Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-01
HUNDREDS OF LIVES LOST.
Pa, Washed Away by the
Great Storm.

THE RESERVOIR BURSTS AND fHI WATERS SWEEP
AWAY HoUsHs MILLS AND PKoPLH-THH AMOUNT
OF DAMAGE AND THE ACTUAL Loss OF LIFE NOT
YET KNowN-THI STORM KIsIwHKRE.
The great storm which commenced ON Tues
day In the Colorado valley ragged furiously
from the lakes to the Gulf Of Mexico, causing
damage to property and crops which cannot
now be estimated. Yesterdays STAR gave an
account of its ravages as far as reports had
been received, but the details Of the most seri-
Gus disaster did not arrive until late last night.
This was at Johnstown. Pa, where the town is
said TO be entirely swept away, only two houses
being left above tho water line.
The first news Of the disaster was received
in Pittsburg late yesterday afternoon, when .
telegraph operator on the Pennsylvania rail-
road signal tower at Sang Hollow, IL miles be-
low Johnstown, reported that he had seen not
less than seventy-fve dead bodies floating
down the Conemaugh river past his station.
He telegraphed that as nearly as could be as
certained the reservoir above Johnstown,
swollen by the recent rains had suddenly given
Of gallons OF water into the town, sweeping
away houses and factories as though they we're
chips in a millrace and drowning hundreds of
people. The operator also reported that no
Trains were running east OF Blalrsvllle, which
is Is miles west Of Johnstown.
TOWN BUILT IN A BASIN.
Johnstowns geographical situation is one
that renders 1t peculiarly liable to terrible loss
of life IN the event OF such q casualty az that
reported. 1t Is the headquarters Of the great
Cambria iron company, and its acres of iron
works fill the narrow basin in which the city is
situated. The rollng-mill and Bessemer steel
works employ 5000 men. 1t is q town built in
basin OF the mountains and grit about by
On one side OF the town flows the Conemaugh
river, stream which, during the dry periods
of the summer drought, can be readily crossed
in many places by stepping from stone to stone,
m D"s whoh vSsn swollen
the spring freshets or heavy summer rains.
On the other side Of the town is Stony
creek, which gathers up its own share Of the
mountain rains and whrls them along toward
Pittsburg. The awful food caused by the sud
den Outpouring of the contents Of town reser-
voir, together with the torrents Of rain that had
already swollen these streams TO triple their
usual violence, is supposed to be the cause Of
the sudden submerson of Johnstown and the
drowning of 80 many Of its citizens. The water,
unable to find its way rapidly enough through
its usual channels, piled up in overwhelming
masses, carrying before it everything that OBJ
structed Its onward rush upon the town.
THE STORY OF THE DISASTER.
The water rose rapidly yesterday in the Cone
maugh, which overlooked its banks and flooded
the lower portion Of the dwellings in Johns
town, while the streets, almost impossible,
were no longer defined by ths boundless waste
of water. 1t no longer seemed to rain. The
water poured down in sheets. While the terri
ied citizens OF Johnstown were witnessing the
unprecedented downpour with gloomy fore
bOdings, about 5 o'clock, terrible roar and
crushing came from above them, which COM
pletely drowned the sound Of the tempest and
carried CONSERVATION.
The dams have given way!'
'The reservoir has burstr'
The cries went up from the frightened peo-
pie. All seemed to know that the reservoir
which supplied the town with water had given
way and that death was upon them.
SWEPT AWAY BY THE FLOOD.
Many started for their homes. Others turned
to run to higher ground, but il was useless. A
devastating river Of water swept down upon
them in such terrific violence and with such ir-
resistible force that in the twinkling of an eve
almost it swept everything before it. The ter
rible fear which had flashed upon the minds Of
those who saw the approaching deluge had now
become certainty. The two great dams--the
Stony creek and Communicated burst their
barriers, and pent-up millions Of gallons Of
water were hurrying down upon the place.
them like chips before wave. The water rose
in the streets far above the housetops. 1t
surged through the windows and doors of
dwellings, lifted them from their foundations
and swept their living inmates along before its
resistless power.
Such u scene of horror defies accurate de-
scription. Almost everything was swept before
the deluge. Men, women and children caught
up in the grasp of the raging torrent, clutched
at everything that promised support from a
assistance and were drowned outright. Others
were killed by the crushing of timbers. Some
secured pieces Of planking sought refuge
| on floating trees or endeavored to find support
| in detached portions of the dwellings THAT had
| been swept away and carried down with them
Many OF them were enabled to hold on for a
| time, but were knocked of or lost their hold as
the objects swirled around or went to pieces.
| FIGHTING FOR LIFE.
The torrent which had been set free followed
the course OF the COnemaugh river, whose
channel had now become of fearful depth, and
| everything therefore swept into the raging
| flood, with the dying and dead upon its surface.
| The struggle for life was q fearful one. Some
were able to gain foothOid and reach higher
| ground, but the loss of life has simply been
| awful. While not all the houses were swept
away all were flooded, and one report has il
that only two houses have been left above water
| Those who were swept away to their death were
mostly citizens In the lower portion of the town
and in the lower portion of the houses. Those
| who had time rushed to the upper portions OF
| their dwellings,, but the water rose almost al
fast as they could ascend and in many in.
stances swept away their dwellings from the
| foundations. Hundreds are believed to have
perished i'll their dwellings, and two hundre d
or more corpses were strewn along the resist
| less tide.
| THOUSAND REPORTED DROWNED.
The correspondent of the Pittsburg Dispatch
telegraphed to that paper at l o'clock this
morning: "We have heard nothing of our train
or men, and don't know how near they got tc
| Johnstown. We know nothing of what We car
! expect. The wires all around us are down
| The disaster at Johnstown, from all available
accounts, was a terrible affair. Some report:
have it that at least / 200 were drowned
| BRIDGES WASHED AWAY.
The Covetown and the New Florence bridge,
were washed away and all the buildings along
the Conemaugh between Johnstown and New
| Florence, distance of fourteen miles, have
| been carried away. The railroad towers have
been abandoned by the operators, Trains tina
| got by Johnstown ON the way east have beeI
| stopped at Liliy's by great washout. All tele
| graphic communication was cut off and train.
! could not get nearer the scene OF the disaster
than eight miles.
| PERHAPS WATERFRONT.
| When General Manager Pugh, of the Penn