Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-13
rrRoM A STAFF CORE spoNpENT.

rFRoM STAFF coRRE sPoNDENT.
JoHNsTowN, June 12.-To-morrow morn
ingex-Director James B. Scott, accompanied
by Colonel j. NJ. Schoonmaker. II. E.
Collins, George A. Kelly, R. H. Johnston
and the remainder of his able ieutenants,
will leave for Pittsburg, after having turned
everything over to the representatives, of.the
State who assumed charge to-day. The
city is now really under martial law for all
practical purposes. Adjutant General
Hastings is in command, and everything
is subject to his dictation and orders. The
general headquarters have been changed
from Fourth avenue, Johnstown, to the
Pennsylvania Railroad freight station,
which will be the seat of government in the
future, and until the city is once more
| turned over to the civil authorities
Work has been at a stand-still to-day
owing to the change from civil to martial
law. The 1000 or more laborers who have
been working for the past week were paid
of, and as soon as they received their
money, were marched to the Pennsylvania
Railroad and Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
depOtS and shipped to Pittsburg. Those
who did not have positions in that city
awaiting them, and wanted to stay here
were allowed to do SO, but few of them re-
mained.
An Army Of Laborers Departs.
Unless the new contractors bring hun
dreds of men with them they will find it
hard task to &c! along. The large army of
men who were here tonight are now con-
spicuous by their absence. There was little
friction to-day caused by the change of gov
ernment Att o'clock the men were marched
out of their tents as if they were going to
work. They carried with them their camp
equipage and collected their tools at their
various places of work. They then marched
to the places designated by Colonel Hill, the
General Quartermaster, where all their
stores were turned over to him. The men
then proceeded to the pay windows at tae
club house, where they were paid at the
rate OF 81 per minute, or about 2, 200 per
hour.
Colonel j. NJ. Schoonmaker stood at a
window overlooking the men, and kept tally
as they came up and received the various
amounts due them. 1t took little less
than four hours to pay the men, and every
thing passed of without the slightest jar OF
friction. Very few mistakes were made,
and as soon as discovered they were recti-
fed. Before the men were paid off Quarter
master Hill receipted for them.
Things Begin to Look Brighter.
1t is expected that the money spent will
be reimbursed by the State. With the new
system which went into effect this after
noon everything was turned over by Die
tator Scott to the military authorities, who
gave receipts for it. The situation will
grow better day by day under the new mar
tial law. .e-
Adjutant General Hastings said this af-
ternoon that the intention was to have reg
ular course of business management re-
sumed as rapidly as possible. He stated !
that there was no martial law or military
direction beyond that necessary to aid and
support the local government. The key
note will be the resumption of work at the
Cambria Iron Works and the opening of
the general store, which took place to-day. !
In an interview Colonel j. NJ. Schoon- |
maker, the wealthy coke operator of Pitts |
burg, said:
Throughout the whole business there is a
natural necessity in the situation. 1t is some |
what akin to the feeling of one going back to |
old-time associates The destruction of prop |
erty, the confusion and death scenes naturally |
recall similar experiences of Is years ago, dur
ing the war.
Seems Like War Times.
1t seems to me like living over again that por- |
tion of my life. At that time was accustomed |
to handle large numbers of men under similar |
circumstances, and naturally fell into the old |
way of doing things. Myhope is that 1t will be |
to the satisfaction of those who so generously |
contributed to the relief of the stricken COM
munity. 1 am without words to describe the |
feelings Of qualification and pride at their lib
eral response to the call from the now DESC
late region.
am of opinion that the situation would not |
have been so bad but for the contracted con-
dition of:the streams which alternately held the |
waters back: The encroachments upon the
river banks above Johnstown had the effect of /
confning the water to a very narrow channel
When the dam burst, the waterways naturally
could not carry of this great volume of water
which overfiowed their banks. see it stated
that the members of the South Fork Fishing
Club have been charged with gross criminal
negligence in allowing such large volume of
water to be held in check by not over-strong
breastwork.
AuC OOlouel ABOUT Luo O0me
think that if the faintest suspicion had ex.
listed in the minds of the people who composed
the membership of the club, they would not
for one moment have consented to leave the
dam in a weakened condition. Such men as
H. c. Frick, Charles ]. Clarke, Henry Hold
ship, and others like them, would rather have
lost every dollar they had in the world than to
think they would in anywise, be partly respon-
sible for any loss of life that might occur. Had
fhau fhof fho 81,
and cause destruction of life and property they |
would have ordered it torn down without a |
moments hesitation.
The contractors who take charge of the
work tomorrow are James Mcknight, gen.
eral foreman of Booth & Finn; Coburn &
Stewart, of Altoona; McLain & Co., BaIti-
more, and Ryan & Mcdonald of Phila-
delphia. Tomorrow morning General
Hastings expects to have 2, 800 men at work.
When it was found thatfew men intended
to remain to work for the State at 81 80 per
day and board themselves, hasty consulta-
tion was held and it was thought best to
yield point before the men left. as it
would be difficult to induce them to return.
1t was announced, therefore, that they
would be paid 81 30 and would be furnished
rations as before. The notice was too late,
however, and but few, comparatively, re-
manned.
William Finn will leave for home to-
night. In an interview he stated that he
was now glad that he had been relieved of
the work. His private business in Pitts
burg and vicinity was such that it would
not allow of his staying here after to-day.
He had done his duty in the beginning, and
the work is now in such shape that it could
be rushed forward to completion within
short time. ~ McSwIGAN.
Found In the Corner of Charch.
JoHNsTowN. June 2-While men were en-
gagged cleaning out the First Presbyterian