Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-01

asserted that there are but two houses in |
Johnstown proper entirely above the
water-line. A special train bearing
Pennsylvania Railroad officials and Asso-
ciated Press correspondents has left this
CITY for the scene. Telegraphic commu-
nication is entirely cut off, and until the
telegraph is repaired and operators with
the necessary instruments open up at
the nearest point, but little reliable in
formation can be obtained.
WHOLE TOWN UNDER WATER.
GREENsBURG, Pa, May 31.-A report
has Just been received here that the
greatest portion OF John5town has baen
flooded and hundreds of lives lost. The
houses are floating about, and the people
who are free are panic-stricken and fec
ing to the mountains. At point near
New Florence eighty-five persons had
been seen floating down the river on
driftwood.
One report comes that but two roofs OF
the houses in Johnstown can be seen.
The Covetown and New Florence bridges
have been washed away, and all the
buildings along Conemaugh, between
New Florence and JohDstown, have been
carried away. The railroad towers have
been abandoned by the operators.
WIDESPREAD DISASTER AND DEATH.
GREENsBURG, Pa, May Sl.-Johns-
town is completely submerged, and the
loss of life cannot be estimated. The
houses are going down the river by doz-
ems, and the people can be seen clinging
to the roofs. At Camptown, village OF
several hundred inhabitants, the houses
are almost entirely covered, and great
many dwellings at Blairsville are sub
merged. Scarcely a dwelling in the
vicinity of Sandy Hollow can be seen.
The bridges at Bolivar and Nineva, it is
reported, have given way, and that at
Salisbury, it is feared, will be carried
away. The people here who have friends
in the flooded district are eagerly waiting
for news at the telegraph Office. Great
uneasiness prevails. TIE river at Liver
more is rising, and great destruction will
follow.
Superintendent Pitcairn promptly took
and began the double duty of clearing
the tracks and sending all possible aid to
those in danger. His prompt work no
doubt saved many lives.
THE LOCATION OF THE DAM.
In order to understand the nature of
this calamity, it is necessary to describe
the respective locations of the reservoir
and Johnstown. The reservoir lies
about eighteen miles northeast OF
Johnstown, and is the site of an old res
ervoir which was one of the feeders Of
the PENNSYLVANIA Canal. This sheet of
water was formerly known as Conemaugh
Lake. 1t is from 200 to 800 feet above
the level of Johnstown, in the mountains.
1t is 80 miles long and to y in width.
1t holds more water than any other 1es-
ervoir, natural or artificial, in the United
States. The lake has been quadrupled
in size by artificial means, and was held
in check by dam 700 to ZOO feet wide.
1t is 80 feet in thickness at the base, and
the height is ITO feet. The top has a
breadth of over 20 feet. Recognizing the
menace which the lake held to the region
below, the South Fork Club, which
owned the reservoir, had the dam in
spected once a month by the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad engineers, and their in
veetigation showed that nothing less
than some convulsion of nature would
tear the barrier away and loosen the
weapon OF death.
SWOLLEN MOUNTAIN STREAMS.
The steady rains OF the past forty-eight
hours increased the volume of water in
all the small mountain streams, which
were already swelled by lesser rains
earlier in the week. From the best in
formation obtained at this time, it is
evident that something in the nature OF
cloudburst must have been the culmi-
nation of the struggle of the water against
the embankment.
The difficulty OF obtaining definite in
formation has added tremendously to
the excitement and apprehension of peo-
pie who had relatives and friends at the
scene of the disaster.
LIST OF THE TOWNS DESTROYED.
The course of the torrent from the
broken dam at the foot of the lake to
Johnstown is almost Is miles, and with
the exception of one point, the water
passed through a narrow.shaped valley.
Four miles below the dam lay the town
of South Fork, where the South Fork
river itself empties into the Conemaugh
river. The town contained about 1000
Inhabitants. 1t has not been heard
from, but it is said that four
fifths of it has been swept away. Four
miles further down, on the Conemaugh
River, which runs parallel with the
main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
was the town of Mineral Point. 1t had
800 inhabitants, 80 per cent. of the
houses being on fiat and close to the
river. 1t seems impossible, at this time,
to hope that any of them have escaped.
Six miles further down was the town of
Conemaugh, aud here alone there was a
topographica II possibility of the spreading
of the flood and the breaking Of its force.
The town contained $500 inhabitants,
and must be almost wholly devastated.
Woodvale, with 1000 people, lay a
mile below Conemaugh, in a fiat,
and one mile further down were
Johnstown and its cluster of towns, Cam
bria City and Conemaughborough, with
a total population of $4,000. On made
ground" and stretched along the right
bank at the rivers verge were the i'm
mense iron works of the Cambria Iron
and Steel Company, who have So ,000, 900
invested in their plant. Besides this
there are many other large industrial
establishments on the bank of the river.
How badly damaged they are cannot be
estimated.
At II P. NJ. a railroad man says the loss
OF life will reach hundreds and possibly
over thousand.
The report of the loss of these towns
above cannot yet be confirmed.
TERRIBLE DETAILS OF DISASTER.
PHILADELPHIA, May 31.-All the wires
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad, west of