The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-06-06

tANCuI Vi Lut gAOI tuC hNaiNi
OF people are stirred as they never wer'
before.
Various benevolent societies too ar,
exerting themselves TO find out and re
lIeve those connected with their organi
cations, and that too without any Dim
mutton of contributions for the benefit
of the whole body of sufferers. The
Masonic brotherhood slread has its rep
resentatives in 1.-THE Valley OF Death,
and is feeding the hungry, and clothing
the destitute, and tenderly caring fol
the widows and orpants. Other frater-
nal SOCIETIES will soon follow the foot
step already made. There is hardly any
danger OF too much help--none, of toe
much sympathy with the thousands on
whom has fallen grief and sorrow and
suffering, danger of pestilence and, un'
til recently relieved, fear of famine.
SUPPLIES WANTED.
Notwithstanding the fact that nearly
every prominent city in the United
States is raising fund for the relief OF
the Conemaugh sufferers, the wants OF
the homeless and afflicted are far from
being alleviated. At the various relief
stations TO day the crowd of applicants
was continuous from morning till Mi ht
and many of the needy we're forced to
wait in line for hours before their turn
came and their little portion was allotted
to them. Hundreds OF thousands Of dol
lars must pour into this stricken valley
if positive suffering and privation is to
be avoided. Thousands OF people are
homeless and in these devastated homes
thousands also lost their all. Labor and
manufacturing of nearly every kind is
at a standstili IN the valley, and weeks
or months must elapse before the Cam
bria IRON works and other industrial in.
sttutions can possibly resume and give
employment TO the thousands that de-
pend upon them for support. Even at
the present time, five day after the DIS
as,er, there are hundreds of hungry peo-
pie in the Conemaugh valley who have
no certainty of a breakfast tomorrow.
CAUSE OF THE CALAMITY.
The huge dam proves to have been
merely dirt, with a light rubbIe facing
instead of solid masonry, and the waste
gates, by which it's builders designed
that its surplus in time Of high water
should he run off are said to have been
permanently closed when the associa-
ton took charge of the property.
INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER.
A nameless Paul Revere lies some.
where among the dead. Who he Is may
never be known, but his ride will be
famous in local history. Mounted on
big bay horse, he came riding down the
pike which passed through Conemaugh
to Johnstown, just before the deluge,
shouting his portentious warning: Kun
for your lives to the hills Run TO the
hills y The people crowded out OF their
houses along the thickly settled streets
awe struck and wondering, Nobody
knew the man, and some thought he was
maniac and laughed. On at a quick
pace he rode and shrilly rang out his
awful cry. In a few moments, however,
there came a cloud Of ruin down the
broad streets, down the narrow alleys,
grinding, twisting. hurting, overturnlng,
crashing, aDnihila;ing the weak and the
strong 1t was the charge OF the flood
wearing its coronet Of ruin and devasta
ton, which grew at every instant OF it's
progress. Forty feet high, some say
thirty according to others-was this sea,
and it travelled with deadly swiftness.
On and on raced the rider, and on and
on rushed the wave. Dozens of people
took heed Of the warning and ran up the
hill. Poor, faithful rider; it was an
unequal contest. Just as he turned
across the railroad bridge the mighty
wave fell upon him, and horse, rider and
bridge all went into chaos together.
Henry Roberts, who lived near st.
Johns Church lost one child months
old. He had in his house Newfound-
land dog, which was near tine child when
the fatal food struck the house. The
dog seemingly real z"d the situation and
caught the child and started to swim to
land. The force of the waters washed
the dog and child against the school
house, where they were held until the
water began to abate, and as soon as the
animal could he swan to the hillside
with the babe in his mouth and deliver
ed the dead infant to some people who
were there.
This is my last Message" Such was
the message OF the devoted and faithful
Mrs. OglP, the telegraph messenger al
JOhnsLOwn, when the waters finally
gathered around her and her daughter.
She could have escaped, hut she would
not until the valley was apprised of what
was coming. When the warning was
given the destroy ing fl jUd WAS upon her