davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
JOHNSTOWN WIPED OUT.
) Io.t and biol suaotIng Of th0 LIvIng.

The Lost and the Suffering of tho Living.
superintendent Pltoairn's Appeal.
PIrrsBuRaH, June 1.-Superintendent
Pitcairn, Of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
sends the following:
New FLORENCE, Pa, June LIN 20.
ing to the trouble, with water west OF
Lilly's, l could not get further than
Sang Hollow. Our tracks west OF this
point are also INSTRUCTED. While at
Sang Hollow over 100 people, men,
women and children, passed there on
debris; seven were recovered at Sang
Hollow, two at Conemaugh Furnace and
two here. Only forty.seyen OF the 100
and over passed here. From my super.
visor, who was at Johnstown,
l Learn that Johnstown is liter.
ally wiped out. Our track between
Johnstown and Conemaugh Is filled
with buildings and drift forty feet high
or more, which is on fire. All our tracks,
as have said, are badly blocked be-
tween Sang Hollow and Johnstown. I
fear there will be terrible suffering
among those saved, which should be- re:
lieved as soon as possible. In the In.
terest Of humanity think public
meeting should be called early to.mor-
row to send food, clothing, etc, TO those
poor people, which we shall be glad to
forward To Johnstown and neighborhood
as soon as we get clear track there.
RoDRRT PITCAIRN.
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
AT TYRONE AND Cl.EARPIELD.

Tie JuniRta and suSqushanpa Rivers Over.
now..Clsarileld Entirely Under Water.
All Escape Cut on.
TYRONE, Pa, May S1.-The Juniata
river has overlooked It's banks at this
place and flooded the entire southern
portion of the city, causing great destruc.
ton TO property and the streets. People
living in the flooded districts had to be
removed from their homes in wagons TO
places Of safety. All the railroads cen.
tering in this place are greatly damaged
by the floods. The water was never
known To be 30 high at this place.
AT Chrwensville, one man was drown.
ed, and at Clear1eld two young ladies'
were drowned in trying 10 escape from
the flooded districts.
The Sugquehanna river has overflow.
cd It's banks at Clearheld, and the entire
place Is under water, and all means Of
escape cut OF, The people have gather.
ed Ia the court house aud opera house
% 0 place Of safety. This evening IL Ia
still raining hard and the waters raising
rapidly,
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
DELAY on TRAINS.
wa.hout. and water on the Tracks Prevent
Arrival of Trnins from The East,

washOuts and Water on the Tracks Prevent
Arrival of Trains from the East.
The Baltimore 4 Ohio express train
from Philadelphia, due here at II o'clock
last night did not reach here till 8
O'Clock this afternoon, This was the
first and only train that has come in
over the. Baltimore 4 Ohio since
Friday afternoon. II had only
q few passengers on board, the great
majority OF those on the train when II
reached Cumberland, not caring To take
the big risks involved In transferring Of
Cold Spring run, where the water Is 8
feet deep on the tracks. Be.
tween Cumberland and Pied.
mont tho tracks are covered
with water from tour 10 seven feet In
depth. Scores Of trains arc blocked out
at these points. The express train for
Philadelphia left here al 1895 o'clock this
morning, as usual, but how far II will
get Is a matter Of doubt.
Word comes from Pittsburgh that the
Big Q,'B Connellsyille line east from
Pittsburgh ID badly washed, out that q
week must elapse before any trains can
20 cast from Pithbufgh over the D. 4 o.
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
THEY KNEW TUE TERRORs.
The Fishing Club that owned the Lake
Leading Citizens OF PittsbuFgh,

