The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-06-01
Floating On Rushing Waters Bring
Tidings Of Disaster.
JOWRStOWn, Pa, Nearly Swept Away
By a Great Flood.
A Bursting Dam Turns a Lake
Loose on the City.
People Drowned as Their Homes
are Swept Away.
Fifteen Thousand Homeless Persons
Gathered on the Mountains.
Reports Of Damage by Freshets in
NeighbOring States.

PITTsBURG, Pa, May 3l.-The reservoir
above Johnstown is broken through and the
flood has swept away many houses in the
town, drowning scores of per sons.
No communication can be had with Johns
town. The telegraph operator in the Penn
sylvania railroad tower at Sang Hollow, II
miles this side of Johnstown, says that at
least 10 dead bodies have foated past. The
wires are all down and no trains are running
east Of: Blairsville, about % miles from
Johnstown.
LATER-The latest reliable information re
ceived from Johnstown comes though the
Pennsylvania railroad officials, who aver
that over 250 dead bodies were counted
floating down the stream at Johnstown alone
while along the line many additional lives
were lost. 1t is asserted that but two houses
in Johnstown proper are entirely above the
water line. A special train bearing Penn
sylvania road officials and large number of
newspaper men has left this city for the
scene.
A special from Greensburg says: "A re-
port has just reached here that the greater
portion of Jownstown is flooded and hun
dreds of lives are lost. Houses are floating
about and the people who are free are panic
stricken and fleeing to the mountains. At a
point near New Florence. So persons were
seen floating down the river on driftwood.
One report comes that but two roofs of
houses in Johnstown can be seen. The
Covetown and New Florence bridges are
washed away, and all the buildings along
the Conemaugh between New Florence and
Johnstown are carried away. Railroad tow
ers have been abandoned by the operators.
A special from Tyrone says: "Tne Juni-
alta river has overfowed its banks at this
place and flooded the entire southern portion
of the city, causing great destruction to
property and streets. People living in the
flooded districts have removed fro m their
homes in wagons to places of safety. All
railroads centering in this place are great ly
damaged by the floods. The water was
man was drowned. At ClearfeId two young
ladies were drowned trying to escape from
the flooded district. The Susquehanna river
has oyerfowed its banks at Clearfeld and
the entire place Is under water. ALI means
of escape are cut off. Many people have
gathered in the court house and the oper
house as places of safety"
BRADDocKs, Pa, May 31.--Telegraph
wires are down for SIX or seven miles below
the immediate scene of the Johnstown disas-
ter. The chief officials of the Pittsburg &
Pennsylvania railroad received the most of
their first information from the signal tower
at Sang Hollow. six miles west of Johns
town. At 7.45 a boy was rescued by the
men in the signal tower. He said that with
his father, mother, brother and two sisters
he was swept away in a light frame house
which was his home: He was washed away
from the building. The other members Of
the family were in it. When it was swept
over the breast near the stone railroad
bridge at Johnstown it capsized and a lew
seconds later all were drowned as far sas he
could tell.
The railroad operator officially reports that
before dark he was able to count 119 persons
clinging to buildings or wreckage or drowned
and floating in the current. As early as l
o'clock an alarm was sent to Johnstown Of
danger from the dam. The railroad officials
were notified in a very short time, and began
to carry people from the town on the regular
trains and hastily improvised rescuing
trains.
GREENsBURG, May 31.-The reservoir lies
about two and half miles northeast of
Johnstown. This sheet Of water was form
erly known asl Conemaugh Lake 1t is 200
about three and half miles long and from a
mile to one and a quarter miles in width.
At some places it is 100 feet in depth. The
lake has been quadrupled In size
by artificial means. and was held
In check by dam 200 to 1000 feet wide,
height of 110 feet. The top has a breadth of
over 20 feet. The owners had the dam in
spected once month by Pennsylvania
railroad engineer. Their Investigation
showed that nothing less than some convul-
sion of nature would tear the barrier away.
in q CT Qod bo
volume of water in all the small mountain
streams, already swollen by lesser rains ear
lier in the week. From the best information
obtained, it is evident something in the ma
ture of cloudburst must have been the cul-
mination of the struggle of the water against
the embankment.
FREDERICKSBURG, Va, May 31.-One of
the most disastrous storms which visited
this section for 80 years commenced here
about 10o'clock last night and continued
with unabated fury up to this hour. Bridges
were washed out at Richmond, Fredericks-
burg and on the Potomac railway between
Quantico and Richmond. All trains North
and South have been abandoned.
PTTTsBURG, May BIS. j. Caron left
J0hnstown this afternoon and has just ar
rived at this city. He tells graphic story
of the disaster that fell on the mountain city.
All yesterday afternoon and last night the
rain poured down in deluge. The little
mountain streams were swelled into tor
rents pouring the waters into the Cone
maugh river that passes through the centre
OF the city. The river overfiowed the
streets and houses and bridges from all over
the city were swept away by the flood and
added largely to the damage further down.
The water rose so fast that many people
could could. not not escape from their
and mules. Joseph Ross. a teamster, had In
charge pair Of mules. He mounted one to
aid some people and the mule fell in an ex-
cavation, carrying down Ross who was
drowned. When left it looked as If IL, 600
of the homeless had gathered on the noun
tain side. Railroad depots are thronged
with the victims of the flood rescued in skiffs,
piano boxes and RATS. all trains on the
Pennsylvania and Baltimore and Ohio roads
are abandoned and the tracks are submerged
for miles. At 2 this afternoon the water was
still rising. The loss Of life will be heavy.
PITrsBURG, May 3l.-A special from
Piedmont, w. Va, says; "This place has
been visited with the greatest flood since
1876 1t began raining yesterday, and con-
tinued until noon. Two hundred families
living near the river were forced to leave
age age TO property in this town is estimated at
$4,000 The West Virginia Central and
Pttsburg Railway is under water between
here and Cumberland, Md. Two bridges
have been swept away. The loss to that road
is S25O,OOO. No trains are running on the
Cumberland and Pennsylvania road"
HARRISBURG, Pa, May 3l.-This city has
been in the midst of deluge all day long.
The danger of a disastrous flood in the Sus-
quehanna river is imminent. People were
taken from their houses in boats tonight
Grave fears are expressed for the safety of
people living on the lowlands.
PHILADELPHIA, June 1.-Despatches re-
ceiyed up to II midnight at the office Of
the general manager Of the Penn