The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-07
ESTIMATING THE DEAD.

W6To SenL TO Altoona.
ESTIMATING THE DEAD.
T4e Figures Constantly Growing-New Plan
for Securing Names OF the Living.
JoHNsTowN, Pa, June 6.-One cannot
perceive, from the high slopes around
JohnstOwn, that the picture presented to
the eye in the valley below differs mate
rally from that of Saturday last, save in the
single respect that the water has subsidized.
Piles of burning rubbish are cleaning up
and down the valley tonight, but the fire
moves slowly in effacing the terrible trail
left by the deluge within a few hours.
The real work of ascertaining who are the
living and dead of Johnstown, was start
ed this morning. A corps of clerks under
the direction of the relief committee started
out this morning and they will 60 to every
house in this vicinity and secure the names
of the living. Another corps of men will
endeavOr to find out who the missing are.
and in this manner it can be nearly defin.
itely known just how many lives were lost
in the flood. A revision of the regis
600 people had registered up till
1 o'clock this afternoon at the different
registration stations. BY this list it is
plainly apparent that large number of
the survivors will not take the trouble to
60 and register at one Of the stations.
Consequently, the plan of having registers
make a canvass was adopted. The great
number of bodies not identified seems
almost incredulous and impossible. Some
of these bodies have lain in the different
morgues for four bays. Thousands Of peo-
Lave eeen them. yet they remain unidenti-
fed.
Some doubt has been expressed as to the
estimate that 1900 to 1900 people have
been lost in the flooded district. OF course,
there is at present no way of determining,
with any degree Of exactitude, how many
are dead, but the guessing is reasonable,
and conservative, and based on close igur-
ing. In the first place, it must be under
stood that this is the greatest disaster in
history. and no one brain can compass its
details.
It's possibilities are boundless, its misery
infinite, and its destruction lost in the un-
fathomable darkness Of death. At least
1850 bodies have been found, 2.OOO at the
lowest calculation are in the burned debris
IN banh ns Tye1 $Se ia n 6n
along the river and in the lower
part of Johnstown. From one to two
Thousand are scattered in the valley from
Woodvale to the bridge. and thousand or
two below the bridge between Johnstown
and Bolivar. Hundreds were carried down
to the broad rivers in the tremendous cur
rent and may never come into the hands Of
the living.
Said Adiutant-general Hastings. this
morning: In my opinion the loss is greater
than we can now show figures for. That
sturdy worker, VIM. Jones, of Braddock,
thinks that at least ten thousand or twelve
thousand were lost. The statement that
eighteen thousand persons had registered
at the registration bureaus yesterday was
incorrect One of General Hastings's aids
said at 10 O'clock that so many persons
registered twice or more that the list had
TO be revised, and that the total was not
more than 1S,OOO and perhaps II 500. This
registration not only comprehends the pop
ulatiOn OF Johnstown and adjoining towns,
which was about $4,000, but embraces
places further away in the flooded region,
the total population of which was at least
let's and farms. Chairman Hicks. of the
Altoona delegation, who has been all over
the district since Sunday morning, says the
loss is s12 500 to a. 000 and he bases it on talks
WITH scores OF ali SOftS Oh pcOple.
The absence of former residents and of
fixed and familiar population. is most
striking. There are thousands of strangers
and workmen from a. distance here. but for
the three first days the one perpetual ques-
tiOn was: Where are the peoplef Here
are about 10000; where are the rests"
When the Gautier steel-mill, of the Cam
bria Iron Company, closed down at 10
o'clock last Friday morning nearly 400
men left the works. When en- the me- men to-day
themselves ready for work only 4S7 re-
ported.
Recovering and Burying the Bodies.
JOHNsTowN, June 6.-Nineveh saw some
woeful sights to-day. During the period of
daylight. 746 bodies were consigned to the
earth from the morgues about the town.
Father Dorm conducted religious services
at the st. Columbia Catholic Church in
Cambria City. This army of the dead was
placed in trenches. Less than one hundred
lad been recognized by friends. None of
them were claimed for private burial. how
ever, as in majority of the instances the
survivors were too poor to stand the ex-
pense. These bodies were gathered from
up and down the river below Johnstown.
and the commissioners of Westmoreland
county furnished the plat of ground where
they sleep tonight
They were putting twenty five bodies in
one ditch at Grand View Cemetery to-day.
Pine boards were put over each body bear
in the name and description. Minute de-
scriptions were posted over the graves of the
unknown. There were a very few individ-
u al graves. the majority of the survivors
being destitute. The remains were followed
to the graves by an average of two persons.
The forces caring for the dead are about
exhausted. Several OF the undertakers
were Obliged 10 give up to-day. Lack of
sleeping accommodations and consequent
broken rest and the toughest of army fare.
black coffee, has had the usual effect when
coupled with hard work and damp weather:
fad in, all tn