The Fishing Club that Owned the Lake
Leading Citizens Of Pittsburgh,
PIFTsBuRoH, Pa June l,-"Good
heavens Is It SO that the dam has bro
kemp exclaimed James v, Long last
evening, when reporter told him of the
disaster at South Fork,
"Well," he continued, ut is not I'M
expected to me, nor to many members
OF the South Fork Fishing Club. 1t has
always been a sword OF Damocles, not
only to the members OF the club, but to
others, Tho people'of Johnstown have
always feared 1t. Time and again the
dam has been examined and every time
1t was pronounced safe; but no ono
knew when 1t would break"
Mr., Long Is State Commissioner Of
Fisheries, and Is member and for years
was Secretary Of the Western Pennsyl'
vania Sportsmen's Association, II was
from the latter organization that the
South Fork Fishing Club sprang, All
the original members Of the fishing club,
and nearly every one who is a member
now, belongs to the Sportsmen's Asso'
citation,
When the Pennsylvania Railroad Com.
pany bought the old canal and construct.
ed along its line the great highway OF
rails the reservoir was no longer needed.
The many ages OF land which formed
the bottom Of the lake had originally
been meadows, and when the lake was
no longer needed the meadows reap.
peared as the water was drained off from
the bottom.
The property was bought by the South
Fork Fishing Club from Mr.. Reilly,
The exact price paid none Of the mem.
bers OF the club who were seen last
night could say. The club was formed |
on the basis OF a membership limited To |
100 persons, the shares being placed at
$500 each and each member being re-
quired to own two shares before being
to the privileges OF membership.
Nearly $4,000 was expended in put.
ting the dam in thorough repair, In ad.
dition to money spent In other improve
ments. Then arrangements were made
for the erection Of a hotel and cottages.
Every member who desired to put up
cottage within six months was allowed
q plot OF ground 100 feet square.
There are now aSSut-stxty members
Of the club, OF whom sixteen have cot
tages. Commencing from the lower end
Of the lake, and going to the head, the
cottages stand In this order:
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
TaR LOST cry.

/
Johnstowp, Its Location. It's Importance
It's Industries, Its History in Brief
Jobrotown Nth ovo,,oLor hv tb,
'o""' uu-' N''iAVN Wv
u'S''ster OF yesterday, was one Of TN
most hourishing and prosperous manu-
featuring towns in the State II hat
over : nonr,ot,or IL : mn In 1ss0 am
PSFN 1',,, " wv ~ 80 ~ ~,
Aas grown rapluly SINCE PROBABLY 1h'
number OF Inhabitants at the presen
date IL was twice az largo. II has MOI
been Incorporated as n city. but is still
governed under a borough charter, In
Guiding its populous suburbs, which are
really a part OF The town. several ofthem
being separated from Il only bV ilnaein,
ary lines, Johnstown has nearly, II moi
quite, $4,000 Inhabitants.
Its site Is picturesque and beautiful
in fact tic natural SCENERY Of the entjre
county Is perhaps unsllrpasged in nc
State. The tonemaurh Valley, nj Johns,
town, Is but a few hundred ieet in width.
the mountains extending close up to Inc
river. The neighborinr borouphs. Conc.
maugh, Millyale, Cambria, Prospect.
East Conemaurh. Franklin, Goonerslnle
and Woodale, are Mi growing places.
Johnstown proper ia situated nj the con.
lluence Of the Conemauph river and
Stony creek, a portion Of the city living
on the west side OF the latter stream.
It's location Is the Ate Of Kickena.
pawlinp's Indian town. where the whites
began 10 settle nearly IOO wears AGO
The town Ia we'll navod : has elortric
lights. street cars and fine system Of
water works. II contains many hand.
some business blocks and stylish resi-.
denCes. II ia particularly noted for the
number and excellence Of It's churches.
nearly n dozen different Observation-Disclosures
being represented, and many Of them
having very fino and costly eiiiices..
For many wears the town WAS the
CONNECTING point between railroad mad
canal TRANSFORMATION. Al far hack as
1881 the Portage Railroad assembled the
eastern slope Of the Allegheny Noun
taIns by Ave inclined planes. IN which
cars were drawn by stationary engines.
and descending the western slope in
the same way. Connected nj Johnstown
with the "main linon Of PennsyIySnis
improvements. This great achieve.
ment, as It was then Considered. was
superseded later by the Pennsylyania
Railroad, which enters the COUNTY OF
Cambria through the Gallityin tunnel
and leaves Il atthe border Of Westmore.
land and Indiana counties. Johnstown
Ia also the terminus Of tho Somerset md
Cambria branchIof the Baltimore ( Ohio
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01

and to-day there are not a dozen houses
at Cambria City, out Of over 1900, The
whole place Is deserted, and the Iron
0ompany's plant is wrecked, There
are, without doubt, fully 5000 people
lost between Conemaugh borough and
Cambria City, The flood was so sudden
and overwhelming that there Is no
chance OF estimating the loss Of life. i
feel terribly broken up by my long
trip"
Henry Berket and George RIGHT were
also conspicuous among the life saving
corps, and rescued four people from the
wafer
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
VOLUME XXXyII-NUMBER 242.

