The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-04
THE SOUlH FORK pAM.
First Information That 1t uurst-The Great
Lake Empied into the Valley In One
HOur-The Loss OF Life,

Lake Empueu into the NAllpy tu On
HouT-The Loss OF Life,
Messrs II, Singer George Singer
Louis Clark and Russey Blnns, of Pitts
burgh, relatives Of members OF III,
South Fork Fishing club, have Just ar
rived from the broken dam. They al
had friends or relatives at the lake al
the present time and being very anxious
as to their fate, they made daring
break through the flooded district, and
alters careful examination returned this
morning, Mr., W, Harry Singer, in
speaking OF the trip, said; I'VE left
on the day express and got
10 Sang Hollow about | go O'Clock. I'VE
walked up to Johnslown but could not
got across there, We went up Stony
creek couple oi miles and got i man 10
ery US across, and took the FranltstoWn
Dad around the bill to the lake, tits
lbOut two miles from Johnstown to the
AXE by this road, We reached the club
louse at G;30, Worn out by the tramp.
We found that Mr., James CLARK, son Of
J. j. Clark, and the two Shay boys and
lr, Lewis Aaron had started from the
AXE on Saturday on horse buck to South
FORK station 10 take the train TO AL.
ooIa, They got no further than Al
oona owing 10 the washopts and they
re still there, Theto was no one at the
axe when We arrived except the Gus.
odians and some workmen. A. ].
teating and George Wilson arrived last
light about llo'cloCR, The lake is com.
'letes y dried out,
THE ENTIRE LAKE ENpTIED.
The dam broke in tho centre at 8
'cIock on Friday afternoon, and at 4
clock it was dry, The great body Of
'ater passed out in an hour. Messrs.
ark and Van Buren, who are building
new draining system at the lake, tried
avert the disaster and to dig q sluice
'ay on one side to ease the pressure on
ne dam, They had about forty men at
'ork, and did all they could, without
vail, Tho wator passed over the dam
bout o loot above It's top, beginning at
bout half past two. Whatever happen,
4 in the way OF a cloud burst took place
uring the night. There had been but
tile rain up TO dark, but when tho work.
len woke In the morning the Like was
cry full aud was rising at tho
ITO OF a foot an hour. II kept
n rising, until at two o'clock
first began breaking over the dam and
ndermining II; men were sent three
four times during the day to warn
eople below Of their danger. When
10 final break came at three o'clock
lere was a sound like tremendous and
ontiDuGd peals ol thunder Trees,
'cis, aud earth were shot up into mid
Ir iugFeat columns and then tho wave
,arted down the ravine. A farmoy who
scaped said that tho water did not come
own like q wave but jumped on his
ousO aud beat 1t to fragments in au in.
ant. He was safe upon the hillside,
vt his wife and two children were
iIled. At the present time the lake
'oks like q cross between the crater Of
volcano and Q huge mud puddle with
.umBE OF trees and rocks scattered over
, There Is q small stream OF muddy
'ater running through the centre Of tho
Ike site. The dam Is seventy feet high
nd the break is about 200 feet wide.
% dam9g9 EaS done to any OF the
tlllding belonging to the club or mem,
era,