The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-06-07
AboutlO, 900 Lives Lost in
the Great Catastrophe.
Devils in Human Shape Mutt
lating and Robbing the Dead.
They are Arrested.
The Loss of Property is ESti-
mated at S75, 900, 900.

that ever happened in this country or
perhaps in the world visited the inhab-
itants of the Conemaugh valley on last
Friday afternoon and left barren waste
where a few hours before dwelt happy
and prosperous people.
So near home, our own county where
relatives and friends residing in the
flooded district are to be found in every
family, the news of the terrible hood
spread rapidly and with faces that
blanched with fear as every new
arrival brought worse news, our
people were wild with excitement.
Telegraph communication was entirely
cut off and on Saturday morning every
team in Ebeusburg, was on the road
loaded with people hurryiDg to the
scene Of the disaster, eager and anXi-
Gus, alternating between hope and fear
to learn OF the fate os relatives and
friends.
JOhnstown, as is well,known, is To-
Gated in a fat between the hills where
the Little Conemsugh and the 5 ;onyJ
creek came together. Her people were
accustomed to floods and when on LAST
Friday the rivers oveTflowed their banks
and the water began to rise and run
into the lower stories of their houses,
they viewed it as a misfortune that
they had encountered heretofore and
bravely set 20 work to rescue their
goods and yaluables by taking them to
the upper stories OF iheir business places
and dwelling houses.
The flood Itself would have caused a
great loss in damaged property and
goods but the loss of life would have
been little if any. Bat up in Croyle
township, op the South Fork of the
! Conemaugh, about two miles above the
town of South Fork, on the PennsyI-
vania Railroad, was an immense reser-
voir, originally built by the State of
Pennsylvania, as "A feeder to the West
ern canal. but sold by .he State when
the canal was abandoned. The breast OF
this dam was about three hundred
yards across and backed the water
back for about two and a half miles,
and covered a surface of about six
hundred acres. This dam broke in
June 1862 causing considerable damage,
but the break was a gradual one and
the water did noJ go of all az once.
| y fter the b-eak the reservoir laid
empty for number of years, furnish
ing rich pasturage for the cattle and
hocks OF the farmers in that vicinity.
The land after passing through sever
al hands inally became vested in the
Western Game and Fish Association,
who rebuilt the reservoir stocked it
with fish and kept it as a pleasure re-
/ sort. 1t was a constant menace to the
/ people OF Johnstown and at every flood
they we're in dread of it,
/ 1t had stood however. for a Dumber OF
years without any signs OF giving way
and the people below had finally come
/ to believe il was secure. This was the
case on Friday the flood at Johnstown
had reached It's height, and some say
ing when about three O'Clock the Ieser-
voir broke.
Down the narrow mountain gorge
this vast aggregation OF water rushed
carrying destruction and annihiIation
on its way. The largest forest tree:
were but as twigs in its path. Trees,
rocks, bridges, houses and everythinr
in its path were swept away.
At the town of Sonth Fork whert
the water struck the Conemaugh hal
OF the town, all on the lower side OF th,
stream is gone ana large bouliers anC
ard rocks which were carried down thI
mountain side by the torrent are lyin.
on the ground the foundations Os tn
houses, completely O5liJorated. Thirty
four houses are gone including tn
Argyle coal compsny's store and
planning mill. y freight trail
was crossing the iron railroad bridg
at the time the torrent struck tn
bridge the locomotive had reached tn
east side and the engineer and fireman
escaped, but the bridge and cars Will
two bTakemen, were carried off in tn
flood. The todies of Thomas Hender
son, Thomas Kenn, Howard Shaffe
and Michael Mann, all drowned a
South Fork, have been recovered.
The viaduct, a spendii piece Of ma
sorrY built by the State, for the Por-
tage railroad and used ever since by tn,
PENNSYLVANIA, that had stood the Hood
I OF City years without any signs Of 5ein,