Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-17
THROUGH THE RUINS.
A Special Train to the Broken South
Fork Dam.
WHAT THE PASSENGERS SAW.
Tramping Over the Debris Of Wrecked
Houses and DesOlated Homes.
RECOVERING THIRTY-TWO ENGINES

AT $50 o'clock yesterday morning spe-
cial train consisting of an engine, one
coach and a combination baggage and pas
senger car pulled out of the Union Depot
bound for Johnstown and South Fork, to
view the ruins of the South Fork dam and
the scene of desolation and wreck which re-
suited from its outpoured waters.
On the train were 80 or more newspaper
men, the guests of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road. under the direction of District Passen-
planned the trip and successfully
carried it out to give all newspaper
men, who had not yet viewed
the scene of rui about which they had had
so much to do in their different departments,
q chance to follow the food complete, from
its source, until it wasted its strength and
passed harmless into the Allegheny.
The train sped out of the depot half an
hour behind the express. Theroad had been
cleared BY Superintendent Pitcairn, and
after the first start the passengers were kept
busy watching their equipoise. Stewart
was passed at S:52, Greensburg at 9:21.
Here the engine needed little fixing and
six minutes were lost, but on sped the train.
WHERE THE EFFECTS WERE SEEN FIRST.
AS the train neared Derry the first effects
of the food were seen in the shape of car
of the Inflated train with its side smashed.
From Derry on all thought of fast time was
lost in watching on either hand for the ef-
fects of the food. Here and there a head
board of bed was seen or a mattress or
some slight reminder of what had been, but
the mountains looked serene and beautiful,
as though nature was trying to hide the re-
suits of the awful downpour of waters.
At Blairsville the express was caught up
with, and from there our progress was slow.
Even Nineveh, where SO many dead were
taken from the ruins, did not show much
visible effects to one who had visited since
the flood the scenes now past. 1t was only
when the train fairly turned the curve and
Cambria City was seen that awful por-
tent of the rush of waters suddenly real
ized.
The train moved slowly over the bridge
where lay the pile of debris and Johns
town, the ruined city, was unfolded to the
view of the observer, picture Of chaos.
But slight glance was allowed of Johns
town and the train slowly moved on, past
Woodvale, past Conemaugh and on to
South Fork and the dam.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS.
Genral Hastings boarded the train at
Johnstown. William Finn was also on
board, with Histed, the artist, and several
artists from other cities.
The tramp to the dam, over two miles,
was along beautiful winding walk through
picturesque scenery, which continued until
large gap in barrier ahead was hailed
the dam so aptly called ''the cradle of
DEATH A view of the party was taken on
the brink of the dam, and another at an
other point by Histed. Little was new
about the dam that has not been told in as
plain words as are possible to command.
Al 2:25 the train left South Fork to fol-
low the track of the food down. A lunch
was served on the train by the Pennsyl-
vania Company. At the fork the scene all
along was indescrlbable. AS the train
neared Conemaugh host of men were seen
digging up the so engines that were en-
bedded in the sand and tossed about like
toys by the waves. Woodvale has been as
well described as is possible; pen can do no
more, and so it is with Johnstown and the
rest of the district.
At Conemaugh Assistant Superintendent
Trump showed the newspaper men how the
trains were run through the district. The
work on the Pennsylvania Railroad road
built up, and No. bridge and the Butter
milk trestle 2, 500 feet long. The track is
ballasted on anything that comes handy,
and then filled in afterward. The road ex-
pected to have double tracks through to
Mineral Point last night, and complete
double tracks in four or five days.
The hundreds and thousands of feet of
STEEL RAILS TWISTED
and bent, the site of the Gautier works, the
morgue at Johnstown have all been de-
scribed, as far as description can convey to
the mind of the reader picture of the scene.
From Johnstown a tour was made through
the ruins, over fattened house-tops, with
engine-tenders, cars and all in one complex
mass; part of house with a bed
room visible, with its former occu-
pant-where? Fully twenty minutes
the foot trod on naught but
ruined houses and debris before the
return trip merged the sightseers out among
the tents of the soldiers, across the river and
back to the depot via the headquarters of
General Hasting and the other different
officers, all in tents.
The town is still in chaos as far as debris
is concerned, and to all the job of clearing
away the wreck looked almost impossible.
At the bridge a channel had been opened
and here and there spot cleared, but still
it looked like but drop in the bucket to
what was to be done.
At little after o'clock the train started
back. There was no laughter during the
whole trip. There was but one opinion ex-
pressed. at was too much for the boys; no
man can describe what we have SEEM" The
return trip was made in just two hours and
ten minutes, rs miles.
Several amateur artists were on the train
and took pictures of the different points,
sometimes, as the train moved, from the rear
platform, or again through the window.
The camera was turned on Superintendent
Pitcairn several times, before he hardly had
time to straighten his face and grab his
glasses of.
FOR disordered liver try Beecham's Pills
PEARS Soap the purest and best ever made