Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-06-03
WHAT THEY SAW.

Men and women in dozens, in pairs
and singly, children, boys big and little,
and wee babies were there in awful con-
fusion, gasping, struggling and fighting
desperately for life. Two men on tnY
raft shot into the swiftest part OF the cur
rent. They crouched stolidy, looking at
the shores, while between them dressed
in white and kneeling with her face
turned heavenward, was a girl e or
I years old. When she came opposite
the tower she turned her face to the oper-
ators. She was so close they could see
big tears on her cheeks and the pallor Of
death. The helpless men on shore
shouted to her to keep up her courage,
and she resumed her devout attitude and
disappeared under the trees OF project
ing point short distance below.
you see that fringe OF trees ?" said the
operator pointing to the place where the
little girl had gone out of sight. "Well,
We saw scores OF children swept in there,
| believe that when the time comes tllev
will find almost 100 bodies of children in
there among those bushes"
Just above New Florence is the little
town of Nineveh. 1t was here that |
found the first charnel house, there being
100 dead, the largest portion of whom
were women. Here it was that the awful
work Of the freshet could be realized.
What had been fertile farms looked like
worn ont brick yards. Great trees had
been twisted and torn like weeds, and
broken household goods and hundreds of
houses line the shores for miles. Thieves.
those who steal and plunder unfortunates,
have been busily at work robbing trunks,
boats, articles OF furniture and there is
nothing worth taking left except lumber.
Every now and then the ghastly out
lines of body could be seen in the water
being swept down the stream Two miles
from the city is the square tower of the
Pennsylvania railroad company, and here
it is that the greatest railroad in the world
ends suddenly in the river. For more
than 900 feet the entire track is wiped
out The rails ties are gone and the north
track is entirely washed away. This is
the nearest telegraph point to oJohnstown.
and the delay in getting off news dis.
patches has been fairly maddening.
FIRE MAKES IT MORE TERRIBLE.
Johnstown.-Mosto of the accumulation
of buildings which were swept by the an.
cry waters to the Pennsylvania railway
bridge and piled up fully fifty feet high
have burned to the waters edge. Refore
the buildings took fire many people dead
and alive were taken from them. and in
several instances the unfortunates were 40
wedged in that it was necessary to chon
their legs off to relieve them.
The Catholic church was also destroved
by tire this morning. Many people were
on the roof when the structure took fire
All were consumed in the flames The
damage is rs yet inestimable, regardless of
the great loss of life. The Pennsvlvonia
railway company's loss will be enormous
SOME CT THE DETAILS.
Sang Hollow, June 3.-Tbe first no.
count sent out OF the Johnstown disaster
is far below the mildest estimates nlared
upon the ;, extent a Of the calamaty, and in.
stead OF 1000 or 5000 it is probable that
the list will reach 5000. 1t is now known
that two passenger trains and two sections
OF express on the PENNSYLVANIA roiIroaJ
have been thrown into the maddenad
torrent and the passengers drowned
!hese trains were held at Johnstown
from Friday at II a. H., and were ivinn
on the siding between Johnstown and
Conemaugh stations when an awful tor.
rent came down narrow defile like o,,
avalanche. 1t had travelled distance ot
nine miles and had fall OF 400 fnet in
that distance. 1t sWept away {bo ,,;IIo,.o.