Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-04
starred TO work Immediately and has ordered
mer from Philadelphia.

star ted TO work Immediately and has ordered
mer from Philadelphia.
OPERATORS SURROUNDED by coRPsEs.
The condition OF affairs here Is illustrated
by the circumstances under which the dis.
patches are being sent. II has been neces-
sary TO establish the headquarters OF the As
sociated Press in q building which is being
used as one OF the morgues, and its tele-
graphers are sending distressing news to the
world surrounded by the bodies of the dead.
The Western Union telegraph is furnishing
every possible facility for the transmission
of news.
Deputy Sheriff Rose was patroling the
river bank and found two Hungarians
Attempting to rob several bodies and at once
gave chase. The Hungarians took to the
woods, when Rose fred two shots at them,
fatally woupding both. From the latest re-
ports the men are living, but are in critical
condition. The sheriff has taken charge Of
Johnstown and
ARMED MEN ARE PATRoLING THE CITY.
People who have property in the limits OF
the city are permitted to enter If they are
known. but otherwise it Is impossible to get
into town. The regulation seems harsh, but
1t is necessary. The relief committee from
Ohio are pitching their canvas tents on the
inside. Nine hundred tents are here and
they are being utilized as fast as erected.
For the first time since the flood men have
been put to work on the debris at the bridge
and are hunting for the bodies that have not
been burned beyond recognition. This MORN
ing man, woman and child were taken
from the ruins, and from their position they
were evidently husband, wife and child. It's
MOST DISTRESSING SIGHT.
to see the relatives Of those who are sup
posed to be lost standing around watching
every body as it is pulled out. They act
more like maniacs than sane people.
A relief train from Pittsburg over the Bal
tmore s. Ohio road reached here at 2 o'clock
this morning after an exciting ride. All
along the road at each station contributions
were made TO the already well filed cars of
provisions, and when 1t reached Johnstown
the tram consisted of ten loaded cars
When Johnstown was reached everyone was
anxious to get to work to assist in the
rescue. party was made up aud started
down to the lower part of town. The path
was covered with trees, rocks, fences, parts
of houses and everything imaginable.
Bureaus, beds and furniture of all kinds
were strewn from hill to hill. The whole
valley of Stony creek for miles from Johns
town was filled with debris of all kinds. The
line of the Baltimore g. Ohio has been
cleared of debris and is piled up on each
side as high as the top of the cars. When
the lower part of the town was reached the
scene presented was beyond description.
THE HALF HAS NOT BEEN TOLD
nor ever will be as to the extent of the awful
wreck. From the Pennsylvania railroad to
Main street there is nothing standing but
the stone church and the large brick school
house. The Mansion house is gone, and over
hundred people were lost there. From the
Baltimore & Ohio depot you can see for
blocks in every direction. There is standing
only O part of the Morrill, block and two
small brick offices that were protected by the
Morrill, building.
The town was at rest early in the morning.
Everyone was thoroughly exhausted with
| the terrible strain and work of the last two
| days and nights. The town is under martial
law and everyone who goes about the place
| is required to give an account OF himself.
| The water has subsided to a great extent
| and the streets in the main part of town are
| free from water. The water has laid bare
| the terrible work of the flood and the full
| extent of the disaster Is only being ascer-
| tanned now. The streets are
sIoKENING, FoUL-sMELLlNG MASS
| of wood and debris, and the work OF search
ing for bodies has only fairly begun. The
| latest estimates put the loss of life at from
| 10000 to IL, 900 bodies. 1t is impossible to
| get any account of those lost Every one Is
| so thoroughly tired out and overcome by the
weight of the disaster as to be utterly una
| BILE to give any accurate details or figures.
| The work of identifying the dead goes on very
| slowly and comparatively few have been
| identified. Among those recognized to-day
were Nuns Wolf ana wife, Mr. Colbert, a
merchant on Main street, and Mrs j. Kater-
| stein and son.
The Hotel Hubert has been entirely
| washed away and twenty-five persons per-
| ished in the wreck.
Frank Mcdonald, conductor on the Som.
| erset branch of the Baltimore 81 Ohio, was
| AZ the depot when the storm came. He said
| he was the first to see the food. 1t was
| thirty feet high and gradually rose to
| A HEIGHT OF FORTY FEET.
"There is no doubt that the South Forl
| dam broke" said Mcdonald. "Fifteen min
utes before the flood came Decker, the Penn
sylvania railroad dispatcher, read me tele-
gram just received, saying the South Forh
| dam had broken. AS soon as he heard this the
peoplei in the station, numbering 200 made G
rush for the hill. 1 think saw 1000 bodie,
| go over the bridge The first house tina
came down struck the bridge and at once
took fire, and as fast as others came dowr
saying saw
ONE THOUSAND BODIES BURNED
It reminded me of flies on fy-paper strug
Cling to get away, with no hope and nc
| chance to save them. L have no idea tina
had the bridge been blown up the loss of lif,
would have been less. They would have
hoated a little further with the same certain
death. Then again it was impossible fo
any one to reach the bridge in order to blow
\ 1T up, for the waters came so fast that no on,
could have done it. saw fifteen or eighteen
bodies go over the bridge at one time"
| From under the large brick schoolhousf
| l24 bodies were taken last night, and IL
every corner and place bodies are bein,
found and buried as fast possible
A number of bodies have Deel
found with bullet holes in them, showing
conclS-,vely that In their maddening fright
SUICIDE WAS REsoRTED TO
by many. People living here who lost who'll
families and parts of families hardly seem h
realize what dreadful calamity has befallei
them. However, this morning people ar
getting to understand the situation, an,
agony is stamped upon the faces of ever.
one and it is truly n city of mourning. Tel
bodies were taken out of the debris at 9:2
this morning. There was nothing T.
identify them, as they were burned almos
TO crisp. 1t is thought, however, tina
seven of them belong to one family, as the
were all found under the roof of a hous
partially burned
| NAMELEss PAUL REVERE
lies somewhere among the nameless dead
Who he is may never be known, but his rid
| will be famous in local history. Mounte