Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1889-06-06

Punishment Tor llthWHtdh Idhd0tS--
The Los Of Life Estimated at 5000
10 10000 and the Property Loss at
$50. 600, 600 % $40, 600, OOO--MirGc-
ulouS Preservation Of a statue Ia q
Flooded Church at JOhnStOlcR
Teegraphic and railroad communication
was established with Johlstown, Pa, yester-
day. the first train 10 enter the stricken city
being bv the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
from Pttsburg, with provisions for the suf-
fering people Twenty two hundred dead
bodies have so far been rec lvered. and Cow
ernor james A. Beaver, of Pennsylvania,
estimates the number of lives lost by the
breaking of the Conem1ugh lake and reser-
y,ir of The South Fork Fishing aud Hunt
ipr Club on Friday lastat from ) 000tol0 600
and t,e proper y loss at S25OOoOO0 to Si0,-
900 O0O Isis doubtful if the loss of life
will ever be accurately known. as thousands
of bodies are supposed TO have been burned
TO ashes in the fire among the debris at
Johnstown bridge. and hunireds were bur
ied deep in the mud along ,he Conemaugh
river or carried down the Ohio. Great diff
iculty E, experienced in getting names ow-
ing % the multiplicity of morgues widely
separated A pitiiu state of affairs exist
tt KernviIle, where a majority of the pop
u'ation was drowned and The living are un-
able to care for the dead. \ large number
of bodies were inferred. the religious servi-
ces consisting of a simple PRAYER. The hos
pi,als are full Of people suffering from in
mries. Il is related that statue of the
Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church Of the
Immaculate Conception remained unsoiled,
though the church was di~mantled. Ar
engagements for the distribution of provisions
have been made and good orderis preserved.
Two spans of the Long bridge acros, the
Potomac at Washington. adjoining the
Georgetown draw, fell yesterday and were
carried away. Washington city is free of
water. The Potomac flats were not materi-
ally damaged.
The President has authorized Gen. Scho-
field to furnish tents and provisions TO the
Johnstowu sufferers. Additional reports of
destruction by the storm in washing away
bridges and milldams and injury to crops
come from the counties o. Western Mary
land. The loss az Port Deposit is greater
than from any previous flood. The Susque-
hanna and TIlewater canal Is said to be
ruined. The Roberts family escaped from
Am Island in the SuSquehanna. Trains
crossed the railroad bridgeat Harper's Ferry
yesterday The destruction of property
Harper's Ferry and Sandy Hook is very
great. Many breaks are reported in the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal.
The damage by the food in Rockingham
county, Va, is estimated at over 5000 O..
The damage to the crop, in the lower valley
of Virginia is not as serious as at arst re-
ported The Norfolk and Western Railroad
escaped any material damage, and trains
ar, running ON regular scheduled over the
entire line.
The loss by the Chemung river food at
E,nira, y. Y, is 100000, and the North
erl Central Rnlwag trains were stopped
The loss in Steub,n county will exceed one
million dollars, wide street.-The, of country
being under water. One man was drowned
IL, Coming.
A gang Of thirteen Hu1garians at Johns
town We're caught ia the act of cutting
,rinketS from the bodies of women and chill
dren Nine of them escaped, but the other
four were driven into the surgiug waters
by several iudignau, farmers, aud were
drowned Litter twoo,hers were discovered
and searched, and as their pockets were
emptiel Of their CHA tly finds the indiena-
zion of the crowd intensified, and when a
bloody ipger of an infant, encrc.ei with
two tiny gold ring-, WAS found among the
plumber in the leaders pocket a cry went
up: Lynch them Lynch themw With.
ou- moments delay ropes were thrown
around their neck- aud they were dangling
20 the limb of tree in the branches Of
which an hour before was entangled the
bodies Of a dead father and son.
THOUGHT To BE a MIRACLE.
The miracle, as j, is called. that happen
ed at the Church Of the Immaculate Con
ception has caused a tremendous sensation.
A large number of persons will testify rs to
the nature of the event, and, to put it mild
ly. The circumstances are really remarkable.
May deyouons were in progress on Friday
night when the water descended on Cambria
City The church was filed with people at
the time, but when the noise of the flood
was heard the congregation FASTENED to get
out of the way. They succeeded as far as
escaping from the interior Is concerned. and
in q few minutes the church was partially
submerged the water reaching fifteen feet
up the sides and swring around the corners
iunously. The building was badly wreck
el, the benches were torn out, aud in general
the entire structure, beth inside and outside,
t,as f,irfu dfsn,gntfeI N..-t..-l,,, --,,;,.,,