Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-12-20

In Yesterday evenings Pittsburgh
Chronicle Telegraph appears the following
under conspicuously displayed head;
Johnstown's history still receives addi-
tons. Bereavements by the food, un-
known 'or months, come up and reveal
untold misery. A very sad recital was
that by Emile Etoine, at the Union Depot
this morning.
Shortly before that terrible flood which
almost wiped Johnstown ont of existence
Emil Etoine left Cambria City tor his ma
tive town of Cieonville, not far from
Strassburg, in Alsace Lorraine, to receive
comfortable fortune, which he had in
herited from relative. Etoiue had been
working as a puddler at the Cambria
Iron Works for about two years previous
to his departure tor the Continent. He
left family consisting of d wife and five
children behind bin, happy IN thought
that in few months the head of the
house would return with sufficient means
to support them. il not in luxury, at least
very comfortably without further hard
work Of any kind. Etoine sailed on the
Khtia, one of the Hamburg lines Of
steamships, on May 2Oth Tor Havre din
Grace, so happy, as he sand, that he felt
like embracing every passenger on board
the vessel. He reached Havre in good
time, and procet ded by way of Paris and
Slrassburg to his native town.
Everything did not Progress as smooth
" as he expected when he reached his
birthplace. Some other persons claimed
closer relationship to the dead uncle,
there being, by the way, natural son
living. The matter had to be brought be-
fore the courts for adjustment Accord
ing to the German laws, natural son has
no rights of Inheritance unless 1t is so
plainly stated in the will of the parent.
This not being the case, Etoine won the
suit easily enough. but it detained him
longer than he expected By several
months.
During all this time he never heard or
read Of the Johnstown disaster, though
often in Strassburg, and did not keep up
correspondence with his wife.
When the law suit had been settled in
his favor and he had come into possession
of the property, which was principally
real estate left to him, he putitup at pub
| lie sale and received about $50, GOO for it.
With Now York exchange for that sum
in his pocke., he again embarkcd'fOr this
country about three weeks ago, as happy
and conlented as a man well could be,
who, accustomed to earning his bread by
| the sweat of his brow, secs life of com
parative luxury and ease before him.
He intended to 90 into some business in
Johnstown. lie reached Pittsburgh three
| days ago in the forenoon and boarded the
Johnstown Accommodation at 1:20 p. NJ,
which took him to the place where he bad
left those dearer than all the the money in
the world.
" When got off at the Pennsylvania
Railroad Station" continued the stricken
man, as he reached this point of his
story, " | turned back to one of the depot
men and inquired of him how tar | had
yet to 90 to Johnstown, as l had got
off at the wrong station, and how soon
the next train lett for that town. The
man looked at me for a moment as
though he thought was not quite right
in MY mind and asked me whether or not
| could read the sign on the station house.
| looked up and there it was plain
enough in large white letters on black
ground.
While looked at the sign in a dazed
sort of wav, another man who had
overhead the conversation stepped up to
me and said: " guess you're stranger
here, or have been in Johnstown before
the flood? It's quite changed now,
wouldn't have known it myself if had
been away for six months"
As the man spoke | felt as if some
one had punctured my heart with Il SHARP
knife, aud | tainted dead away.
When consciousness returned | was il
the waiting room of the station house and
some persons ,wers rubbing my temple.
with vinegar and making me inhale it,
Then l went out to find my wife and
children, but something told me tha
they were dead. The part of Cambrir
City where stood the house in which
left my family was completely swep
away. | made inquiries FOR forty-eigh
hours, during which time had not ,
morsal to eat or wink Of sleep, but all il
vain. Nobody knew what had become o
my family, and the people could hardly
understand my sorrow and grief, having
suffered so much themselves
q" was told that nearly all the people
of Cambria who Inhabited that section
: where my house had stood perished
81 am not going to remain in thi
country everything reminds me of tn
terrible loss | have suffered. | am goinl
to New York tonight, and from ther
across the ocean back to my birthplace
I eI,n H., tIo r,.t ,F 49,, ,Io,tg