Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-04

7
destroyed.
The Number Of Dead.
II Is still impossible to give sny accu-
rate idea Of the number of the dead.
Nobody places the estimate lower than
1000, however, and reliable information
tends to show that it will reach twice
that. The relief committees are well
settled and doing biz work. The press
relief committee and that Of the Ma
sonic order. which were the first on the
ground. reached Sang Hollow at Z
O'Clock and pushed on over almost i'm
| passable roads 10 Kearnsville, where a
receiving depot was established at the
house Of Alexander Kennedy, president
Of the Johnstown council
Pathetic Incidents.
Pathetic incidents are growing in
number daily. \ sturdy rescuer went
10 one Of the partially submerged build
ings 20 rescue a woman. lie had a fairly
good boat and was a good oarsinan, but
the current was too strong for him and
he was swept down stream. lie managed
10 get the woman Ian Ted on a roof. Int
be was thrown into the stream and swept
down under the bridge. He eau n. q
rock and hcll on for dear life for almost
three hours, when he was rescued with
ropes.
Col Norman NJ. Smith Of Pittiburg
attempted 10 cross on the rope bridge
that had been improvised to carry peO
pie over the channel when he slipped
and fell into the river at the swiitasi
point. He had heavy clothing and rub
Der boots on, but he was a sturdy swim
m5r. aud finally reached shore without
assistance. Lou Dallmeyer and Harry
Lauffer Of Pittsburg started on horse
back from the Merchant ho.sl on FRI
day afternoon Just after the water com
menced to rise. They have not been
heard from since and are supposed T.
have been lost.
Working without Remuneration.
About noon Yesterday man standing
on the east side of the river called over
TO a friend on the other side: "Ileilo,
Jack; lost any friendss7 Jack did moi
reply in words; he merely held up the
five fingers of his right hand. He had
lost a wife and four little ones. yet he
was working incessantly TO relieve tht
sufferings of others. This is the spirit
which pervadcs the survivors, one and
all. Personal grief is 10 sight Of in the
general feeling Of woe and necessity.
There isn't time for anything but work.
Even the women seem to realize. anC
there Is surprisingly little public expres-
sion of grief, although hearts are so sad.
dened and weighed down that they are
almost numbed. Everybody seems 4
feel that it Is not only duty. but a priv
ilege. to work for Others. The boatmaT
worked necessarily rescuing people anc
carrying them from one side Of the rivel
to the other positively refused remunera-
ton from any of the residents of the
town. Visitors could pay, but other
could not.
In one case a wealthy gentleman in.
sisted on his taking SO for reseuing
himself, wife and daughter from ths
food The boatman refused it posi-
lively, and at the end of the long day.
when almost dead from superhuman If.
forts. he was only SIS wealthier than
when he started.
To. Break the Gorge.
At3o'clock Sunday afternoon couple
o. hundred pounds of dynamite arrived
at the bridge and was carefully slowed
away. Il Is TO be used in breaking the
gorge of houses, etc, above the bridg,
and getting the debris started town tht
river. Between / 500 and 1000 hodies
are undoubtedly buried in the debris
From the river side it Is said hundreds
Of legs and arms can be seen among the
logs. but the fire prevents their being
reached. and the only thing that re
mains to do is 10 blast the mass anC
start il down stream. To-day viii b,
the most horrible day yet. as people art
commencing 10 realize their irrepaiablS
losses. and many are breaking down
There is still a vast amount Of work T.
le done. and workers are needed. There
are already far too many sight-seers anc
loafers.
Pr4sniaent Citizens Drowned.
Perhaps the day has revealed no more
startling fact than that several Of thu
wealthiest and most eminent citizens OF
JolnstONn were drowned. with their en-
tire families. The first is james Nc
Millen. one Of the vice presidents of the
great Cambria iron works. He was
about 60 years Of age, and has long beer
a resident Of the city. His residence was
the handsomest and most richly
furnished in Johnstown. Ii was utterly
demolished. lie was n widOwer and hac
living with him a widowed daughter
and her children. All went down tht
flood with the house and have not beer
heard Of since. Ills fortune was est
mated at over million.
John Fulton, general manager Of the
Cambria iron works, was the second OF
this group. He is said to lie positively
drowned. with wife and children. NJ
more popular man lived in Cambria
county than he.
Howard J. Roberts, cashier OF the First
National bank, and John Dlbert.
banker. were also drowned. All of the
family of women and broken-hearted
men. trudging across the mountain IN
the hope of reaching Florence or Boil
var. 70 lind their missing ones, dead OF
alive.
A Scene OF Desol2tion-
II was high noon when, descending
the eastern slope, Morrelvilie was SCI n III
the distance. That is one Of the subur-
ban wards of JOhnstOwn. II was not 8
pretty view. Ordinarily il would have
been an arena OF hills, wavy IN then
alternating lines of pine, fir and hemlock
houghs. that wreathed the white, trim
houses Of Morrelville around about. but
the clouds dropped their mist of melan-
Choly upon the landscape.
There was something about It ali thai
even mile away impressed one with
sense of indescrihable sadness. Drawing
t,earar the renor-tar hailed a stalwart fel-