Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-01

wards the elder woman, who it
is supposed was his mother. He was
then seen to instruct the woman how to
catch the rope which WAS being lowered
from the other bridge. Down came the
raft with a rush; the young man stood
with his arms around the two women.
As they swept under the bridge he
reached up and seized the rope, and 80
was jerked violently from the two
women who failed to get hold on the
rope. AS they could not be rescued
he dropped the rope and fell back on the
raft, which foated down the river. The
current washed their frail craft towards
the bank. The young man was enabled
to seize hold of the branch of tree, and
he aided the two women to get up into
the tree. He held on with his hands and
rested his feet on pile of drift wood. A
piece of floating debris struck the drift,
sweeping. it away, and the
in the water. A pile OF
drift soon collected and he was enabled
to get another secure hold. Up the
river there was q sudden crash and a
section of the bridge was swept away
and floated down the stream, striking
the tree and washing it away. All
three were thrown into the water and
drowned before the eyes of the Mortified
spectators just opposite the town OF
Bolivar.
A MOTHERS DEVOTION.
Early in the evening woman with
her two children were seen to pass under
the bridge at Bolivar, clinging to the
roof of coal.house. A rope was lowered
to her, but she shook her head and re-
fused to desert her children. 1t was
rumored that all three were saved at
Cokeville, few miles below Bolivar.
A later report from Lockport says the
residents succeeded in rescuing five peo-
pie from the flood, 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.
LITTLE wAIF CAST AsTRAY.
A little girl passed under the bridge
Just before dark. She was kneeling on a
part of floor and had her hands clasped
as if in prayer. Every effort was made
to save her, but they all proved futile.
A railroad conductor who was standing
by remarked that the piteous appearance
of the little waif brought tears to his
eyes.
All night long the crowd stood about
the ruins of the bridge which had been
swept away at Bolivar. The water
rushed past with roar, carrying with it
parts of houses, furniture and trees. The
food had evidently spent it's force up the
valley, as no more living persons were
being carried past.
THE DEBRIS OF THE FLOOD.
Watchers with lanterns remained along
the banks until daybreak, when the
first view of the awful devastation OF the
food was witnessed. Along the bank
lay the remnants of what had once been
dwelling houses and stores. Here and
there was an uprooted tree. Piles of
drift lay about. Some of the bodies
of victims of the flood will
be found Rescuing parties are
being formed in all the towns along the
railroad. Houses have been thrown
open to the refugees, and every possible
means is being used to protect the home
less. The wrecking trains of the Penn
sylvania railroad are slowly making their
way east to the unfortunate city. At
y O'Clock this morning Saturday
they were held at Bolivar. No
effort was then being made to
repaired the wrecks and the crews of the
trains were organized into rescuing
parties, and an effort will be made to
send mail train this morning. The
chances are they will get no further
East than Florence.
NO NEWS FROM YOUNGSTOWN.
There is absolutely no news from
Johnstown. The little city is entirely
side world. The damage done is ines
timable. No one can tell its extent. The
Cambria Iron Company works are built
on made ground, near the river, and
many fear that it has been swept away
or greatly damaged. The loss of these
works alone will be in the millions.
ANXIOUS RELATIVES.
The little telegraph stations along the
road are filled with anxious groups of
men who have friends and relatives in
Johnstown. The smallest item of news
is eagerly seized upon and circulated. If
favorable, they have moment of relief !;
if not, their faces become more gloomy.
Harry Fisher, young telegraph oper-
ator, who was at Bolivar when the first
rush began, says: "We knew nothing
OF the disaster until we noticed the river
slowly rising, and then more rapidly.
The news then reached us from
Johnstown that the dam at South Fork
had burst. Within three hours the water
in the river rose at least twenty feet.
Shortly before 6 O'Clock the ruins of
houses, barns, household utensils, barrels
and kegs came floating past the bridges.
At s O'Clock the water was within six
feet of the roadbed of the bridge.
Wrecks f1oated past without stopping
for at least two hours. Then it began to
lessen, and, night coming suddenly upon
us, we could see no more. Wreckage
was floating by for long time before the
first living person went down. Fifteen peo-
pie that l saw were carried
down down the river. One of
these, boy, was saved and
three of them drowned just below the
town. Hundreds of animals lost their
lives. The bodies of horses, dogs and
chickens foated past. The little boy
who was rescued at Bolivar had two
dogs as companions during his fearful
ride. The dogs were drowned just before
reaching the bridge.
DETAIL DISPATCHES.
PITTsBURG, May 31.-A sudden freshet
is reported in North Fork of East Johns.
town, Pa, in the Allegheny mountains.
Two'thirds of Johnstown is said to be
under water, and the railroad and tele-
graph lines are washed out. Pittsburg
has had no wire communication with
Johnetown for three hours.
TArrD-Tba Ao1I T. L