St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-09
Alarming Increase of Disease
at JohnstoWn Which the
Officials Conceal.
No More Clothing Wanted,
but Money and Food Great
ly Needed.
The Authorities Dazed and
Make Little Progress in
Clearing Debris.
A Revised List of the Dead
Places the Loss at 5000
to 5000.

10 S,UOVs
JoHNsTowN, Pa. June S.-Affairs at
the tremendous stone bridge Wreckage
pile seem to have resolved themselves
into state of almost hopelessness, and
at the rate they are now proceeding, it
will actually be months before the de-
bris is cleared away and the last body
found. Fortunately the wind is blow
ing away from US or we would have
olfactory evidence that what is not
found is far worse than what has been
exposed. The fact of the matter is
simply this: They are not attempting
to recover bodies at the bridge. but as
one blast tears yards of stuff into film
ders. it is showed indifferently into
the water, be it human or brute,
stone, wood or iron, to float down to-
wards Pittsburg, or to sink to the bot
tom. may be few yards from where it
was pushed off from the main pile. Up
in the center of the town debris is piled
even higher than at the stone bridge,
but the work is going on fairly we'll.
AS to the conditions the bodies are in,
that has become almost a matter of in
difference; except as to the effect upon
the health of the living. 1t is said that
many cases of fever, diphtheria and
pneumonia are being concealed from
the people here for fear panic may
seize the workers, and if that
should happen now probably no
one would attempt to touch the
work here perhaps for mouths.
Sorrowful as it may seem, disease has
infected the district, Notwithstanding
the denials of the sanitary and health
officials. DR.. Hess, of the Red Cross
society, tonight stated that the con-
tageous diseases were more prevalent
than the authorities allowed them to be.
"In our temporary hospital at Grub
town." said he, 1--WE have numerous
cases of sickness resulting from the
frightful flood. There are now under
our care about forty cases of sickness.
The diseases from which the patients
are suffering are as follows: From diph-
liberia, 10; nervous prostration, 25;
pneumonia, 2; one broken limb and
another one driven insane by the loss
of his family" Sisters of the Red Cross
are also taking care of eight cases OF
liberated tonsilitis, which they say are
NOT DANGEROUS
now, though a change for the worse
may occur. Miss Jerome, the famous
nurse who so berOlcally worked at Jack
Il q fnunr
demic is here, and said she was ready,
and waiting for any outbreak of disease.
The number of bodies taken to-day
from the ruins was thirty-one, of which
only nine have been identified. The
citizens of Kernville have been making
complaints that they were not permitted
to cross Stoney creek into Johnstown.
A citizen from there went to
Gen. Hastings headquarters and
made formal and vigorous
complaint. He said that owing to
the unusually rigid orders the guards
had refused many citizens whose houses
and families had been carried across the
creek into Johnstown, permission to
pass over. He further said that he be-
lieved the reason so many dead had been
unidentified was that the only persons
who could identify them were in Kern
vile and were not permitted to cross
the river, and that if permission was
given many of the dead could be recog-
niZed. Gen. Hastings at once gave the
necessary orders to permit all such per-
sons to pass the lines, and this, it is be-
lieved, will result in speedy identifica-
ton of the dead. The number Of per-
sons who have so far registered is 20. ITO.
The population OF JohnstOwn and the
neighborhood effected by the flood is
about $4,000. The registration of 20, ITO
leaves almost $4,000
TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR.
It is not claimed that those who have
not registered are dead, for many had
left this section before the system of
registration began. Already from $4,000
to $4,000 passes have been issued to per-
sons wishing to leave JohnstOWn and
vicinity. In some cases passes were is
sued to the same persons twice, those
who were compelled to return for some
reason. but it is safe to say 5000 people
have left this section. There seems to
be some misunderstanding about the
alleged syndicate to purchase real
estate here. 1t has been said that
scrupulous real estate men from
advantage of the impoverished condi-
ton of property owners here, and buy
their property for much below it's value
and hold it for rise and handsome
profit. 1t turns out that the sO-called
syndicate consists of several wealthy
residents here who are individually buy
ing property. They are among the most
worthy citizens here and their object is
to encourage the disheartened people
here and show them that they still have
faith in the future of this section. They
are paying full and fair prices for the
property or loaning money on the same.
with a view of enabling the property
owners to get on their feet. There has
been no disposition on the part
of any one here to take the
advantage of the condition of
the people who have suffered from the
calamity. The Pennsylvania railroad
company has rendered the use of their
wrecking machinery with which to tear
apart the masses of material that are
piled up in various sections of the town.
Contractor Flynn has put $50 men to
work setting up stationary engines, and
these will be ready for use on Monday.
The present plan of blowing up the
wreck by the use of dynamite is too
slow, and the work of week in one
end of town is scarcely noticeable.
The members of the state board of
health deny that there is an epidemic,
or any prospects for one. The commit
tee requests the Associated Press to ask
the public to withhold for the present
further shipment of clothing. Nothing
is so much needed now for Johnstown
as money and food.
In the Genessee Valley.
OLEAN, N. Y, June s.-The loss and
destruction by the flood in this section
proves to be greater than at first sup
posed. The people living on the low