Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-02
A FriphtfuI Calamity.


because of foolish incredulity than from ig-
norance of the danger. For more than
year there have been fears of an accident of
Just such character The foundations of
the dam were considered shaRy early last
spring and many increasing leakages were
reported from time to time. According to
people who live in Johnston and other towns
on the line of the river ample warnings
were given to the JohnstOwn folks and in
hundreds of cases the warning was utterly
disregarded There has grown up a bitter
feeling among the surviving sufferers against
those who owned the lake and dam, and
damage suits will be plentiful.
The dams IN Stony creek above Johnstown
broke about noon yesterday and thousands of
feet of lumber passed down the stream. 1t
is impossible to tell what the loss of life will
roll up, but at 8 o'clock the coroner of West
moreland county sent q message out saying
that 100 bodies had been recovered at
Nlneveh, half way from here TO Johnstown.
Sober minded people do not hesitate to say
the estimate of 1900 lives lost is moderate.
"How can anybody tell how many are
lostn said railroad engineer this morning.
81 have been at Sang Hollow with my tram
since II o'clock yesterday and have seen fully
| five hundred persons lost in the flood"
j. w. Esch, brave railroad employe,
saved sixteen lives at Nineveh.
The most awful elimination of the awful
night was the roasting of n hundred or more
| persons lost in the flood. The ruins of houses,
outbuldings and other structures swept
away the new railroad bridge at Johnstown,
| and from an overturned stove or some such
cause, the upper part of the wreckage took
| fire. There were crowds of men, women
| and children on the wreck, and their screams
| were soon added to the awful chorus Of hor-
| ror. They were literally roasted in the flood.
! Soon after the fire burned itself out, others
| were thrown against the mass. There were
some fifty people in sight when the runs
| parted, broke up and were swept under the
| bridge.
The last news from Johnstwon is that
but two houses could be seen
in tina town. 1t is also said
| that only three houses remain
| in Cambria City. The first authentic news
was from w. N. Hays, Of the Pennsylvania
| company, who reached New Florence at 8
o'clock. He says the valley towns are ami
| hlated.
| TheAssociated Press now has a wire be-
tween New Florence and Pittsburg and has
| it connected with it's main circuit. A hospi
/
arc now receding here as rapidly as they
| rose last night, and as the banks uncover the
dead are showing up. Already nine bodies
have been picked up within the limits of this
| borough.
| None of them have been recognized. Five
| of those found are women. The dead body
| of young man was discovered in the
! branches of a huge tree, which had been
| carried down the stream. All the orchards
crops and shrubbery along the banks of the
| river are destroyed, The body of another
woman was discovered in the river here.
! John L. Webber and his wife, an old
couple, Mike Metzgar and John Pruly
We're rescued near here early this morning
| on the roof of a house on which they had
been carried from their home IN Cambria
City. There were seven others on the roof
of the house when it was carried off by the
waters. They were all drowned.
The banks on both sides of the river at
this place are crowded with anxious
watchers, and with horrifying frequency
their vIgils are rewarded with the discovery
of dead body. Hundreds of people from
Johnstown and up-river towns are hurrying
| here in search of their friends and relatives
who were swept away in last nights flood.
The most intense excitement prevails here.
| Squire Bennett has charge of the dead
bodies and he is having them properly cared
for. They are being prepared for burial but
will be held for identification.
1t is now thought the property loss in the
vicinity of Johnston will be about $l1, 900, 900.
| e. w. Hoppenstall, of Lincoln avenue, in
the east end of Pittsburg, distinguished him.
self by his bravery yesterday afternoon. He
was messenger on the mail train which had
to turn back at Sang Hollow. AS the train
passed the point where the water was full, q
woman and child hoated in near the shore.
The train was stopped and Hopperstall
jumped into the water and in two trips saved
both the mother and child.
OF the dead nearly seventy have been
identified, among whom were James McMil-
Ian, superintendent of the Combria Iron
compauy's store, his wife, four children and
daughter-inaw John p. Linton, leading
lawyer, wife and five children; Mrs. Thomas
Kirlen and two children John Nolan and
seven of his family; DIR. George Wagner,
wife and three children; Frank p. Baurman,
wife and two children; Mrs. Richard Worth
mgton and seven children; Pearson Fisher,
| wife and six children.
| Heartre mi I'm o. SiDht