The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-06-05
While ...e Complete Details May
Add to this Number.
The Bodies Of Thousands Of Unfbrtu.
Mates Buried in the Mud and
Debris Of the Streets.
Ghouls Caught Robbing the Dead
are summarily Lynched-The
Property Loss Runs Far
Into the Millions.
DETAILS OF THE AWFUL DISASTER.

DETAILS OF THE AWFUL DISASTER.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, June l--About o'clock
Last night information reached this city
that Johnstown had been destroyed by q
hood Tho reports were mcager at first, all
wires being down At o'clock a m the
first definite information was received.
The Lake owned by the South Fork
Fishing Club at Johnstown and the
reservoir at Red Bank, swollen by
recent rains had burst their banks.
Without any warning the delugs came
down on Johnstown. The loss can not be
estimated Thousands OF people have
lost their nveA The food swept tho entire
town away. Houses were backed up along
the banks OF the Conemaugh for three
quarters Of a mile, piled up on top of each
other, mass of debris seventy live feet
high, and all on fire.
A special train containing newspaper
men only got as far as Bolivar, twenty
miles from the scene OF the disaster The
Pennsylvania railroad from there on is
nothing but q mass Of water, mud and rail
road ties standing on end and piled In
heaps clear to Johnstown.
Fifty persons were rescued from the
waters between Johnstown and New
Florence They were in q completely ex-
hausted condition aud could not hold on to
the ropes thrown them.
Tho speciai train pulled In at Boliver at
II 80 and trainmen were there notified that
farther progress was impossible. The great
est excitement prevailed at this place and
parties OF citizens are out all the time en-
deayoring TO save the poor unfortunAtes
that are being hurried 10 eternity In the
rushing torrent
The tidal wave struck Bolivar Just after
dark, and In fye minutes the Conemaugh
rose from six to forty feet and the waters
spread out over the whole country. Boon
houses began floating down, and ciingtng
20 the debris wero men, women and chill
dren shrisking for aid A large num-
ber OF citizens at once gathered
on the county bridge, and they were
reinforced BY q number from Garfield, Z
town ON the opposite side. They brought Z
number Of ropes, and these were thrown
over Into the boiling waters as persons
drifted by, in efforts TO save sono poor be-
Ing
8. J. HERON, solicitor for the Times
left Johustown at two o'clock on Friday
afternoon and has Just arrived in thii
city. Mr.. Heron tells graphic story Of
the disaster that fell on the mountain
city. nAll Of Thursday afternoon and
night rain poured down In delugo. The
httie mountain streams swelled In torrents,
pouring ther waters into the Conemaugh
rfyor, uhat passes directly through the cen
tpg Of the city. About i've O'Clock the
large reservoir above the town broke ant
ths immense volume Of water rushed down
10 the city carrying with II death ant
Abstraction. The water rose 30 rapidly
thst many people could not escape from
their homes and ran to the upper storiea
from which they were rescued BY men rid
Ing horses and mules.
un DkADLI DAN
IN order 10 undsrstand the nature OF thil
calamity II is necessary 10 describe the re-
spsotivo locations OF the reservoir anc
Jdhnstown. Ths reservoir Hes about
sAehtesu ni es northeast OF Johnstovn
and n the site OF the old reservoir whicf
was ono Of the feeders OF the PenDsyl
vaniA canal 1t Is the property Of q mum.
Der OF wealthy gentlemen In Pittsburgh
who formed themselves into an association
the title Of which Is the South Fork Fishing
Club Tbs sheet OF water was former.
y known as Conemnugh lake. II a
from 800 10 800 foet above the levo
OF Jshnstown, being In tho mountains i
b about three miles and a half long ant
from o mile to q mile and quarter II
ytdfh, and In some places It Is 100 feet II
dopth II holds moro water thar
sDy other reservoir, natural or arh
6olsl, In the United Statea The lax,
has been quadrupled In size by artihcia
means, and was held in check by dam ~
10 100 feet wide. 1t is 90 feet In thickness
st the base and the height is 40 feet Tn,
top has breadth of over % feet
Recognizing the menace which the LAX,
had to the region below the South Forl
club had the dam inspected once
month by the Pennsylvania railroad
engineer, and the investigation snoweC
that nothing less than some con
vulslon OF nature would tear th'
barrier away and loo'en the weapor
Of death. The steady rains OF tn,
last forty eight hours increased tn,
volume OF water In all tho small mount
ain streams, which were already swelles
by the lesser rains earlier In the week
From the beat information obtained at thi
time II Is evident that something In th,
nature o. cloud burst must have been tn,
elimination OF the struggle OF tie waite
against tho embsnkment
PrTTsDURoH, June 3--The first force o
rescuers and press representatives, who hat
been making every EFFORT for the past tw'
days 10 gain an entrance into the valley Ii
which was located the city Of Johnstown
accomplished their purpose Just as the ligh