Telegram-herald., 1889-06-02

OF O'Clock Friday afternoon, Just Us IL was
struck by waterspout, and the whols
tremendous volume OF water swept in a
resistless avalanche down the mountain
side. making its own channel until il
reached the South Fork of the Conemaugh,
swelling 1t TO the proportions OF Niagara
rsrsds
The flood swept to the Conemaugh like
tidal wave over twenty feet III height. and
onward 70 Johnstown six or eight miles be
Low. Gathering force as it tore along the
wider channel, it quickly swept every
thing before 1t Houses, factories and
bridges were overwhelmed In the twink
ling OF an eye, and with their human occu
pants were carried in vast chaos down the
r;g.ng torrent
The iron bridge at Bolivar Junction on
the Pennsylvania railroad, was swept away.
The Johnstown stone bridge of the Penn
sylvGuis railroad still stands This bridge
Is sixty feet high and is entirely
covered by the water. The entire Cone
maugh valley is under water. The signal
tower OF the Pennsylvania railroad at
Johnstown, twenty feet high, was covered
by water. Before the water submerged 1t
the operator saw over 100 dead bodies float
down the stream. The Pennsylvania rail-
road tracks are washed away for over o
mile east on the Connemaugh-
Dispatches from Derry, Pa, say that
bodies are being washed ashore all along
the banks OF the river from Johnstown TO
Derry. and over 200 dead have already been
hShed out Of the stream
ROASTED ALIVE.
The most awful event of the awful night
was the roasting of 100 or more persons in
f0f6 'ha rnip nF
ings and other structures swept against
the new railroad bridge at Johnstown and
from an overturned stove or some such
cause the upper Tpart of the wreckage
caught fire. There were crowds OF men,
women and children on the wreck, and
their screams were soon added 10 the awful
chorus of horror They were literally roast
ed in the food II is estimated 100 were
thus lost Soon after the fire burned It
self out others were thrown against the
mass There were some fifty people In
sight when the ruins parted, broke up and
were swept under the bridge into pitchy
darkness
The latest news from Johnstown is that
but one or two houses could be seen IN the
town II is also said that only three houses
remain in Cambria City.
TIE DEADLY DAM
In order 20 understand the nature OF thia
| calamity it is necessary TO describe the re-
/ epectivs locations Of the reservoir and
, Johnstown The reservoir lies about
/ eighteen miles northeast OF JohnstOwn
/ and is the site OF the old reservoir which
| was one OF the feeders OF the Pennsyl
vania canal Ii is the property OF mum
| Der OF wealthy gentlemen IN Pittsburgh
/ who formed themselves into an association
| the title OF which is the South Fork Fishing
/ Club This sheet of water was former
| ly known as Conemaugh lake. 1t Is
from 200 TO go feet above tho Ieve
/ Of JobnstOwn, being ia the mOuntains
/ ia about three miles and half long and
from a mile TO a mile and quarter II
I width and in some places IL Il 100 feet IL
+ depth IL holds more water thar
any other reservoir. natural or nTti
| fetal. in the United Statex The LAKE
has been quadrupled in size By artihcis
means. and was held in check by dam 30
to .IO feet wide. II Is - feet In thickness
at the base snd the height is llo feet IN
/ top has e breadth Of over % feet
Recognizing the menace which ths lax
had 70 the region below the South For
7 club had the dam inspected once
month by the Pennsylvania railros
=
that nothing less than some cor
| vu,sion OF nature would tear IN
barrier awav and loosen the wesPoi
oe 6esth The steadY rains Of "a
lass f5rty-eiEhs hosrs increased .
volume of vaser in al the snai mount
sfn s+rearns which were already swell
by the lesser rains earlier in the nee
From the hess information obtained ~ u
time it is eviGens thae something IN "a
nature o. @ clo1a-burst Dpst nave beeA %
elimination Of the slruESie ol tie Nasf
against the embanknent
- the train bearing the special corr
spondents sped eas-vard nom fisEsoaTe
80 ~sro~ts ~ s7rr SION 1~cw more STvei
ir-~ Ar Derry grlur ~ railway of1oci
v-sra r,fh..-eE -v10 had come from io'lra
t. a--a of fhe Dass8ble portion ~ t1e roa
v-astvar5 Tasv fs3 seen out sE1aii porac
ef fl,a arrfaI food. tus enouE8 70 allow the
- f-~,-fra ths rest Down throagA p
1,.-t Zsfs1e came the rushinE waters n
----.ls7 hsfrhss o. So Aiieghsnies l7oss
down fn solemn wonder ~ re scene 81 e
r-sse 7srrIlls . destruction t1as ever az ri
ia rsrr sntic rslsy q ths Cooemaagi
TIE uaser~ss risfng when tie men left Z
ths rate % fvs feet an hour
c1EEa rovNs DEsTRcTED
rs7r niles below shs dan laT The tov-
a sou1h Fsrk where to- Soath ForS fase
emrues lnto lie Conerna1ga river la
town ro~-sines aNcrar 2cfo inhs5srs1e
+ as aoe feeu beard froua- hut = = -
thar faar -6ftls ~ 81 hss ben sweF' 49,
F5ur nfles fa~-her 6oTn ~ ~ Con
r,.s7vh rf-r.~ which rrsns parallel VITA r
main lfrs - IT, Fszns7 wants rstiTcasl =
the tasrn cf = neral Foint it haa ="
5 hshssan-s ~ ger ceas o3 re aeTsses ke-z