The Delta independent., 1889-06-11

the dam inspected once q month by Penn
sylvanis railroad engineers and their In
vestigation showed that nothing less than
some convulsion Of nature would tear the
barrier away and loosen the weapon Of
death.
The steady rains Of the past - hours In
creased the volume Of water in all small
mountain streams, which were already
sWelled by lesser rains earlier in the week.
From the information obtained at this time
1t is evident that something in the nature Of
cloudburst must have been the culmina-
tion Of the struggle Of water against the
cmbankmeut-
Thcdificulty Of obtaining definite inform
alton has added tremendously to tho OK
citement and the apprehension Of people
who had relatives and friends at tho scene
of the disaster.
The course Of the torrent from the broken
dam at the foot Of the lake TO Johnstown
IL almost Is miles and with the exception
Of one point the water passed through
narrow vshaped valley. Four miles below
the dam lay the town Of South Fork where
the South Fork itself empties into Cone
maugh River. The town contained about
1900 inhabitants. 1t has not been heard
from, but it is said that four -ffths Of It has
been swept away.
Four miles further down on the Cone
maugh River, which runs partly parallel
with the main line Of Pennsylvania Rail
road, was the town Of Mineral Point. 1t
had 500 inhabitants, 90 per cent Of the
houses being on q fat and close to the riv
er. It seems impossible at this time to
hope that any Of them have escaped
Six miles further down was the town Of
Conemaugh, and here alone there was =
typographical possibility Of the acod break
ing ito force. 1t contained $500 inhabi-
tants, and must be wholly devastated.
woodvale, with 2, 600 people, lay . mile
below Conemaugh in . fat, and ono mile
further down was Johnstown and its clus-
ter Of sister towns.
On made ground and stretched along the
right At the rivers verge were the i'm
mensc ironworks OF the Cambria Iron and
Steel Company, who have 5000, 900 In
vested in their plant Besides this there
are many other large industrial establish
mcnts on the banks Of the river. How bad
ly they are damaged cannot now be esu
mated
PiTrsBuRo, Pa, May 3l.-The last re
ports Of reliable information received from
Johnstown come through tho Pennsyl-
vania Railroad officials, and show that
over 800 dead bodies have been counted
floating down the stream at Johnstown
alone, while along the line many additional
lives have been ascertained as lost
There are but two houses in Johnstown
proper entirely above water line.
A special, bearing Pennsylvania Railway
officials and Associated Prcss correspond
ents, has lett the city for the scene.
Telegraphic communication Is entirely
cut Oh, and until telegraph repairmcn and
operators with necessary instruments open
mp at tho nearest point, but little reliable
information can be obtained. q
Bolivar, Pa, May Sl.-A courier from
tho scene of the a ooo near Johnstown TO-
ports that the loss of life will reach 800.
Further Particulars.
SANG Hollow, June 2.-1 q M
Tho first accounts sent out of Johnstown
OF tho disaster arc far below the latest e.
innate placed upon the extent Of tho calam-
ity, and instead Of {, ,0Jo or 5000, It Il prob
able that tho list will reach 5000 II Il
now known that two passenger trains, two
sections Of the press on the Pennsylvania
R1ilroad, had been thrown into the mad
dcncd torrent and the passengers drowned.
These trains wcrc held At Johnstown from
siding between Johnstown and Couemaugh
stations. The awful torrent came down
the narrow defile Of nine miles and with q
fell Of 800 feet in that distance, swceping
away tho villages OF South Fork,
Mineral Point, wooivalc and Conemaugh,
leaving but one building standing-a wool
en- mill, where but an hour before had
Stood hundreds. Dashing ON with the roar
Of q cataract and speed OF tho wind upon
the fair city at the foot hills on the plain in
which but yesterday sat Johnstown in the
like jewel in . diadem. Tho
great Gauticr steel works aat In this |
place and tho city below it. and the rail- |
road trucks bounding it At tho base Of the |
on the north Here In who're
tho trains were standing when the tide Of |
water like catapult came down upon
them with such rcsistlcss force that heavy
trnins, locomotives and all were over
turned and swept down tho torrent and |
lodged against tho great stone viaduct
clonS which forty one locomotives from the |
Johustown round house, heavy machinery
aud ponderous framework of the Gauticr |
Inill had accumulated tho debris OF moro
than 200 houses of furniture, bridges, lum- |
Der, drifts and human beings. Tho low
arches Of tho stone viaduct were choked |
lp Immediately and tue water backed oycr
Tho ontirc level Of the valley upon which |
tho city stood, to depth Of what from the |
indicate about thirty eight /
tect In the great sea thus formed thous- /
ands Of people wcro struggling for life.
The scenc to-day 10 one Of tho most heart |
rcuding possible for tho Imagination Of |
nan TO conceive. Tho accumulated drift |
yorgcd up at tho viaduct 70 . height OF |
forty foct and thcn took nre from tho up
'ctting Of stoves or Tampa. Then were tho /
'trong madc sick at the sight A tho
lamos crackled and roarcd among tho dry
timber Of tho floating houses human bodies |
we're seen plnionod betwccn house roofs, |
locomotives, iron beams, freight passsasor,
Pullman and baggage cars, the grssdy
lamos licking with haste thcir diet Of ha. i
nan ficsh. The scene was horrible beyond
description. From infancy few Gays oad