Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-05
THE FLOOD HORROR.
More Of The SiCkenins Details
Furnished.
VALLEY OF THE SHADOW.
The King of TerrOrs Reign
ing in Grisly State.
,FrNUV 7
VALLEY OF THE SHADOW.
PESTILENCE IN HIS TRAIN
Sights and Scenes in the Desolated
Land-A Ready Response Made
to the Call for Help.
Associated Press DISPATCHES to the HERALD.


elapsed since the Angel of Death swept
down the valley of Conemaugh, but no
ray of sunshine has yet lighted the scene
of horror at Johnstown bridge. The
sky is overcast with heavy clouds and
the sun rests behind the menacing pail
as though reluctant to view the handi-
work of his potent elements. For thirty
six hours the fire engines have played
upon the smoking ruins above the
bridge, but the flames break out afresh
at frequent intervals to defy the subuing
force Of the water. Nearly 1000 men are
employed in different parts of the valley,
clearing up the ruins and prosecuting the
search of the undiscovered dead. Inves-
legations are not without fruitful results,
for charred bodies of the victims of the
flood and fire are discovered with un-
diminished frequency. 1t becomes
hourly more and more apparent that not
single vestige will ever be recognized
of hundreds roasted in the flames above
the bridge.
OUT OF sEMBLANcE OF HUMANITY.
Since the last sentence WAS penned a
party of searchers unearthed charred
unsightlv mass from the smouldering de-
bris, within thirty yards of the Associ-
ated Press headquarters. 1t required
the authoritative verdict OF a physician
to demonstrate that the CHASTITY discov-
cry was the charred remains of human
being. Only the trunk remained,
roasted beyond all semblauce to flesh.
Five minutes work revealed fragments
of skull, that at once disintegrated
when exposed to the air, no single piece
being larger than half dollar, and the
whole resembling the remnants of shat
tered charcoal.
Within the last hour half dozen dis
coveries, in no way less horrifying, have
been made by the searchers, as they rake
with picks and hooks in the smoking
ruins, so difficult is it at times to deter
mine whether the remains are those OF
human beings. 1t is apparent that hun,
dreds must have been fairly burned to
ashes. Thus the number that have
found their last RESTING place cannot at
best be more than Appropriated.
| BUSTED IN THE SEARCH.
Moxham, the iron manufacturer, and
Mayor pro tenn. of Johnstown, is today
probably the busiest man in the United
he sticks nobly to his task. Hundreds
of others are like him. Men fall to the
earth from cheer fatigue. There are
m any who have not closed their eyes in
sleep since they awoke Friday morning.
They are holloway ed and pitiful looking.
Many lost near relatives, all, friends.
/ Man ond hnrcoa ranof nandnA fnHou
| sHYLoCKs IN THE CITY.
| Some of the unfortunate who could not
60 to the relief trains endesvored to
obtain -four from the wrecked stores in
Johnstown. One dealer was charging S.
a sack for -four. Suddenly the crowd
heard OF the occurrence, and several
desperate men went to the store and
doled out -four gratuitouely to the home
less and stricken army. Another dealer
was selling -four at $3.50 sack. He
refused to give any away, guarding his
store with shotgun.
STILL RoBBING THE DEAD.
The bodies recovered in Johnstown to-
day have been robbed by ghouls that
flock to the scene. 1t is known that one
lady had several hundred dollars in her
possession just before the disaster, but
when the body was recovered not cent
was in her pocket.
| ATTACKING TILE SUPPLY WAGONS.
Hungarians attacked the supply wagon
between Morrellville and Cambria City
to-day. The drivers repulsed them, but
they again returned. A second fight en-.
| sued, but after lively scrambling the
Hungarians were again diyen away.
After that the drivers and guards of the
supply wagons were permitted to go
armed.
REGISTERING SURVIVORS.
Twenty-Five registry offices for the liv-
ing opened this morning. Up to noon
5000 out of "a, 900 inhabitants before the
food registered.
SCENES AT THE MoRGUE.
The scenes at the extemporized morgue
are beyond description in ghastliness,
while the means and groans Of suffering
survivors tossing in agony with bruised
and mangled bodies, or raving in the
delirium of fever in numerous temporary
hospitals, make even the stoutest heart
quail with terror. Nearly 1000 bodies
have already been recovered, and as the
work OF examining the wreckage pro
crosses, the conviction grows that the
magnitude of the calamity has not yet
been approxim ated. Conservative esti-
mates this morning put the number of
lost at 1000, and many men of calm
judgment, not wont to exaggerate, who
have been upon the ground from the out
set, place the number at 10000.
THE FIRST RELIEF TRAIN ARRIVES.
AT IL A. N. the first relief train, bear
ing thousands of pounds of provisions
for the sufferers and two thousand COT
fins for the dead, passed over the Johns
town bridge across the improvised trestle |
to the Johnstown depot. For the first
time railroad communication had been
re-established between the stricken city |
and tie outside world.
CREMATION IS BEST.
1t is not believed now that the fire in |
the wreck at the bridge can be extin- |
guished for weeks. The hand of Provi. |
dence is in it. The suggestion made by |
the physicians yesterday that the bodies |
not buried should be allowed to be cre-
mated in the interest of public health,
which aroused such storm of indigua-
ton among the surviving, is viewed with |
more calmness to-day. There is q grow
ing sentiment that 1t is, after all the best |
solution of the problem. Weeks and |
months will be required to remove the
stupendous mass by artificial means, and
in the meantime the putrefying remains