The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-06-01
A Flood of Death.

afternoon, and tonight almost the entir
city OF JOhnst0wn is swimming about in
rushing, angry tide. Dead bodies are noal
ing about In every direction, and almOs
every piece of movable timber is carryin
from the doomed city a corpse, driftinI
with the raging waters, God knows where
As the railroad train bearing Associates
Press correspondents sped eastward
reports At each stop grew more appallin,
As the train railway officials were gathered
who had came from the Bolivar end of th.
passRble portion OF the road. They haC
Seen but a small portion OF the food, bu
enough to allow them to imagine the rest
Down through the ''Pack Saddle' cam
the rushing waters and the wooded height
of the Alleghenies looked down in solemn
wonder at q scene of the most terrible de
sructiOn that ever struck the rom anti,
valley of the Conemaugh. From floatinI
boards and timbers came the agoniziDg cre
OF men. women and children. heartrending
shrIeks for help striking terror 10 tn,
breasts Of the lockers on. The cries wers
of no avail. Carried along at railway
speed on the breast of the rushing torrent
n human ingenuity could devise a mean,
ing wet and damp to her cheek. a mother
was seen grasping fl Jating timber, while
with her other arm she held her babe.
The special train pulled in at Bolivar at
1I;3O and the trainmen were there mott
ned further progress was impossible. The
greatest excitement prevailed at this place
aud parties OF citizens are out all the time
endeAvOring to save the poor untOrtunstes
that are being huTed to eternity in the
rushing torrent The tidal wave struck
Bolivar Just after dark and in five minutes
the COnemaugh rose from six to forty feet
and the waters spread over the whole
country soon houses began floating down
aud clinging to debris were men, women
ana children, shrteking for aid. A large
number of citizens gathered on the bridge
and they were reinforced by a number
from Garfield, a town on the opposite side.
They brought number of ropes and these
were thrown over into the boiling waters
as people drifted by. For half an hour
a efforts were fruitless, until AT last the
rescuers were about giving up ali hopes,
when a little boy ascended roof and mau-
aged to catch hold Of the rope. He caught
it under his left arm and was thrown vio-
lentiy against an abutment, but managed
To keep hold and was pulled on the bridge
amid the cheers of the lockers on. The
boys name is Edward Hessler, aged I6
At midnight your correspondent secured
an Interview Wfth nGn. His story of the
frightful calamity is as follows: with
my father | was spending the day at my
house in Cambria City. In
the house at the time were Theodore En-
wart and John King, Jr., Mrs. Mary King.
the wife of John, Jr., Miss Tracy King.
Mrs. Rico Smith, John Hirsch and four
father and myself. Shortly after
) o'clock there was d noise of roaring
waters and screams of people. We looked
out tbs door and saw persons running. My
father told US to never mind, the waters
would rise no further; but we soon saw
houses swept away, and then ran up stairs.
The house was three stories, and we were
al last forced ~ the top tiOOr. In my fright
jumped on bed. 1t was an
Did fashioned one with wooden posts. The
water kept raising and my bed was soon
floating. Gradually it was lifted mp. The
sir in the room grew close and the house
wss moving. sill the bed kept pressing
lut Nt4Auk. AZ AHoA RDcls HucuCu lllt
plaster, il yielded and a section of the roof
gave way. Then suddenly found myself
On the Feof Snd was oeing carried down
stream. After little this roof commenced
10 psrt aud | was afraid 1 was going to be
but just then another house with
/ shingle roof fioated by and 1 managed to
,rawl onto it and fiOated down antil, nearly
lead with cold. was saved. After 1 was
iree from the house did not see my father
Ny grandfather was IN tree, but
ae must have been drowned, as the water
was rising. John KIM was also in a tree.
Miss Mary KING and Mrs Mary King saw
irOwn. Miss Smith was also drowned
John Hirseh was in tree, but the four
children were drowned. The seems were
errible. People and corpses were floating
ie ewn with me and away from me. 1 would
lear person shrek, aud then they would
disappear. Along the line were people who
we're trying to save us, but they could do
nothing. and only q few were caught"
This boys story is but Que incident. Ii
hows what happened 20 Que family. God |
,nly knows what has happened to the |
hundreds who We're in the path OF the run
ling waters. Ii is impossible 70 get any
hing in the way OF news save meagre de
sils. | witnessed at Bolivar \ scene that |
ellis story OF unparalleled terrorism. Ii |
occurred at the lower bridge that crosses |
he COnmaugh. At this point a young
nan with two women was seen down the |
liver on part of floor. At the upper
ridge a rope was thrown down TO them.
This they ali failed to catch. Between the |
wo bridges be was noticed 10 point towards /
he elder woman, which it is supposed was |
is mother. He was then seen to instruct /
he woman how 20 eaten the rope, which |
vas being lowered from the other bridge /
Down came the raft with rush. The |
Gang man stood with his arms around the /
We women. As they swept under the |
ridge ne reached up aud seized the rope
lie was ierked Violently from the |
wo women. WHO failed to
o get hold on the rope. Seeing thst they |
Ould not be rescued, he dropped the rope |
nd fell back on the raft, which fioated |
Iown the river. The current washed their
rail craft IN toward the bank. The young |
nan was enabled To seize hold OF q branch /
f a tree. and be aided the two women to |
Iet up into the tree. He held on with his |
Ianos and rested his feet on pile OF drift /
wood. A piece of floating debris struck !
be drift. sweeping il away. The man
iung with his body immersed in the /
water. A pile Of drift sooa collected,
nd be was enabled 10 secure smother mold !
- the river there was q sudden crash and !
section of the bridge was swspt away,
I0zfing Gown stream IL struck the tree.
Washing it away. and al three uere thrown |
nto the water 4nd drowned before the |
yes of the horrihed spectators
Just opposite the town of Bolivar, early I
n the evening = woman with her two chill |
ren were seen to pass under the bridge,
linging to the roof of q coal house.
L rope was lowered TO her. but she shook
ler head and refused 70 desert her childreR-
& was rumored that all three were saved at
,okeville, few miles below Bolivar.
Later reports from Lockport say the res
dents succeeded in rescuing five people
rom the flood, two women and two men,
)ne man snecseded in getting out Of the