Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-06

were taken from than, and In several
instances the unfor.unates we're so wedged
in that it was necessary to chop their legs
off to release them.
The Catholic church was also destroyed
By fire this morning. number of peo-
pie were on the roof when the structure
took fire, and all OF them were consumed
in the flames. The damage is as yet un
estimabIe regardless of the great loss of
life. The Pennsylvania railroad loss will
be enormous.
ports of the loas of life were entirely Co
low. In is believed that at least eight
thousand have persisted, OF these seven
or eight hundred were burned in the
frery furnace at the viaduct. Two thous
and coffics had been ordered for the bod
les already secured.
Cinder, Market, Main, Locust and
Washington stree's have been swept clean
and bare of all buildings of whatever
character ana their inhabitants seem to
warning of danger, and rushed to their
Jea;hs, for those who remained had al
opportunity TO fee TO the upper stories.
When the houses were frame they hoated
from their foundations and many were
saved. The hotel Hubert, brick struc
ture, had sixty-five guests and sixty three
OF THESE were killed by the falling IN OF
the floors and walls.
Inns
hail, tue general stores and offices of the
ing are all of probably
1000 buildings that have not
been foated from their foundations or
csved in. The stone viaduct is forty feet
hig h from the river beo at low water aud
flood. On the west side is the
Bessemer and rail mills of the Cambria
Iron com pan7. Although warned TO flee
to the hill sides, many men resting in
fancied security loitered aboue the mills
and were
ENGULFED IN AN INSTANT.
To-Day their bodies ere strewn along the
Conemaugh, Riskimintaas and Allegheny
rivers, and are being caught as far down
the Ohio river Is Rochester. Below the
district reside probably 1000 people, aud
the scenes here are but a repetition OF the
9th sr parts Of the aoodWasted
city. In Saint Columbia's church
new structure, which has been flooded
so the depth OF six feet in the auditO rum,
the water had receded and the floor was
covered with Shiny ooze to the depth of
seven or eight inches. On boards layed
he 20 -
ty uudies which had been snatched from
the stream by Father Thomas Darlin and
some of his Pensioners whom he had
i'm pressed in 20 service.
FATHERS GRIEF.
While in the awful presence of the
dead, amid the solemn surrounding of
desolated fans, representative saw
Joseph Smith, man of extraordinary
size and strength enter. He said not a
word, but quietly went from corpse
to corpse, lifting the stained and
mud covered coverings of the dead.
At last he came to the corpse of
child about9 years old-his daugh-
ter. He looked at the swollen and blood
stained features moment aud then with
voice with unutterable agony cried:
"My Maggie, my little Maggie" at the
to his bosom and giving
expression to alternate caressings
and CALCULATIONS OF grief, the man took
his child and went with it to what b. d
been his home. He placed it beside
those of his wife and two other children,
all of whom had been drowned. It is i'm
possible to narrate the many pathetic
Incidents that occurred on all sides.
| At Morrell forty-three bodies were laid
out waiting to be identified. Eight of
them were children, one that of a child
which a physician said had been Dor n
while the mother was fighting for her Lii 9
"a the raging flood.
| At Ninevah, nine miles down the
stream, l06 hodIes, mostly womeR and
children, " ere laid out in a sawmill, and
| additions were being made by wagon
| loads at time, which were being pioke
! up on meadows over which the great tide
| had surged with the fury of a demon.
Many we're found with their hands cling
ing tenaciously TO the branches of trees
and shrubs. In one case a young uple
were found locked in each other arms. In
| another case a mother was found with
a little child clasped in each
arm aud held closely to her cold
| bosom. There is no possibility of tell
ing just who have been lost, as thousands
are missing. Survivors, many of whom
| tell of the most thrilling escapes from
collections of debts, house roofs, car
doors and planks, seek banks
and gaze with stupor born of paralyza-
ton of their mental faculties from the
fright and horror they have been sub
! jeoted to. The number of people who
are visible from the banks are so far in
contrast with the various little boroughs
which constitute the city, that
the question, "Where are the
people?" is asked On all sides. The in
preston is gaining that disoloses yet to
come where the gorge collected, and
| which is now burning over an area of
several acres is yet more CHASTITY. The
awfulness of the scene 6efies language to
depict as it does imagination to conceive
i of. Without seeing the havoc created no
idea can be given, either of the area OF
| the desolation or the extent of the dam
age done.
The people of Johnsto q are actually
| starving. Men who were sterday worth
half million dollars are ,day actually
penniless, suffering for the necessities of
life. A loud cry of distress is being sent
up from the entire city and the doleful
vail should meet with prompt response.
Millions cannot repair the damage and
desolstion that covers miles of territory
The numbes of bodies thus far recov-
cred is abouut 500, how many lie beneath
the great bed of fire under swept by the
raging torrent, the uncovering of their
] bones can alone determine: but from all
! appearances there are thousands
| The agonized cries and la
mentations of friends who
not been able to learn any tidlEgs OF