Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-05
thieves, they were given five minutes to
leave town on the backward trip to Sang

thieves, they were given five minutes t.
leave town on the backward trip to Sans
Hollow.
PHoToGRAPHING THE SCENE.
The retentive eve of the amateur pho
tographer's camera is gazing from every
hill. There are no commonplace scenes
about Johnstown, and the little camera
appreciates that fact. Artists and theil
paraphernalia may be seen tumbline
about together, absorbing all the sunlight
aud all the scene. There will be no lack
OF pictures of the Johnstown food horror
X. OF p. CONTRIBUTIONS.
At meeting of Johnstown Com
mandery, Knights of Pythias, held here
this afternoon. E. G. Grouse, the Secre
tary, was appointed to receive funds. AL
Knighte of Pythiss funds will therefore
please, be sent to Grouse at Johnstown
TEMPORARY MoRGUEs.
Six improvised morgues are at Johns.
town, and in these the bodies are held
until decomposition reders it unsafe to
keep them longer. These temporary
places for the dead are in churches and
schoolhouses, the largest one being the
Fourth Ward schoolhouse, where planks
have been laid over the tops of desks,
and on them the remains are placed. A
corpse, when dug from the bank, is cov-
cred with mud, and is taken to the ante
room of the school, where it is placed un.
der a hydrart and the muck and slime
washed off. with clasp-kuife the clothes
are ripped opsn, and the attendant
searches the pockets for valuables or
papers that would lead to idenii6-
cation. -Four men lift the
corpse on rude table and
there it is thoroughly washed and EN-.
balming fluid injected into the arm.
Then with the other grim bodies of the
corpse lies in the larger room until it is
identified or becomes offensive. In the
latter case it is hurried to large grave
that will hereafter have monument
over it bearing the inscription: Gun
known Dead" The number OF the
latter is growing hourly, because the
pestilence stalks in Johnstown, and the
bloated, disfigured masses of flesh can
not be held much longer. The bodies Of
stalwart workmen lie beside the remains
of dainty ladies, many of whom are still
decked with costly earrings and with
jewels on their fingers. Rich and poor
throng these quarters and gaze with awe
struck faces at the masses of multila' ions
in the hope of recognizing some missing
one, 80 as to accord the body decent
burial.
HOW HE FOUND HIS SWEETHEART.
A wealthy young Philadelphian,n named
Ogle, recently became engaged to a
Johnstown lady, Miss Carrie Diehl.
They were to be welded in the middle
of June, and both parties weA prepar.
ing for the ceremony. The lover heard
of the terrible food, but knowing that
the residence of his dear one was up in
the hills, felt little fear for her safety.
To make sure, however, he started for
Johnstown, arriving to-day. Near the
Fourth-street morgue he met Mr.. Diehl.
THANK God, you are safe," he ex-
and then added, sis Carrie
we'll ?" "She was visiting in the valley
when the food came," was the mournful
reply. Then he beckoned the young
man to enter the chamber Of death. A
later Oge was kneeling beside
rough bier and was kissing cold, white
face. From the lifeless finger he slipped
a thin gold ring, and in its place put on
his own. Then he stole quietly out, one
Of the thousands made to mourn by the
bursting of the South Fork dam.
RECOGNIZING THEIR DEAD.
"Mamma, mamma" cried a child.
She had recognized body that no one
else could, and in a moment the corpse
was ticketed, boxed and delivered to
laborers, who bore it away to join the
long funeral procession. A mother
her baby boy. "Keep it
few minutes" she asked of the under
taker in charge. In few moments she
carrying in her arms little
white casket. Then she hired two men
to bear it to the cemetery.
SIMPLE CEREMoNIALs.
No hearses are seen in Johnstown.
The relatives recognize their dead, &C.
cure collins, get them carried the best
way they can to the morgues and then
to the grave-yards. A prayer, some
tears, and few more of the dead thou
sands are buried in mother earth.
RUINED AND BEREAvED.
A frequent visitor at these horrible
places is David John Lewis. All over
Johnstown he rides a powerful grey
horse, and to each one he meets, whom
he knows, he exclaims, "Have you seen
my sisters?" Hardly waiting for reply
he gallops away, either to seek ingress
to a morgue or to ride along the river
bank. One week ago Lewis was worth
$50, 900, his all being invested in large
business. Today he owns
the horse be rides, the clothes on his
back, and that is all. In the fierce wave
were buried five of his near relatives, his
sisters Annie, Lizzie and Maggie. The
latter was married. and her little boy
and babe are also drowned.
CoFFINED BODY BURNED.
The flood and fire claime1 among its
victims not only the living, but the dea d.
To-day a handsome coffin was found
half burned, in some charred wreckage
down near the point. Inside was found
the body of man, ehrouded for burial,
but 30 scorched about the head and face
as to be unrecognizable. The supposi.
ton is that the house in which the dead
man had lain had been crushed and the
debris partially consumed by fire.
"A BRAVE NEW YORKER.
l. III, Klein claims the distinction OF
being the only New Yorker in Johnstown
who escaped the food and the honor OF
having rescued or assisted to rescue sixty
persons. His base Of operations was the
Merchants Hotel, and his plan to lift
persons from the windows of the houses
floating by. among those he saved were
Rev. Phillips who, as he glided by, was
irving to hold his wife and two children