Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-07-05
THE FLOOD!
How 1t Swept The Valley.
HOUSES FLOAT UP THE SToNYCREEk
LIKE >TEAMBOATS-TERR
ORDEALS Of THOSE WHO
WIRE ESGULFED.

oHDhALS LF THOSE WHO
WE'RE ESGULFED.
For years the people of Johnstown have
talked of the possibility of IA break in the
South Fork reservoir, and many IL one has
prophcsied the result. On Friday after
noon, May 3lst, at nearly four O'Clock
the wMcrs came, and the result is so
aw full that it can never be adequately
pictured, nor correctly detailed.
From ten O'Clock Thursday night to
ten O'Clock Frlday lort noon an incessant
lain fell and carly Friday the streams BE-
ran to uyollioW their banks. The water
rose during tue day, and at noon nearly
| tie Whole town was submerged, tue
water Un Franklin street being about
four feet deep. Many people lied TO
places uf safety, but many more prefer
red to leuldln III their houses, their pre-
yiuus experience with nigh water here
raying been lnuJ they were safest there
shorty alter noon the following di patch
Was receives at the Pennsylvania Rail
road tower, and VAS telcphoned over
town, communication by way of Lincoln
Dldgc hayiuE been cut off. "Reports
rom Cuue maugh LAKE via South Fork Ill
- 10 say the water Is running over and
Tue dam may give way ut any moment.
Notify lie people of JUhnstown ut once
TO be prcpareI for the wOIst" This was
signed Operator, bat as reports of the
ddm Jr,ahihS were always current when
Ne had uIgu wafer people had become
used to sucn talE aud were not easily
alarmed. AT anyratc, it was the expert
euce OF those VINO made an effort to warn
tue people, That the matter was treated
with indifference. n second message was
received at 2:4i which said the dam was
| breaking and the warning was circulated
on few of the streets, but the people had
uot the tim, no. The opportunity then TO
get oft.
On Iron street and Millville an organ
iZed effort was icing made TO rel.eve
them When the flood came. In Cambria
there were no means ut hand to accomplish
| ,nuail, while up town people ~@h
horses aud wagons were busy taking
those out who wanted to CO. Communi-
c; Iion between Cambria and Millville was
perfect by means of the Pennsylvania
| stone bridge, although the water was
over fourteen feet high ut the bridge all
afternoon. That side was cut off from
Johnstown, except by way Of the Wood.
vale bridge, Ine Lincoln bridge, and the
bridge back of the company store being
standing, but submerged. The Franklin
street bridge was all right. The Poplar
street bridge, the CampanYs toll-bridge
at Cambria, and the Ten-Acre bridge were
swept away shortly after eleven O'clock
in the forenoon. 1t was the highest wat
er yet known in the town and still gradu-
ally rising when the REAL FLOOD CAME,
which we will not attempt to describe in
full, but note its appearance as seen from
point ON Prospec. above the Penusylva-
mia Railroad Station.
First came lot of debris, bridges and
houses, and as they struck the Company's
bridge, which was weighted with cars of
metal back of the Company store, the cur
rent was DETECTED and pushed out above
the store aud across Washington street
| Here the first houses in Johnstown Dor
ough were taken under. A few moments
after a mighty volume, seemingly ten
feet high, the top covered with floating
debris, houses and people came rushing
down the valley. Everything was
swept before it and all Iron
street with the exception of Il few
houses along the railroad were at once
submerged 1t was impossible to take in
the whole of the awful scene. The Gas
COmpany's works squirmed and toppled
over, and almost the same instant the
Opera House collapsed, the
Mansion House floated away
and was submerged, and on looking
toward Conemaugh borough everything
was seen to be moving. The main cur
rent came on down along the river bed
sweeping everything, and when 1t came to
the point, the debris clogged the arches
at the stone bridge. The water was held
here and the current was forced back
carrying houses and everything with it up
Stonycreek street. The first rush of
waters, which followed the course of the
stream, was about five minutes in advance
of the second great "tidal wave" When
this came the whole bed of the valley
was filled twenty feet deep, and the
water taking straight course made a
clean sweep of everything from Clinton
to Jackson streets. AT the Stonycreek
river, it struck the up current and added
its momentum to the onward
course of the stream now on the
back track. Hundreds of houses at
this time were seen floating up stream
and everything before them were taken
along, until the force of the waters was
spent and the houses gradually settled