Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-06-07
General News.
Special to the EVENING OLYMPIAN.
The JOh m StOWu Flood.


DERRY, Pa, June IA flood O
death swept down the Alleghan,
mountains to-day, and tonight almos
the entire city Of Johnstown is swim
ming about in rushing, angry tide
Dead bodies are floating about, an,
every movable timber is carrying iron
the doomed city morsel of humanity
drifting with the raging waters, Coo
knows where. The disaster overtOol
Johnstown about 6 o'clock in the even
ing. As the train bearing the Associ
ated Press correspondents sped east
ward, the reports at each stop grew
more appalling. AT the train railway
officials were gathered, who had come
from the Bolivar end of the passablt
portion of road westward They hac
seen but a small portion of the flood
but enough to allow them to imagine
the rest.
Down through the packsaddle'
came the rushing waters. The wooded
heights of the Alleghanies looked down
in solemn wonder at the scene of the
most terrible destruction that evel
struck the romantic valley of tn.
COnemaugh.
In death battle on floating board:
and timbers, were agOnized men
women and chi ldren, their heartrendine
shrieks striking horror to the breast.
of the lockers on. Their cries were o.
no avail. Carried along at railroad
speed on the breast of the rushing tor
rent, no human ingenuity could devise
means OF rescue.
With pallid cheek and loosened hair
wet and damp clinging to her check
mother was seen grasping floating
timber, while with her other arm she
held babe.
The special train pulled in at Boil
var at i 30, and the train men were
there notified that further progress wa.
impossible. The greatest excitement
prevailed at this place, and parties o
citizens are out all the time, endeavor
ing to save the poor unfortunates that
are being hurled into eternity by tho
rushing torrent.
The tidal wave struck Bolivar Just
after dark, and in five minutes the
Conemaugh rose from six to forty feet
and the waters spread over the whole
country. Soon houses began floating
down, and clinging to debris were men
women and children skrieking for aid
A large company of citizens at once
gathered on the county bridge and
they were reinforced by number
from Garfield, town on the opposite
side. They brought number of rope.
and these were thrown over into the
boiling water, as persons drifted by, in
eG"risto save some poor being. For full
hall IN hour the efforts were fruitless
until at last the rescuers were about Civ
ing up all hopes when a little boy as
cended roof and managed to catch
hold Of the rope. He caught it under
his left arm and was thrown violentl,
against the abutment, but managed
to keep hold and was pulled on the
bridge amid the cheers of the locker:
on. The boys name is Edward II
Essler, aged 16. At midnight youl
correspondent secured an interview
with him. His story of the frightful
calamity was as follows:
A SURVIVORS, STORY.
With my father l was spending the
day at my grandfather's house in Cam.
bria City. In the house at the time
were Theodore Enwart and John KIM,
jr., Miss Tracy KIM, Mrs. Rica Smith
John Hirsch and four children, father
and myself. Shortly after 5 o'clock
there was noise of roaring waters and
screams of people. We looked out of
the door and saw persons running.
My father told us to never mind as the
waters would rise no further. But we
soon saw houses swept away, and then
ran up stairs. The house was three
stories and we were at last forced to the
top floor. In my fright jumped on
the bed. 1t was an old fashioned one
with heavy posts. The water kept
rising and my bed was soon floating.
Gradually it was lifted up. The air
in the room grew close, and the house
was moving. Still the bed kept press
sing the ceiling. At last the posts
pushed the plaster. 1t yielded and a
section of the roof gave way. Then
suddenly l found myself OH the roof
and was being carried down stream.
After little the roof commenced to
part, and ! was afraid l was going to
be drowned, but just then another
house with shingle roof fioated by,
and | managed to crawl onto it, and
floated down until nearly dead with
cold, when was saved.
After was free from the house did
not see my father. My grandfather
was on tree, but he must have been
drowned, as the water was rising.
John KIM was also on tree. Miss
Tracy KIM and Mrs. Mary KIM saw
drown. Mrs. Smith was also drowned.
John Hirsch was on a tree, but the
four children were drowned.
The scenes were terrible. Live bod
les and cOrpses were floating down with
me and away from me. l would hear
a person shrek, and then he would
disappear. Along the line were people
who were trying to save us, but they
could do nothing, and only few were
caught"
PITTsBURG, June l. Johnstown
7S miles southeast of this city, and the
most populous town in Cambria
county, was destroyed by the bursting
of a reservoir this evening, and many
perhaps hundreds, of lives lost. The
reservoir broke about 5 o'clock yester
day afternoon, and an immense volume
of water rushed down to the city, car
rying with it death and destruction
Houses with their occupants were
swept away and many people drowned
The latest reports OF reliable informa
ton received from Johnstown come
through the Pennsylvania railroad
that over 200 dead bodies have beer
counted floating down the stream a
Johnstown alone, while along tn,
mines many additional lives have beer
lost. 1t is asserted that there are bu
two houses in Johnstown proper, en-
tirely above the water line.
special to the EVENING OLYMPIAN.
Floods Subsiding.