Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-07-05

MIN was plCkeu up anu CuTIlcu W ouhul
vale Cemetery, and other houses were
carried far beyond. After awhile the
waters receded somewhat and
when the waters settled down it was
found that Woodvale was swept clean,
also Conemaugh borough to Railroad
street. not vestige of the Gautier mills
being left. All of Washington street, and
from jackson street to Clinton street,
Bedford and Levergood street clean
swept was made. Up through the
Seventh ward, and in Kernville the dam
age was great. All of East Conemaugh
and franklin on the low grounds, includ-
ing the round house and over thirty en-
gincs had been swept away.
Thousands of people who were in their
houses were swept bodily away, while
many hundreds made their escape in the
flood.
For over ten minutes all the water was
held in Johnstown, the stone bridge and
the embankment of the Pennsylvania
Railroad forming the breast of Il huge res
ervoir. AT last the water began running
over the embankment which was quickly
worn deeper and the water began to flow
over, and down through the yards Vf the
Cambria Iron Company's mills. By this
time a huge pile of wrecked buildings had
been jammed against the stone bridge,
and as the water began to flow over the
embankment, many buildings that had
come TO slandstill, were drawn toward
this place. AT this time the view from
the bank above the station, at Prospect
Hill was heart.rending. Floating tim6ers.
roofs, and sometimes whole houses,
freighted with human souls were drawn
into the vortex, aud the people dashed TO
death before the eyes of their friends Oh
the hill, who were powerless to help them.
The swift current had not reached the
houses on Iron street, next to the Penn
sylvania Railroad and when the embank-
ment gave way they were the first to 60
over. AS many OF the inmates had been
taken out, they were standing on the hill
painfully watching the other members OF
their families, as they were borne 70
their swift death, aad the heart-rending
cries of parents and children, sisters amt
brothers, added TO the terror of the awful
scene.
The water had beer too deep in Cam
bria City, on Front, Chestnut and Broad
streets, all afternoon for the people to gei
out, and when the Overt! Nv occurred Sac
people were at the mercy of the pitiless
torrent. Over half the borough was
swept clean and the people with it al
though the floating debris was so thick
here that macy managed to pick thciI
way across and laud along the river
farther down. But little damage was
done at Cooperstlale, and many people
were rescued there as they came down Oh
the drift. Thus in less time than it has
taken TO tell this story, four thousand
souls were hurled into eternity, tens Ui
millions of dollars worth of property wer
destroyed, and thousands of other peopl,
were in the food and not drowned welt
in insecure places for from twelve t.
twenty-four hours before they were res
cued. During this time many suffered
the agonies of a hundred deaths and tht
instances of narrow and thrilling escape;
could not all be mentioned were column,
used, and the great horror and suffering
ot the survivors are SO well known thai
We will not attempt to describe them.
All through the night those who had
escaped death suffered the most feaIfu
agonies. As the whole town was under
water to depth of from fifteen to thirty
feet, and as the houses and other places
where they had taken refuge were con
stantly being moved and shaken, no one
felt secure in his or her position. To add
to the horror the piles of wreckage al
the Stone bridge took fire, and all through
the night, the lurid CLEANS of the flames
made people fearful that their place of
refuge would also fall a prey to the fire.
Then the shrieks of the wounded and dy-
ing, which could be heard on all sides
were terrible. At the Stone bridge many
who were entangled in the ruins and
could not escape, were burned to death,