drowned, but just then another house
with shingle roof tloated by and
managed 70 crawl on 1t and iioated
down until nearly dead with cold where
was saved, After was freed from
the house did not see my
father, My grandfather was on q tree
but he must have been drowned as the
waters were rising fast. John KNIT,
1Fp, was also on Q tree. Miss Mary KinI
and Mrs, Mary Kintz saw drown. Miss
Smith was also drowned, John HirsGh
was on a tree but the four children
were drowned. The scenes were terri
bic.
Live persons and coFpses were float,
ing down with me and away from me ]
l would see q person shrek and then
they would disappear, All along the
line were people trying to save us, but
they could do nothing, and only few
were caught"
GOD ONLY KNOWS,
This boys story Is but one incident It
shows what happened to one family
God only knows what has happened
TO the hundreds who were in the path
OF the rushing water, II Is impossible
to get anything in the way OF news save
meagte details, +
An eye witness at Bolivar block sta
ton tellsa story OF unparalleled terror
ism which occurred at the lower bridge
which crosses the Conemaugh at this
point, A man with two women wereseen
coming down the river on part Of the
floor, AT the upper bridge rope was
thrown down To- them, This they all
failed to catch, Between the two bridges
II was noticed to point towards
the elder woman which II is
Supposed was his mother. He was
then seen to instruct the woman how 10
catch the rope which was being lowered
from the other bridge. Down came the
raft with a rush, The brave man stood
with his arms around the two women.
HoRRoIFYINa INCIDENT.
AS they swept under the bridge he
reached up and seized the rope he was
ierked violently away from the two wo-
men, who failed to get hold OF the rope.
Seeing that they would not be rescuedlle
dropped the rope and fell back on the
raft which tloated down the
river. The current washed their frall
,raft In towards tho bank. The young
man was enabled to seize hold OF a
branch OF a tree and aided the two
women TO get up into the tree.
He held on with his hands and
rested his feet on a pile OF drift wood.
A piece Of floating debris struck the
lriit sweeping 1t away. The man hung
with his body immersed In the
water. A pile Of drift collected
md he was enabled 10 get another
insecure footing. Up the river there
was a sudden crash and q sectien Of the
bridge was swept away and hoated down
The stream striking the tree and washed
lway. All three were thrown
INTO the water and were drowned
before the eyes OF the Mortified specta-
.ors just opposite the town Of Bolivar.
Early in the evening q woman with her
,wo children were seen TO pass
lnder the bridge at Bolivar
,linging to the roof OF q coai
louse. A rope was lowered to her, but
The shook her head and refused to de;
Iert the children. It was rumored that
III three were saved at Ookeville, q few
niles below Bolivar.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED LIVES LOST IN ONE
TOWN.
A courier to Bolivar, Pa, from the
scene Of the food at Johnstown, reports
800 lives lost.
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01

Four other bodies were seen, but, owing
to the mass Of wreckage which is coming
down the river, they could not be re-
covered, and passed down the Ohio
river,
A citizens meeting has been called at
the old City Hall to devise means to aid
the sufferers Of the Johnstown flood.
The Pennsylvania railroad officials
have already placed cars on liberty street
for the purpose of receiving provisions
and clothing, aud up to this hour many
prominent merchants have came forward
with their donations.
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
LAUGHED M TllH WARNINGS.
The People Did Not Heed Them, Laughed
ut Fenr and Finally PeriBbel.

