gers and nearly all iicd up the hillside. one
old man and his son returned and were
drowned. Two cars went down in she cur
rent. We do not know how many persons
were drowned. We saw two on top of the
cars. The water set fire TO the lime aud two
Pullman cars were destroyed. All the pas
sengcrs left the train before the cars were
caught. There were 100 persons on my
section. The Chicago limited was not in
the Hood at ali. From Johnstown to Min
eral Point tower the Pennsylvania road had
been completely swept away. For u quarter
of a mile the road is uninjured then comes
wreck to point above the soutl fork.
Twenty seven locomotives aud an uDknosn
number of freight and passenger cars are
lying in the river bed under the debris of
the Johnston stone bridge The towns of
Woodyille and Conemaughboro above Johns.
town are swept as clearly OF the face of the
earth As If they never had existed. OF
Woodville's population of 1900 souls barely
half dozen have been accounted for.
1t is impossible to describe the appearance
of Main street. Whole houses were swept
down this street and became lodged. The
wreck was piled as high as the second story
windows A reporter could step from a
wreck into the auditorium of an open house.
The ruins consist of parts of houses. trees
saw logs, etc. Many houses have side walls
and roofs torn up. You can walk directly
into what has been the second stery bed
rooms, or 20 in by way Of the top. A raft
of logs was lodged in the street and did great
damage. At the commencement of the
wreckage at the opening Of the valley of
COnemaugh one can look up the valley for
miles and not see house. Nothing stands
but an old wOolen mill.
The fire spread steadily all day and the
upper part of the drift is burning tonight.
A fire engine il stationed on the river
bank and line of hose laid far up the track
to the coal mine. The natural gas has been
shut off owing to the many leaks in Johns
town. Nofre is allowed in the city.
The Pennsy ylyania road are laying tracks
from Johnstown. The Baltimore & Ohio
tracks are now open and train run TO the
city free of charge for passengers at one
O'Clock. The mails are getting through by
couriers across the mountains. A pony ex-
press line has been established.
A Catholic church was burned Saturday
Ill e.. 4. A
funeral was being held at the church a, the
time. The eongre CATION deserted the church
and the body was burned.
Two large trees passed entirely through a
brick Catholic church near the centre Of the
town. The building still stands total
wreck.
Thirteen bodies were taken from the river
at New Florence lG miles below here. Sew
eral were placed in rough boxes and buried
on the hillside opposite New Florence.
Several bodies were recovered below that
point and brought to M0rrellyille.
Five hundred tents have arrived from
Ohio and slxty-five have been put up on the
hillside and are now occupied by families
An utterly wretched woman was Mrs
Fem She stood by a muddy pool Of water
today trying 10 find some trace Of her house
She was half crazed with grief. Her bus
band and seven children were swept down
With the flood and she is left alone. The
family were driven into the attic and the
water kept rising until their heads crushed
against the roof She raised a window and
placed the children on some driftwo01 The
roof crushed IN and she hoated outside, be
ing rescued - hours later from the roof Of
a house in kenyille.