The Penn's Grove record., 1889-07-13
THREE DAMS BREAK
A DISASTER AT JOHNST0WN, NEW
YORK.
NINE BRIDGES CARRIED AWAY-PEo-
PIE SWEPT INTO THE
AND SEVERAL DROWNED.

AND SEVERAL DROWNED.
TROY, N. Y, July 9.-There are re-
ports here that three big dams were
washed away e JOhnstown, and tnat
crowds Of people got on u prloge
to watch the flood and II was carried
away, and several people were drowned.
A complete prostration OF wires makes
it impossible to communicate with
Johnstown at the present hour tlO.3O
P. MI Every effort is being made to
get definite information.
NEW YORK, July 9.-Eforts to COM
municate with any point within the
localities of J~ohnstown, N. Y, and
Amsterdam, where rumors would lead
to the impression that there has been d
disaster Of no Small proportions. are
! ~unavailing on accoun Of the fact that
| the telegraph wires throughout the
section have been destroyed.
Reports have been received here that
a cyclone caused the disaster. while a
more serious character is given to the
story by indefinite, and. as yet ui1con-
frmed, rumOrs. that there has been
considerable loss of life.
Troy, N. Y, July ga Telephone
message from Youngstown says: The
town is In total darkness. Nine bridges
were washed away. Tue electric light
plant has been washed away, also three
| skin mills at Gloversville. One body
has been recovered.
The water Is three feet In the village
Of Fonda.
ROCHESTER,, N. Y, July 9.-Rumor
Of a flood i'll the eastern part OF the
State was received here tonight by
telephone from Syracuse. There are
10 par,i culars, and telegraph interrupt
tons make them understandable at this
hour.
TROY, N. Y, July 9.-At12 O'Clock
tonight ram IS falling in torrents in
Johnstown and the flood is assuming a
terrible aspect; mills and sheds are
being carried rapidly away. 1t is be.
ginning to rain here TROY, and threat
ems to be u heavy storm.
A CLOUD BURST.
SCHENECTADY, N. Y, July ga
cloud burst washed away the Central
Railroad tracks, between Aiken n
Tribes Hill Stations, about i've miles
west of Amsterdam, this afternoon,
causing another delay to all trains.
The wreck of Il freight train which
blocked all four tracks in the morning,
had Just been cleared, Il delayed
trains began to move both east and
west, when some OF them were caught
by this new misbap, and a second
blockade occurred more serious than
the FIRST.
The west bound limited and two
other express trains, which left here
about 5 O'Clock in the afternoon, cam
back here between z and s O'Clock and
were sent west over the West Shore
road. 1t seems impossible to get any
particulars here this evening as to how
bad the break Is or how long it will
take to repair it. Some OF the trains
hurrying to make up lost time narrow
ly escaped the cloud burst. but all did
escape. One house vas partially washed
awSy, but no lives have been lost.
There is no wire west OF Amsterdam
and there is a rumor that the storm ex-
tended to JohnstOwn, in Fulton
county
SARATOGA, N. Y, July 9th-The
telephone people at Amsterdam state
that a washOut at Akin, three miles
west of there, has torn up 4OO feet OF
track and cut off communication with
the West, Whether the washing out
was caused by q cloud burst at Akin
or by the breaking OF a dam at Johns.
town, N. Y, as rumored, cannot be
a~scertained. Amsterdam reports an
exceedingly heavy rain storm in that
section Just before communication was
cut on. Akin is on the New York
Central, AMI u creek, which furnishes
water power to several mills, runs
through the place.
YOUNGSTOWN, N. Y, July 10.-Yes-
terday afternoon u furious storm broke
in this vicinity. The rain fell in tor
rents, and in ten minutes little rills
became mighty foaming torrents. The
Cayadutta leaped up and above Its
banks. Bushes and trees were uprooted
and flung against dams and bridges,
frail things at the best, which lasted
but a few minutes against the shock of
the creek, ordinarily but q few yards
wide, now boiling aud seething within
new banks City and sixty feet apart.
All streams arose and the plank road
from Fonde to this place was ripped
up and mashed and piled in heaps. The
Cayudutta took everything in its path.
About three miles east of the town was
McVain's dam, which supplied the
water to one Of the mills. Close by
was the terrible cloudburst. The rain
came pouring down in torrents and the
water rose with wonderful rapidity.
To this terrible pressure the weak
d I'm could offer only a poor resistance,
a1d scarcely before the mill hands
knew what had happened 1t crumbled.
On came the roaring torrent, carrying
trees, grain, rubbish, hay and the deb
ris OF the broken dams into Schriver's
pond, which lies at the foot OF the hill
upon which the town Is situated. 1t
was an artificial pond, covering about
two acres, and the water was confined
by a dam of mud and boards, and OF
corresponding weakness and Inability
to resist the volume OF water
that might rush against 1t. The
pond was soon full and the water
continued TO rise. Adams mill, near
by, was flooded and the water beat with
great force against the dam. Then
there wa a terrible crash, and the dam
disappeared, letting the whole pond
against the side OF schIiver's mill.
The building WAS three stories high,
and the main part Of 1t stood out owe
the Cayadutta. When the water struck
with such "a great crash the whole
structure fell. Half of the town had
come down to see the raging waters.
and a crowd Of peope gathered near
the bridge at Perry street. about a block
below Schriver's mill.
The people. reckless and needless OF
the warnings Of the police officer,
pressed against the iron railing nearest
the dam, while the water rushed past
within two feet of the keystone. Sud-
denly, between 1850 and 8 O'Clock,
: there was a grating sound, a splash and
!. loud cries for help. The whole side OF
the bridge had caved in and 20 people
were struggling in the torrent among
T the dirt and masonry. The darkness
/. was intense, the electric light works
having been flooded. There was
absolutely no artificial light, and
the people that crowded to the
assistance OF the unfortuDates could
N HAL list. LNNN rNn