The People Did Not Heed Them, Laughed
at Fehr and Finally Persisted.
NV FLORENCE, PA, June 1.-The
gray morning light does not seem to
show either hope or mitigation Of the
awful fears Of the night. We are where
We drove across the mountain In the
darkness OF the early morning at New
Florence, fourteen miles from the scene
Of desolation at Johnstowp. IthRs been
n hard night TO everybody. The weary
overworked newspaper men who haye
been without rest and food since yester-
day afternoon, and the operators who
have handled the messages are even now
preparing for the work Of the day. There
has been q long wrangle over the pos
sebsion Of o special train for the press,
between rival morning paper men, and
II has delayed the work OF the others
who are anxious 10 get further east. Even
here 30 far from the washed out
towns, tho horror is In our midst.
Seven bodies have been found on the
shore near this town, tive being In a
tree, man aud a woman, where the
lido had carried them. Tho country
people are coming into the pews.centreg
IN largo numbers, telling stories oil
disaster along the river banks In
aeluestered places. John Mozart.
1oy, a carpenter Who lives In
Johnstown, reached here about
4 o'clock. lilo left JoiinStown al i;30
o'clock yesterday and BayB tho scene
whom he left was lndesctlbablc. The
people had been warned early in the
morning 10 move 10 the highlands, but
they did not heed tho warning, although
IL was repeated q number Of times. Up
Ito o'clock, when the water
poured into Clnder street several
ieot deep. Then the houses began rock.
ing 10 aud fro, and finally tho force Of
the current carried buildings across
streets and vacant lots aud dashed chem
against each other, breaking them Into
fragments. The buildings were ifelghted
viii the poor wretches who 90 shortly
before had laughed At the cry Of danger.
Mccartney says In llpe CAses he
counted rs many AZ fifteen persons
Clinglng 10 building. MCOortney's vile
was with him She had three sisters
who lived near hgr. They say the
house these girls lived In carried away
and then llOy could stand u no longer
20 thuy hurried away, The husband
feared Ills vile would 10 crazy
before he could drag her away and they
left tho Hooded district and went inland
along country roads until they reached
hero, " ID said TO be next 10 impossible
TO got TO John0ioYn proper to-day ID
any manner except by fow.boats,
one Of The Lost,
I LRECnnuRd, PA, June l,-,This morn
, Inc nj N l0 ilin ltnlV al n iade ,r.s las,
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
ANEW MARTlSSylLLs FAMILY

Supposed to Have been Lost ut JohnStown
Not Heard From.
A. W. oxnard, formerly Of New Mar
tinsville, w. Va, moved to Johnstown
about one year ago. He married Mis-
Edith Springer, a New Martinsville girl,
and has an interesting family Of small
children, 1t is understood their house
stood on the low ground Of YOUNGSTOWN,
and 1t Is feared they are among the lost,
Miss Mollle Springer Is visiting them,
and the New Martinsyille friends are
very uneasy for their welfare.
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01

ia the river, The body was taken to the
undertaking rooms OF D, Bowers to
await Identification, Description; Stout,
tleshy woman, about 30 Tor IS years old
weight, about l75 poundsi about 8 feet
Q inches high; black hair; no clothing,
but a blue calico waist, with white
flowers in III plain gold ring on finger
Of left hand.
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
TnOUSANDS DROWNED.

Story OF a Rescued Mpn-Decds of Hero
hm-Thrce thousand Supposed to Have
plod,
EVANSVILLE INTERSECTION, June H.
Lockport was luCkier than many OF the
surrounding towns, not having lost any
houses by the food, but some sixty.ilve
families were turned out Of their houses,
and on the Indiana county side OF the
river nll the people living near the river
were driven out. The LoCkpoit school
was filled this evening by some fifty PEG.
pie, mothers nursing their babies, school,
boys playing marbles in the corners, and
young girls crowded together conyersing
over the terrible misfortune. =
Ozone thing that Lockport can boast,
It Is local heroes, Yesterday afternoon,
Edward Stick, young railroader living
In the place. saw an old man floating
down the river on tree trunk, whose
agonized face and streaming gray hair
excited the compassion Of the young
man, who plunged into The torrent,
clothes and all, and brought the old
man safely ashore.
THE CLIMAX on nRRolslI.
Scarcely had hc completed saving the
man when the upper story Of a house
hoated by on which Mrs. Adams, Of
Cambria, and her two children we're
borne. He plunged in again, and while
breaking through the roof OF the house,
cut IN artery In his left wrist, but al.
though he weakened with loss Of blood,
he succeeded il saying both mothcrand
children,
George shomo, another I4oCkport pa
swimmer, pulled out William Jones, Of
Cambria. He was almost exhausted
and could not possibly have survived
another minute In the water.
John Decker, who has some Celebracy
as o local pugilist was also successful In
saving Q woman and boy, but was nearly
killed In O third attempt 10 reach the
middle Of the river by being struck with
huge log.
THE MOST MIRACULOUS POINT
about the people who reached Bolivar
alive was how they passed through the
falls half way between Lockport and
Bolivar, The seathing waters rushed
through that barrier Of rocks with q
noise which drowned that Of the pass.
Ing trains, and heavy trees were whirl.
cd high In tho air odt Of tho water, and
houses which reached there whole were
dashed 10 spllntOrs against tho dam OIL
rocks.
On the place Of William MIanCarrow'l
house, gr1anlng with pain aud grief, lay
Patrick Madden q iufnaCeman Of the
Cambria Iron Company, He tOld Of hiE
terrible experience In q voice broken
with emotion. He said,
When tho Cambria Iron Compaiy,l
bridge gave way was In a neighborI
house. Edward Garyeys, We wert
caught through our own neglect, like
great many others, and a iew miultel
before the house was struck garyey 70
marked that no was q good swimmer
and could get away no matter how hlRl
tho water rose. Ton minutes later ! Bav
him and his son.ln.lRw drowned. NJ
human being could swim In that.
TERRIBLE roRRENT on DEBHls,
Alter the South Fork reservoir broke
was flung out Of the building and saw
when rose TO tho surface Of The watoi
my vile, hanging on 10 piece Of BCAnl
ling, She let II 10 and was drowned
almost within reach OF my arm and
could not help OF save her,
When my three houRea weFa awen
,laway every House In tho street went
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
Snow ID fadlana.

