Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-02
rsrEc1AL rrIEeRAM 10 THE DrsrArcz.


SANG HOLLOW, June Lit is now
known that two passenger trains, two sec
tions ofthe Gay express, on the Pennsylvania
Railroad, have been thrown into the mad
dened torrent and the passengers drowned.
These trains were held at Johnstown from
Friday at II a. m, and were laying on
siding between the Johnstown and Cone
maugh stations.
Here is where the trains were standing
when the tide of water, like q eatapult,
came down upon them with such resistless
force that the heavy trains, loeomo-
tives, Pullmans and all were overturned
and
Swept Down the Torranr,
and were lodged against the great stone
viaduct, along with Al locomotives from the
Johnstown roundhouse, the heavy ma
chinery and ponderous frame work Of the
Gantier mill, the accumulated debris Of
more than thousand houses, furniture,
bridges, drift and human beings.
Assistant Superintendent Trump tele-
graphs from Blairsville Junction that the
day express east-bound from Chicago to-
night, and the mail train from PIttsburg,
bound east, were put on the back track in
the yard at Conemaugh, when the flooded
condition of the main tracks made it ap-
parently unsafe to proceed further.
When the continued rise of the water
made their danger apparent the frightened
passengers fled from the two trains to the
hills nearby. Many of them in the excite
ment threw themselves into the raging cur
rent and were drowned. 1t is supposed that
about 10 persons lost their lives in this
way. When Superintendent Trump reached
Conemaugh he Immediately gathered to-
gether the remaining passengers of the two
trains and had them conveyed to Ebens-
burg by wagon, distance of ten miles.
These survivors are now at that place.
A Hnsty Flight.
The conductors of the trains who took the
passengers to Ebensburg and the Pullman
conductor who is supposed to have a list Of
those in his charge, is there also. It
was impossible to give the names
of any of those who lost their lives,
but it is known that Mr.. f. Mccullough,
of the Westmoreland Coal Company, and
his whole family were saved. Mr.. Trump
stated that if the passengers had only re-
mained where they were instead of jumping
into the water, the terrible loss of lite would
have been avoided.
When the people deserted the cars the
two Pullman cars attached to the day ex-
press were set on fire and entirely con-
sumed. A car Of lime was standing near.
the train. When the water reached the
lime it set fire to the car, and
the flames reaching the sleepers
they were entirely consumed. Superin-
tendent Trump fully confirms the reports
already sent out about the terrible disaster.
He says it will never be known exactly how
many lives were lost, but the number will
reach among the thousands.
Trump's Tramp.
After providing for the passengers who
were sent TO Ebensburg, Superihtendent
Trump made his way to Biairsville juno
ton, q distance of nearly % miles, walking
most of the way on the north bank of the
Conemaugh river On reaching BlairsVille
Junction he telegraphed the news of the
awful calamity to his superior officers.
He describes the devastation wrought by the
resistless food at Johnstown as being some
Conemaugh was completely destroyed and q
number of freight engines were washed down
to the stone bridge at Johnstown.
ALI the works east Of Johnstown bridge
are completely washed away. West Of
the bridge most of the works remain,
but they are badly damaged. The
railroad track is entirely washed away
between Conemaugh and Bridge No. 6, a
distance of about two and a-half miles.
Superintendent Trump states that there was
a train load of provisions and groceries in
the company's yard at Conemaugh, and the
cars were broken up by the citizens and as
a result they were well supplied against
possible want.
In concluding his statement he states that
he could send many more details Of the
but he thinks the ground has been pretty
we'll covered