The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1889-06-07

| VI th" Whhef wv "fItaNkNNcHt.
The course OF the torrent from the
broken dam at the foot OF the lake "a
Johpstown IL almost eighteen miles, and,
with the exception Of at one point, the
water passed through narrow, V.shaped
valley. -Four miles below the dam lay the
town OF South Fork where the South Fork
Itself emptiss into Conemsugh river. The
town contained about 1000 inhabitants
IL has not been heard from. but IL il said
that four ffths OF II has been swept
away. -Four mllos further down,
on Conemsush river which runs
parallel with tho main line OF the
Ponnsylyania railroad, was the town Of
Mineral Point II had 800 inhabitants, %
per cent OF the houses being on a fat close
10 the river. II seems impossible at this
time TO hope that any Of them have esq
capped. A distance OF six miles further
down was the town OF Conemaugh, and
here alone wac there typographical poe
| s.S:.';y ef the spreading OF the fioo and
| the breaking OF It's force. II oon.
\ tsfnsd about $500 Inhabitants, an 4
must be almost wholly devastated
| Woodvaie. with 1900 people lay a mile
below Concmaugh In the fiat and ono mile
further down where Johnstown and Its
cluster OF sister towns. Cambria City and
| Conemaugh borough, with total poppls-
ton Of 90. 900. On made ground and
stretched along right at tbs river verge
were the immense iron works Of the Cam.
bria Iron and Steel Company, which ha,
50, 900, 600 invested In their plant Besides
this there are many other large industrial
establishments on tho bank OF the river,
how badly damaged can not bo estimated
At1i p. IN a railroad man says the loss
OF life will reach hundreds and possibly
over a thousand. The report Of tho losses
OF these towns above can not yet DO con-
firmed.
The banks Of the consnaLgh river are
oserIiowed for miles, and the whole coun-
try Is deluged with water The Pennsyl-
yanis railroad. all along the river from
Johnstown TO New Florence, is washed
away, and travel Ia entirely sus-
pended. At Sang Hollow the opera
tor in one Of the railroad tow
ers counted elghty-s.ys- dead soa.os
floating down the river on the driftwood.
The river rose so rapidly that all tho opo.
rators In the towers between Sang Hol-
low aud New Florence had to Zee for their
lives The bridges at New Florence on
the Pennsylvania railroad, and Coketown,
on tho West Pennsylvania, were carried
away. Houses, furniture, etc, are being
carried down the river.
firTsBuRoB, June L-Reports from
along the Kiskim inetas river, into which
the Consmaugh empties, are most distress
ing. The river nea Salisbury Is filled
with wreekage, and a number OF persons
were noticed clinging to such tlmbers as
would bear their weight Al Blairsvile
men are stationed on the bridges and
banks In the hope OF rescuing some
Of those who were being carried down
the stream. The volume OF water Is I'M
precedonted. The iron bridge connecting
BlalrsviIie with tho Blairsville intersec-
ton has been carried away, and with IL O
train Of heavily loaded cars standing upon
the bridge TO hold IL In place Tbi. wa.
the largest and strongest bridge ON the
West Pennsylvania railway. II Is thought
that all OF the " ost i'snnsyivania railway
bridges Will share n similar fate.
All Of tho Iowa. In the Kiskiminstas
WHY are expected TO bs submerged.
Among them are Llvermore Salisbury,
Apollo, Leechburg aud Avenmore, having
a population of from s 600 TO 10, 600 each.
The Inhabitants along the river have been
warned, but are almost panic-stricken at
the idea OF their great loss Of property
which Is Inevitable.
Later reports from Coketown Is 70 the
efco: that tie entire town is submerged,
and number Of lives have been lost at
that place.
BOLIVAR, PA, June IA man rescued
in the river here, who was swept away
from John stown, says positively that not
less than fifteen thousand lives are prob
ably lost In the valley OF the Conemaugh.
This point IL twenty miles below Johns
town, and the work OF roscuing men, wo-
szsa and children sweeping down the
river has been going steadily forward all
night
BLAiRsyILLE INTERSECTION, PA, June l.
AT LocEport about eighteen miles from
Johnstown, the scene Of tho disaster, Eiiel
Benson, an old man, Mrs. Boyle, Paddy
Madden and two Hungarians were res
cued. Mr.. Benson said: Il live In Cam.
bris city. think that not less than $4,000
people were lost In the house with me
on Chestnut strees were ten persons be-
side my self, and feel sure they were all
lost Up to 4 o'clock In the afternoon the
water, which was seven feot deop In the
streets, remained stationary. About 4
In the afternoon the great rush came.
In fifteen IN inutos the water rose fully ten
feet Houses came floating down the
streets There were people IN every one
OF them, aud God only knows how many
were lost As they were carried of the
houses were jammed together and aga inst
the houses still standing aud In very
few min ties they were all battered &c
pieces before they were carried very far
The house l was in was soon smashed &c
pieces, and | managed TO jump onto a cell
lar door, In fow seconds | was
rushed into the flood, aud when
looked back where Cambria City
stood there was nothing but a great lake
o; water. IL looks to me as II every house
h.a been RACED or covered over TIE vas;
sheet Of water was full Of floating timbers,
roofs of houses, RATS, boards and Other
articles The scene was indcscr!bah!c-
The cries OF the mon, women and children
were frghtfuL passed Paddy Madden's
wife, my sons wife and a man olinging |
TO the roof of house called to them !
and babe them goodbye In q short
time l was caught by the water and
turned under. Every once In while got |
into a whirlpool, and more than once al |
most lost my grip on the cellar-door, ]
saw people In the water ahead OF me and
all around me. Many of them were struck |
by the crashing timbers and killed out
right; others were so badly hurt that they /
fell into the water and were drowned al |
once.
BOLIVAR, PA, June 1.-At Lockport six |
ty Ave families are homeless, having lost |
every thing but their lives. Edward Deck, |
a young railToader, rescued an old gen.
tleman, a lady named Adams. OF Cambria,
and her two children by swimming out TO |
the house in which they were imprisoned. |
Cutting a hole In the roof and putting them |
through, he then swan ashore with them,
ono at time until all were saved Deck |
then fell exhausted.
Patrick Madden was nearly dead when |
pulled from the river He was In the |
house OF Edward Garyey. All were
caught Ten minutes later the house was
Garyey and his brother in-law
were both drowned, and Madden was
thrown into the flood, "When | rose to |
tho surface saw my wlfo hanging to a
piece OF scant ing. She let IL 60
and was drowned, almost within
reach OF my arm, and ! could not help
or save her. caught log aud
noated with II for Eve or six mile,, but It
was knocked from under mo when | went
over tho dam. | then caught bale of hay
and was taken out by Mr.. Maronrow. My
wife Is certainly drowned and six children
are all missing, and fear all are drown
ed There are, without doubt fully three