Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-04
Warned but Needless.
How Danger Was Dared at the
Johnstown Horror.
TIMELY WARNING THRICE GIvEl
And Each Time Sneered at as Scart
Not Worth Taking Notice Of
The Alarm at Last

The Alarm at Last,
But IL Rings Only to Mingie with the
Roar of the Destruction That Is
Upon Them-story of the
Breaking of the Dam.
A Wild Ride Down the Mountain to Notify
the People Estimates of the Loss of Life
Still Vary, but None Goes Lower Than
s,ooo-An Acre of Dead Bodies-Over Two
Thousand Already Rccovered-A Faithful
Dogs Struggle to Save a Babe-Miracuious
Escapes and Pathetic Incidents-The Cry
for Aid Meets Ready Response-Reports of
Destruction from Numerous Places.
JoHNsrowN, Pa, June About IL p m.
Thursday, May 80, the storm burst upon the
city of Johnstown and continued until IL 80
a. m. Friday. At 8 a. m Friday the torrent
began to pour into the city from the creeks
and rivers. At 10 a. m. there was no outlet
for the people. The first message from the
lake at South Fork was received at 10 a. m.
Friday that the dam was weakening. But
the people-or the few that heard the report
laughed to scorn this message, saying they
had heard such news before.
Two Other Messages.
The second came at 11:S0 a. m. 1t was to
the effect that the dam was likely to burst at
any moment. At $50 the final message was
received, advising the people to flee to the
mountains for their lives, as the dam must
surely burst within the hour. There was no
such warning to the people as should have
been given. The message was held by few
officials about the railroad, who neglected to
sound the alarm until it was too late.
At that time the water had reached the
second story of some of the dwellings in the
lower part Of the city. All bridges had been
swept away by the avalanche of water then
pouring through the city The warnings,
which were received in ample time for all to
have escaped, were sneered at and cast aside
as being an old story.
The Bells Ring the Alarum.
About $3.50 the whistles and bells gave
warning that the dam had broken, but then
it was too late. There was roaring sound,
and before the people could realize the dan
ger the water was upon them in a mass, car
rying everything before it. Had they taken
warning in the morning from the messages
received thousands of lives would have been
saved.
The Man Who Saw the Danger First.
SOUTH FORK, Pa, June Alt was John
c. Park who first saw the danger that
threatened the valley by the bursting Of the
dam Early Friday morning Mr. Park, who
is an excellent civil engineer, discovered that
the waters would have to have an additional
outlet or the dam would give way. Secur-
ing force of thirty Italians, no set to work
to prepare another sluice. In half an hour
his purpose had been accomplished, but still
the water continued to rise
A Wild Ride Down the Valley.
Giving orders to his men to cut another
outlet, MIR. Park jumped on his horse and
started at break-neck speed toward the
village below. As he rode he warned the
people on every hand of their danger. Soon
hundreds of families were fleeing to the hills
for safety. Reaching South Fork station.
he telegraphed the warning to Johnstown
Some needed the warning; others laughed
at it.
Statement of MIR. Boyer.
w. L. Boyer, the factotum of the South
Fork Fishing and Hunting club, was seen
last Sunday night and said: "As early as
II 80 O'Clock in the morning things began to
look serious The water was rising rapidly
in the lake. owing to the sudden freshet. All
of US were hard at work on the left side of
the dam trying to create an escape for the
water. We wanted the overflow to hold the
surface of the lake level with the top of the
dam at least We cut a weir, but the bank
was hard and shaly and would not reach out
rapidly enough. The water poured into the
lake and raised it above the top of the dam
At first only the upper stones gave away,
but each moment the water gained an i'm
petus and soon a furious break occurred.
The FatefuI Collapse.
"The middle Of the dam for distance of
100 feet was ripped out cleanly and as if done
with knife, and the next moment a ninia-
ture sea was pouring tons and tons of water
into a gorge that was socn transferred to a
deluge. The members of the fishing club
could do nothing then and they retreated to
the hotel.
Wouldn't Believe Their PERIL
"As for the warning to Johnstown it was
given about noon, and the break didn't occur
until two and half hours afterward. They
wouldn't believe tho dam was unsafe. One
carpenter emphatically remarked that it was
a lie and that none but fool would believe
such stories"
RECOVERY OF THE BODIES.