Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-30
M'KNIGHT'S CLAIM.
GENERAL HASTINGS CoNFERs WITH
HIM ON THE AMOUNT DUE.

The Matter VIII be Settled by Arbitration-i
General HastiI IS Compliments NIcs
Kuight For Hi Good Work at Johnsl
fTown.
Pittsburgh Leader, dnesday.
Gen. d. II. Ha .ngs was at the Hotel
Anderson to-day tJr the purpose of wind
ing up some bu- ss yet unfinished when
he left Johnsto' He was met at 1915
this morning Contractor James Mc1
Knight, who be- NE famous by his work
at Johnstown, for which he claims large
portion of money is still due him. 1t will
be remembered that on the second Mon
day after the flood, Gen. Hastings stood
on the bridge at Johnstown, overlooking
the jam, and said aloud That Jam.
must be opened and the bodies in it got-
ten out as soon as possible Mr.. Nc.
Knight, who was in charge of the worB
at that time, said General, If l am
given my own way will have the Cone;
maugh at this point cleared before tho
sun rises on Sunday morning"
Let no one interfere with you" wss
the Generals response, ''clcar the stream,
let the water flow, and above all, extricata
the dead"
Waiting for no further orders Contrae.
tor Mcknight put his men to work, and
they kept at it night and day. During
that week lis head scarcely Uc.cd
pillow, a at 4 o'clock on turday
afternoon T one thought he w,l'l make
his words good. Regardless Of criticism
he worked away, and an hour jsier he
put IN of dynamite that shook the
earth, doing 50 he broke The jam,
stream feet wide wag opened and
hundr dies taken out For q
while 1t was the lion of the day.
Gene '-s telegraphed Governor
Beaver -no good work that had
been do, no Governor in return
sent me xprcssing his gratihca.
ton and COZ ncnting General Has .lngs
on the feat accomplished which every
one thought would reqairc at least II
month to perform. After the itcmont
passed over Mcknight vas De ycd and
his torcc reduced and q ofou did this
happen that he grew tmadof it until of
last he was relieved. Hcte'a'us there is
still balance of over S3t, 600, which he
paid out, due him from the State. It is
to settle this account that the meeting was
held at the Hotel Anderson to-aay. Pres
ent at 1t were the following gentlemen:
General hastings, William Finn, Philip
Finn, Book-keener Acll".mni James
Mcknight, Colonel Gray, Colonel
Hill and Contractor Anschutz. The
meeting was hell in room 30. Col Gray
and Col. Hin were ''ere to present the
pay rolls of the military to Gen. Hastings,
which a.A.Hutea ,' over $4,000, This
sum is 70 .' rai"ndea 10 the state and re-
lief iunesou. '' Tire military fund. The
money however, mas al been paid OUT
ana all tia' j. require" is Tor G L. Hast-
Inss to approve OF the transfer OF .mds IN
the departments mentioned. WHOM tho
| Meeting a'loU'ei all present Dui llialA
| ! ian were trcc to talk. lie sal, he was
Iurt interested in the matter. AMI had
,,i,......,,-,.. T,...o,,,...,,..., .....,,.r,
','',.'"7 - was ,''...''' '... .''ousN
Nchhist' ana ten Ias'in-., e" agree
mcnt WAS eael by which iAJ matter
was tu boz ..ni..ted. Mr.. McKnight is
-, ,,....... .. .......,,,,o,;,,o l,.. &C., l.
w. '"''''''' ''1 ''"'e ~ uo
inc SAME +al ,".'e TWO arc 10 select inc
third. Gea. .a-liass, on the part of the
State. agreed to this, rs did the others in
tor.s,,L m. ,r,,,. r,.re. .n, .....,..,,.t,,
N''7', ',' ''' nv az ~ ".''''H'o
nave "oJ you oeeN selected nor has the
time for their sitting been fixed. 1t was
stated. however, il would be ARRANGED
with oil rossillo ,,oo5 %,
W N'
hastings urged thc plan adopted rs the
most satisfactory, giving as n reason that
if he orded the claim mid no attention
,rc,,rl ~, ,,oil -, 3. =, tr,.,;-t,.,,.. -.
'N'" W ! -" ~ ~ -, .l'.' 'i'o''s - ''n,o''
II was endorsed BY GIs'H,crlstcd parties.
a gentleman who heard the remarks
said this went TO show how = great dis
,s,or Ill. t,ot of rol,,,.4r,,.,, .,,,,l 7,,.;7o
IN, SOl'''''o Wv, Va i,'o
the lcadlng men OF the state. Before the
flood HASTINGS and BpaVar went hand in