New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-02

Johnstown were warned Of the possibility OK It's
bursting In the morning, but few IL any OF toe
inhabitants took the warning sersvusiy SHORTLY
after noon the dam gave way about I'VE nhifs
above Johnstown and sweeping everything Del"fe
t. burst upon the town with terrible 'orce hNets-
thing was carried before 10, and not an instan'S
time was given TO seek for safety. HOUSES "ei.
demolished, swept from their foihoaIons "u"
carried I'm the food TO a eulvert near the 'o"n'
Here a mass OF all manner 9f wpeRaee Soon
lodged and by evening 10 had damned inc wa,er
back s1to the city over the tops OF many Oh .ne
ssall remaining ehimneys message 10 D'S-
catcher TnIr received about o'clock last night,
sa,a the blockade ut the Johnstown bridge was
three-fourths of a mile long and forty feet high
.,a WINS all on FIRE The extent Of the damage
.euM not possibly be estimated. The Pennsyh
yania people exerted every energy TO save both
lives and property.
Assistant Superintendent Trump, OF the Penn
syEania. went to ConemauGh, but the officials nj
that station had not received line from him.
II WAS said, also, that it would be impossible TO
rct o train through, either one way or the other,
for at least two or three days This applies also
10 the mails as there is absolutely no way Of get
ting mail through.
Z We were afraid of that lake." said gentle
man who had lived in Johnstown for years. We
were afraid OF that lake seven years ago. No one
eould see the Immense height to which that arti-
scisi dam had been built without fearing the ire
,rsendous power OF the water behind it.
The dam must have had sheer
height Of 1 90 feet thus forcing the water that
hish above its natural bed and making a lake at
least three miles long and mile wide, out OF
what could scarcely be called pond doubt If
there is a man OF woman in Johnstown who at
some time or other had not feared and spoken Of
the terrible disaster that has now COME
People wondered and asked why the dam
was not strengthened, as IL certainly had become
weak but nothing was done, and By and by they
tafked less and less about il, nothing happened
though now and then some would shake thelr
heads as IL conscious the fearful day would come
some time when their worst fears would be tran
sceaded by the horror OF the actual occurrence.
Johnstown is In a sort of hollow between two
rivers, and that lake must have swept over tho
city at depth Of forty feet
The body Of Welsh woman sixty years OF age
was taken from the river near the Suspension
Bridge this city, at 0 o'clock tAis morning. Four
other bodies were seen, but owing 10 the mass OF
vreckage which came down the river, they could
not be recovered before they passed down the
Ohio River.
A citizens meeting has been called 10 devise
mems to MD the sufferers by the Johns; own Hood
The Pennsylvania Railroad officials have already
placed cars in Lberty-st for the purpose OF re-
ceiving provisions and clothing, and up to this
hour many prominent merchants have msde heavy
donations.
dispatch from Greensburg, Penn, says
"a Alexander Kiigore, formerly Of this place, WIS
lost in the food. The Rev. Mr.. Wagner, his wite
and three daughters, who were In Johnstowu, ana
d son and daughter Of Jesse Paden, OF THIS place,
were drowned. The body OF A. J. Jackson,
Western Union lneman stationed at Derry, was
found this evening
A dispatch from Freeport Penn, says: The
water Is reeedjng here now, having reached twenty
one feet in the channel but is running full OF
logs Of all dimensions from the Clarion River;
Half million logs have passed here today, and
a man Just arrived from Red Bank says that
million Will pass here tonight. That stream Is
SWEPT clear Of logs, all sawed lumber and saw
mills. This morning the river was full OF
everything from Johnstown and vcinity-PianoS,
organs, trunks, chests bedding, beer, lard OIL
Ale soda fountains. etc. No dead bodies have
been found here, but at Leechburg six have been
taken out The loss along the kiskminitas
bver cannot be estimated. Burgess Turner called
o meeting tonight In aid Of the Johnstown SUI.
ferers, and over 5000 has already been collected
and the work is just begun. 81, .-, go rl