Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-05
THE DROWNED CITY.
[Continncd from First Panc.I

pockets for valuabes or papers that would
lead to Identification. Four men lift the
corpse on a rude table and there Ii Is thor
oughly washed and embalming fluid injected
then, with the other bodies, the corpse lies in
a large room until IL Is identified or becomes
offensive. In the latter case IL Is hurried to
the large grave the grave that will hereafter
have a monument over IL bearing the iuscrip-
tion:
"THE UNKNOWN DEAD.n
"The number of the latter is CROWN &
hourly because pestience stalks in Johns
town, and the bloated, disfgured masses of
flesh can not be held much longer. Bodies
of stalwart workmen lie beside the remains
of dainty ladies, many of whom are still
declsed with costly earrings with jewels on
their fingers. Rich and poor throng these
quarters and gaze with awe-struck faces at
the masses of mutilations, in the hope OF re-
cognlzing a mi ssing one, so as to accord the
body decent burial.
A wealthy young Philadelphia named
Ogle recently became engaged to Johns
town lady, Miss Carrie Diehl. They were
to be welded in the middle of June, and both
parties were preparing for the ceremony.
The lover heard of the terrible flood, but,
knowing that the residence of his dear one
was up in the hills, felt little fear for her
safety. To make sure, however, he started
for Johnstown, arriving to-day. Near the
Fourth street morgue he met Mr.. Diehl.
"Thank God you are SAFE" he exclaimed,
then added, us Carrie wellr
"She was visiting in the valley when the
flood came" was the mournful reply, then he
beckoned the young man to enter the cham
ber of death. moment later Ogie WAS
kneeling beside rough bier and was kissing
COLD WHITE FACE.
From the lifeless finger he slipped a thin
gold ring and in its place put on his own.
Then he stole quietly out, one of a thousand
Fork dam.
mamma, mamma," :" cried child. She had
recognized u body that no one else could, and
in a moment the corpse was ticketed, boxed
and delivered to laborers, who bore II away
to join the long funeral procession.
A mother recognized her baby boy. keep
it few minutes,n she asked the undertaken
IN charge. In a few moments she returned,
carrying in her arms a little white cas-
ket. Then she hired two men to
bear it to the cemetery. No hearses
are seen in Johnstown. Relatives
recognize their dead, secure collins, get them
carried the best way they can to the
then to the ssa
thousands are buried in mother earth. A
frequent visitor to these horrible places is
David John Lewis. All over Johnstown he
rides powerful gray horse and to each one
he meets whom he knows, he exclaims:
''HAvE YoU SEEN MY sIsTERs"
Hardly waiting for a reply he gallops away
either TO seek ingress to = morgue or to ride
along the river bank One week ago he was
worth s60,000, all being invested in large
commission business. To day he owns the
horse he rides, the clothes on his back, and
that is all. In the fierce wave we're buried
five of his near relatives, his sisters, Anna
and Lizzie and Maggie. The last was mar
ried and her little boy and babe were drowned.
Flood and fire claimed among their victims
not only the living, but the dead. To-day
handsome coffin was found half burned, 10
some charred wreckage. Inside was found
the body of man, shrouded for burial, but
so scorched about the head and face as to be
unrecognizable. The supposition is the house
in which the dead man had lain had been
crushed and the debris partially consumed
by fire.
SAVED SIXTY LIVES.
I. H. Klein claims the distinction of being
the only New Yorker in Johnstown who
escaped the flood, and the honor OF having
His base Of operations was the Merchants
hotel, and his plan, to lift persons from the
windows OF houses swimming by. Among
those he saved were Rev. Phillips, who, as
as he glided by, was trying to hold his wife
and two children above the water by means
of q table, on which he placed them, and
raised the load to his head. The house
swung against the hotel and stayed just long
enough for the rescue to be completed. Klein
has been working hard to alleviate the suf-
ferlens OF the victims.
Chairman Moxham, Of the citizens CON-
mittee tells frlghtful story Of the
DESIGNATION OF THE DEAD
and of the looting Of houses. On the after
noon Of the disaster he was work
ing among the victims on the hill
side above, Jonnstown when he noticed
colored man hand colored
woman a gold watch and chain, with the re-
mark, "Hold my watch for me- / am afraid
l will lose it." The man was apparently
working industriously upon the wreck, and
Moxham did not think anything Of the Cir
cumstances until he saw the negro step up to
| 40 apoin hand bar we frh
and repeat his remark. Suspecting some
thing wrong, Markham had the woman placed
under arrest Her pockets were found to be
filed with watches and iewelry. There were
several rings that were bloody.
FINGERS HAD BEEN CUT OFF
the dead for the gold. Later on Moxham
disc overed several cart loads of shoes and
clothing secreted back on one of the hills.
clothing evidently taken from the victims,
as they were wet and muddy. When the
officers attempted to seize the
goods the fellow opened fire upon
them with a revolver. They returned
the salute and did not stop after regaining
the clothes, to see what the effect had been.
AS to the failure of the Johnstown coun.
ellis TO afford police protection, there are
found many extenuating circumstances.
One-fourth of the councilmen are believed to
have lost their lives in the flood, and there Is
scarcely one of the living who have not met
with some terrible loss
Five Italians were caught this afternoon
while in the act of exhuming body at the
cemetery. Fortunately for them there were
few people around, or they would undoubt-
edly have been strung up. AS 1t was they
were taken In charge of by file of soldiers
and locked In a box car Petty thieying Is
certainly going on, but Dy tomorrow a thor
ough military patrol will prevent it in u
great measure.
Adjutant General Hastings at midnight
wired Governor Beaver his report of the day.
1t is a most encouraging one and shows that
the Reconstruction city is recovering from
the blow struck here. The report Is as fol-
lows:
"The Fourteenth regiment arrived here
to-day. 400 strong. The burgess of Johns
town and the sheriff of Cambria county
finally requested the troops this mornin :
There has been no violence or disorderly
conduct. Several thieves have been
arrested. About 1,500 laborers are
at work, and squads are coming In from all
sides. The present force will probably be
J doubled tomorrow. There Is plenty of food
| and clothing. The survivors are regaining
| their health. Chairman Moxham, of the clti-
zens' committee, became exhausted to-day,
and James Scott, Of Pittsburg, was elected
in his place. The organization is now per-
| feet. ID. H. HASTINGS"
Four long trenches two feet long, seven
wide and three feet deep form graves for 200
| victims of the flood whose bodies have been
recovered at Nineyeh, ten miles below Johns