The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-06-14
Communication.


YOUR pleasant town on Monday morning
along with many others to visit the scene of
the late terrible disaster. The first thing TO
attract my attention was the great number
Of wagons enrOute for Johnstown, loaded
down with provisions and clothing for the
sufferers from the food. The strange.
troubled looks Of everyone, scared, startled
looks on each face you met. no sound OF
laughter or pleasant chat, clearly indicated
that some terrible news had in a manner
paralyzed the whole community. The first
l saw Of the fearful wreck was from the
hill overlooking East Conemaugh and
Franklin borOughs. Eastward away up the
/ Conemaugh was seen locomotive and
I SOLITARY passenger car. no railroad behind
them, none before them, every vestige OF
+ the road DESTROYED. rails, ties. even the solid
rcck bed sf the road wiped out OF existence.
/ WHAT was on that fatal Friday morning two
! large thriving towns, where all trains stop
ped, with splendid round house, in which
were stored 10 locomotives public build
/ ings and bridges of the most substantial
/ kind. and a happy prosperous population.
are now scene OF utter and total dasOla-
/ tion, fully three-fourths of the buildings of
both towns destroyed, the round house.
bridges. the p. r. comany's buildings and
all OF the best residences gore. the 10 loco
motives, some Of them weighing so tons.
were whirled and swept away. some of
them more than one mile from the round
house, only nine Of them visible, the others
buried under tons aud tons OF rocks, sand,
and other debris. The railroad track from
this point for one and ons-half miles west
was entirely destroyed, you could only see
whore the road had once been, here was
locomotive and a long tram Of freight cars
burned 20 ciuder together with thoir con
tents. here as we'll as further down the
COnemRugh FIRE consumed what the water
spared. Near this place was where car
load OF barrels Of whisky was spilled out on
tSe ground by order OF the civil authOri-
ties on Sunday. The stencil from this place
was extremely strong. Judging from the
enormous and entire destruction Of the rail-
road property at this point to a casual Oh
server It would appear an impOssibility 10
rebuild the railroad here, or that any COM
pany would dare undertake such hercu-
lean task as 70 rebuild a rood that had been
Obiiterated 50 completely at such a fearful
loss OF life and property but the Ameri-
can people would. l verify believe. under
take 10 rejuvinate the universe, for right
here amidst this chaos and ruin appea Eed
three rather unEssuminS looking men meas
uriug or taking distances with a brass or
copper line. Your correspondent addressed
them saying, good morning, gentlemen
What are you measuring? One OF the party
answered we are calculating the amount Of
material necessary 10 rebuild this road and
instantly said TO the others 65 plus 90 TO the
other side They were the advance OF an
army OF 200 wOrkmen with picks. shovels.
axes jlcEs, etc. The road will be rebuilt
as rapidly as mon and money can do it, but
not on the original site, for nature is more
powerful yet than man, and she has assert
ed her might by taking possession of the
track and placing the COnemaugh river
where the railroad had once been and there
it will remain.
WOOdvae and COneunauph boroughs with
a population Of about 10 OON people. with
the exception of about 90 dwellings situated
on rising ground were totally and entirely
wiped out of existence with thousands of
their unfortunate people. On the river in
boats from this point down wers hundreds
of men engaged in dragging or fishing for
dead human bodies and were drawing
bris on the shore and laying them on the
river bank to be taken away 10 some other
place for Identification. Old Ege, middle
life, youths and infancy all represented in
this hOrrid. hideous spectacle. never saw
anything like il before and pray heaven
never may again. The next point reached
was Johnstown; two-thirds OF this large and
iourishiEg city with one-third OF its popuIa>
tiOu gone never TO return. It was here the
largest number Of dead bodies were found:
a steady stream OF men carrying cad bodies
to the different morgues were constantly.
ceaselessly depOsiting their CHASTITY bur
dens in those places for recognition, At
the dead houses near the railroad station 1
counted 50 dead bodies laid out side BY side
20 be removed from there TO their last rest
Ing place. Here was to be seen side by
side virtue and vice. old age and childhood.
guilt and innocence, beauty and LONELINESS,
stalwsrt manhood and helphss infancv-alI
alike were swept into eternity without one
moments notice. The next place visited
vas the fatal drift on the upper side of the
railroad bridge below JOhnstown, here there
is about four acres OF drift resting against
the bridge and extending up the river. at
this place IL is said more than 1000 lives
were lost, dwelling houses that had floats
ed safely from up the river with entire fam
Hes in them At this point struck the bridge
and were dashed 10 pieces, the unfortunate
and helpless inmates went down to death In
the frightful ruin. and to add horror upon
horror this pile OF debris took FIRE and
burned 10 cinders what the water spared
No language can describe the more than hor-
rfh
place. From here the flood rushed and
swiried over on 10 the large plant Of the
Cambria Iron company, almost totally de-
stroying those large works. This company's
loss runs Into the millions. It IS useless to /
undertake TO describe even In a brief way
the scenes OF utter desolation that enshroned /
unhappy JohnstOwn. Suffice 70 TO say
that the fate OF Cambria city. Mflyille and 4
Minersville was the same as their sister \
bOroughs further up the Conemaugh. While /,
the writer OF this sketch was viewing the /
faces OF some Of the dead laid out at the 4
railroad station the face OF a young and /
beautiful girl attracted the pitifuI gaze OF
all who passed by. This little girl met the
dread messenger without realizing parti-
Gle Of fear rs was evidenced by the happy
smile upon her childlike face She was
recognized as Mary Callahan. Poor child,
death had no Terrors for her. for one could rot
die an unhappy death with such a happy
and contented look. This sketch Of scenes
witnessed last Monday are all truthful
Fully 5000 lives IL not more went out 10
Johnstown and vicinity on that fatal day,
May 81, 1889. Y.
"
Huntington Devastation.
AT Huntington the damage to property
/