MlcnlOAN CRY, I'm, May Ola
north.OaSter, the ilofcest storm known
here for yearS, now prevails. Snow fell
here yesterday 10 the depth Of about one
inch' At MernmaO, Ind, rain has fallen
without coasing for iofty.OlRht hou,g
and changed 10 a snow storm yeSleFs
day Afternoon, There has Been neatly
twenty-five inches Of rainfall and much
damage will he done BY floods,
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
Anrlnna Abnnl Nd. y. q, 1lnnlnn.

Mr.. Frank j Hearne, OF this city, left
on Thursday for the East He was 70
stop at Johnstown on the way. AT the
office Of tho Riverside Iron Works Il d
supposed that hO got through bis bust.
meas In Johnstown and left before the
flood swept down. No word has been
received. from him,
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
WaERLlNG RgLIEP MEETING.

HCip For tho Pennsylvania Flood Sufferers.
Call by tho Mayor.
oltizensOf Wheeling arc urged to be
presontatS o'clock this Saturday even.
ing, in the Second Branch Council
Chamber, to take action looking to the
relief OF the sufferers by the floods in
Pennsylvania. The appeal foraid is ur-
gent.
lslgnedl CIV. sEABRIonr, Mayor.
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
STORM IN LOUISIANA.
Whole Family Destroyed in a Cabin In D.
a0ta pariah

Whole Family Destroyed In Cabin In De
Soto Parish,
NEW ORLEANS, June 1,-Wednesday
afternoon a severe storm swept over 4
portion Of De Soto parish In this State,
doing considerable damage in some 10.
calitles, A large red oak was blown
down on the cabin Of Joe Rafael, d
negro, who with his family were
within doors q the time. The
cabin was demolished and tho inmates
were crushed In the ruins. RaAaels
wife, hln daughter, II years old, d son 4
years Of age, another b years old and q
third 10 months old were instantly kill.
cd and the Oldest son, Joseph, Bllghtly
wounded. The only person In tile cabin
who escaped injury was Rafael him.
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01

AZ noon to-day while repairing lbe
gas pipes AZ the Norlhwood Glass
Works, Martins Ferry, the Ras wa
turned on, An explosion resulted, n.
hitting tho works and damaging h
the extent Of $500 and burning Wesley
Co.'s and John Weldel BetloGSly, az
former probably ialally "''
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01

Frank wheat, son 81 Chat, Wheat,
formerly Of this city, was a. work Ii
JohnBtown, Nothing 10 known Of bid
fniH.
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-01
NOT A HOUSE LEFT.

In the town known as Canada, which
Is near the steel works, there is not a
house left. The buildings were nearly
all frame, and were raised of the iounda-
tons as soon as the water reached the
lower sill. One after the other they
went down the Conemaugh, until at last
there was not q house left.
A most pitiIul scene is described as
happening in this place. A lady who
OCCUPIED ono OF the houses near the
river, and whose husband was at the
mill working, did not notice the water
until II was at her door. Then With her
Ave children she ran 10 the garrett, and
from there out on the root, thinking she
could thus escapefrom the rising waters.
In her fright she was mistaken, for no
sooner had she reached the roof than
the house began TO move, and the next
instant II was floating down the river
with its load oilivlng freight.