The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-06-13
VIEW OF FLOOD IN JoHNsTowN-T
THE OPEN SPACE WAS KNOWN AS IRON STREET
lae population 5000 is dead johnston

feeder of the Pennsylvania Canal, but latterly
the property of q club at Pittsburg, and used
for hunting and fishing, unsafe and might
break. This made most of the passengers
uneasy, and they kept pretty good
lookout for information. The porters
of the Pullman cars remained at their
posts and comforted the passengers with the as
surance that the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany always took care of it's patrons. A few
gentlemen and some ladies and children quietly
seated thems elves, apparently cOntented. One
gentleman, who was i'll, had his berth made up
and retired, although advised not to do So
Soon the cry came that the water in the reser-
Eoir had broken down the barrier and was
sweeping down the valley Instantly there was
Children were carried and women assisted
by few who kept cool heads. 1t
was q race for life There was seen the
monster of destruction, whose crest
high raised in the air, and with this in view
even the weak found wings for their feet. No
words can adequately describe the terror that
filled every breast, or the awful power mani
tested by the flood. The round-house had stalls
for twenty three locomotives There were eight
cen or twenty of these standing there at this
round-house and locomotives disappeared.
Everything in the main track of the flood was
first lifted in the air and then swallowed up by
the waters. hundred houses were swept away
in a few minutes; these included the hotel.
stores, and saloons on the front street, and resi-
dences adjacent
AS the fuRItlVeS the mountain side wit
messed the awful devast alton, they moved
as never before in their lives. They were power
less to help those seized upon by the waters the
despair of those who had lost everything except
life and the waiting of those whose relatives
friends were missing filled their breasts with
unutterable sorrow. The rain continued to fall
steadily, but shelter was not thought of. Very
few passengers saved anything from the train,
go sudden was the cry, Run for your lives the
reservoir has broken" Many were without
hats and as their baggage was left on the trains,
they without the means of relieving their
unhappy condition. The occupants of the
houses still standing on the high ground threw
them open to those who had lost all and to
the passengers of the train. During the height
OF the flood the spectators were startled by the
sound of two locomotive whistles from the very
midst of the waters The engineers, with char
acteristic courage, had remained at their posts
and while there WAS destruction on every hand
and apparently no escape for them, they sound
ed their whistles. This they repeated at inter
vals-the last time with triumphant vigor as
the waters were receding from the sides of their
locomotives. By 80 the force of the reservoir
'SNters had been spent on the village of Cone
mAugh, and the Pullman cars and locomotive of
the second section remained unmoved This
wNs because they were on the highest and hard
,Rst ground
The destructive current of the reservoir flood
had passed between that and the mountain
while the current of the river did not eat it
away. But the other trains had been DESTROYED
A solitary locomotive was seen imbedded in the
mud where the round-house had stood.
of Conemaugh gave their thoughts to their
neighbors of the city of Johnstown. Here was
conferred the great steel and iron industries the
pride of Western Pennsylvania the Cambria
Iron Works being known everywhere Here
were churches, daily newspapers, banks, dry
goods houses warehouses, and the comfort
able and well-built homes of 10000 people.
What was their fate? In the contemplation of
the irresistible force of that awful flood gather
ing additional momentum as it swept on toward
the Gulf, it became clear that the city must be
ia ante hod
Geographic notice of the breaking of the reser-
voir they must perish. cry of horror went up
from the hundreds on the mountain-side, and
q few instinctively turned their steps toward
YOUNGSTOWN. The city was destroyed. All
the mills, furnaces, manufactures the many
and varied industries, the banks, the residences
all.
All were swallowed up before the shadows of
night had settled down upon the earth. What
of the inhabitants? Who can tell with any GER
tainty? Those who came back by daybreak said
that from 5000 to 5000 had been drowned. Our
hope is that this is exaggeration, and when
the roll is called most will respond. In the light
q this calamity the destruction at Conemaugh
axis into 1nsignihcance. In this latter place
they were already bringing in the dead on
stretehers. How many had been lost here, at
Mineral Point, and at South Fork could not be
passengers and perhaps forty or fifty inhsb-
itants. The loss of property is enormous. The
track of the railroad company is certainly de-
stroyed for a. least ten miles below South Fork,
and all other property of the company on the
line. The destruction of Johnstown's industries
will alone reach many millions. Then to this
great sum add the value of the houses and public
buildings in that city and of the villages above
and below it, and some idea can be formed of the
wealth obliterated by the flood created by the
breaking of the reservoir.
And this reservoir was maintained for the
pleasure OF Pittsburgh club. Upon the noun
tain was suspended body of water three miles
long, one mile vide, and seventy feet. deep for
the recreation of q few pleasure-seekers. What
would happen If there should be O. break must
have been imperfectly apprehended, since it is
said that bond of only three millions had been
sxaGted fro q ne club. What are three ruilhons