Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-04
ISIGHTSEERS CHECKED.
Only Those Who Have Definite Mission
in Johnstown Can Go There-A Pass
Bureau Set UD-Afecting

The phenomenal rush of fsightseers to Johns
town and vicinity received a sudden check yes
terday morning. Curiosity compelled thous-
ands to crowd the Sunday trains until the cars
groaned. The great majority went to dilate
their eyes and return with stock of superior
information to retail at length to their fellow
citizens. But some good was also done in an
indirect way, and many pocket was emptied
for the benefit of suffering humanity along the
devastated Conemaugh.
Be that as it may Adjutant General Hast
ings grasped the situation of affairs and per-
ceived the manifest inutility of the sightseer
pure and simple, and telegraphed Mr.. Nc
Creery that the military lines around Johns
town had been ordered to pass no one upon any
pretext unless armed with credentials from the
Pittsburg officials. When this became known
the Chamber of Commerce was thronged with
anxious applicants for pass. Mr.. McCreery
soon found thats help was necessary, and he
Chief Bigelow. of the Department.
of Public Highways, and Controller E. s. Nor
row to his aid, deputing them as Committee
on Passes.
q A Sorrowful Levee.
From o'clock in the morning these gentle
men held a sorrowful levee at a desk in the
Chamber of commerce, and at o'clock threw
down their pens unable to work any more
Chief Bigelow propounded the questions and
the genial Controller wrote the permits on a
pad of Department of Public Safety paper. Mr.
Bigelow's rule was that no one should get a
pass unless near relatives were presumably lost
and he cross-questioned all the applicants as to
the exact location OF their relatives homes
Quite number went away relieved to find that
the persons they sought lived out of the track
of the flood, frequently disclosing that fact by
their own knowledge. saying that they ''hadn't
stopped to think"
But others came who needed little examina-
ton. They presented themselves and answered
questions huently enough until Mr.. Bigelow
ask. d who it was they sought. Then with
choked utterance brawny men would say, "My
mother;'' my sister," and no more was neces-
sary. One woman seemed defiant. "Yes, they
are all dead and l am going anyhow; do you
hear ?" she said. Another said her six chill
dren were residents of lower Main street and
she could hear no news and must see for her.
self. "Do you give tickets alsof You ought
to- The railroad ought to carry us free" She
was referred to the Relief Committee. Several
people were given transportation because un-
able to pay their way. One hne-looking work.
man came up with tears running down his face
and explained that he sought person known
to be living. He said that the first published
list gave his brothers family of seven as
drowned, with the exception Of a 15-year-old
niece who was
Left Utterly Alone
homeless and unprotected. No one to care for
her but me, and must go to her." he said, the
tears yelling out of his eyes. He got the pass
And SO it went. There were TOO many of
them to be recorded. Some came from distant
places, and many from the Beaver Valley and
Ohio. Chief BIgelow told each applicant that
the task of searching would be full of difficult
ties: that there was no shelter and no food, but
undeterred, the sorrowful relatives pushed on.
There we're many refused, but when mans
voice had the ring of genuine sorrow in it, he
begin their session at o'clock this morning in
the same place.