Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-05

Aouaintance BFeea, Con,empt.

1ohNSioNN, Juue al nOblCe tuuJ buo
secretary of the 'Sodth Park Fishing club
said, yesterday, that til e club had fled an
indemnity bond, as claimei by citizen Of
Ebensburg, and that complaints had never
been made about the safety of the dam by
any Of Johnstown's citizsns He is undoubt-
edly correct as to the bond, but it Is misead-
ing as to the second part of his statements.
There is no shadow of doubt but that he
citizens of Cambria county frequently COM
planned, and at the time the dam was con
structed very vigorous effort was made to
put stop to the work. 1t is true,
the leader of this movement was not
citizen of Johnstown, but he
was and is large mine owner in Cambria
county. His mine adjoins the reservoir prop
erty. He related to me Saturday the story
of his labors in his effort to protect the lives
and property in that valley. He was fire.
quently on the spot and his own engineer In
spected the work. He says the embank-
ment was principally of shale and clay and
that straw was used to stop the leaking of
the water while the work was going on. He
called on the sheriff of Cambria county and
told him it was his duty to apply to the court
for an injunction. The sheriff promised to
give the matter his attention,
Sa but ant asaead Of going before the court
pany tor consultation An employe was
sent up to make inspection, and as his re-
port was favorable to the reservoir work,
the sheriff went no further. But the gentle.
man referred to said he had not failed to
make public his protest at the time and to
renew II frequently. This recommendation
for an injunction and the protest were spoken
of by the citizens of Altoona as a hackneyed
subject. The rumor of the expected break
was prevalent early In the day, but the citi-
zens remarked that the humor was familiar
incident of the annual freshets. 1t was the
old classic story, wolf, wolf"
They gave up the first floors to the water
and retired up stairs to wait until the river
should recede, as they had done often before,
scouting the oft-told story of the breaking of
the reservoir The reader will note the re-
marKable conflict between that shale and
clay story of the mine owner, referred to
above, and the published statement of Gen
eral Moorehead, who had charge of con-
struction, that the masonry was solid gran
lJe and limestone and was believed to be en-
during as the pyramids of Egypt. The
awful disaster would seem to confirm the
allegation of the use of unfit materials in
construction. The number Of passengers on
the day express is known to have been lost
is six: besides these there are two ladies
missing and unaccounted for, but who may
vet be alive.
A conductor who was at Conemau gh on
the fateful day claims to have run thr ough
the cars and told the passengers to run to
the mountains. The passengers who survive
are anxious to make the acquaintance of that
conductor. They certainly neither saw him
nor heard him. His intention may have
been good, but the good deed was omitted.
When the passengers reached the mountain
side they found there two conductors in
beautiful white caps. Their manner was
one of them why he did not notify the pas
sengers of the breaking of the dam. He
replied in some confusion that he had no
time. His companion, made report to his
superior, which report was carried over the
mountain by passenger that night but
there was nothing IN it TO indicate that any
of the passengers were any of his concern.
He reported the loss of two trains. In strik-
ing contrast to the neglect of duty of these
conductors, it is pleasant to note the manly
mentioned should be the locomotive engineer
and fireman, whose bravery and devotion
were so conspicuous. They never neglected
to give such warming as they could in the
face OF danger and in some cases of certain
death. !o) y ~ es1
A brakeman riding deadhead, whose name
can not be recalled, rendered splendid SER
vice in rescuing awoman and children at the
risk of his own life pt
j. p. Aber, a Pullman conductor, was eff :
cient and cool headed. ltI ~ - ...
w. H. Woodyer, cook Of the car Aragon,
and John H. Waugh, porter ofsthe parlor car
Chloris. stood manfuuy by G. f. Grifflths, of
the Norwich line, in the rescue Of passen-
gers. 1t was Woodyer VINO stood on the top
of the car Aragon, with axe in hand, ready
to cut the roof to prevent the smotheringi of
those within. We think better Of our race
with such an example before US
The Situation at Williams sport
HARRISBURG, June 4.-Mayor Foresman,
of Williamsport, telegraphed Governor
Beaver to-day:
1.-THE boom has been cleaned Of logs from
the principal yards along the river front,
and manufactured lumber has been swept
away. The houses of the people nearest the
river have been carried away with all they
possessed. Thousands of people are home
less and without anything but the clothes
upon their backs. Many of our people are
in absolute want for the necessities of life
AT meeting of the business men, called
yesterday, $1,000 was raised. Dead animals
and all kinds of filth are strewed upon the
demic are entertained. 1t is impossi-
BILE to estimate the loss and
damage to the different kinds of property.
Five million dollars is low estimate of the
loss on lumber alone. Other losses are
larger. The surrounding country suffered
just as badly. Booms, bridges and villages
have been swept away, and the loss OF life
has been considerable. A thousand military
tents will afford the greatest possible relief
to our people, who are now without shelter"
Governor Beaver replied to Mayor Fore
man in substance as follows:
''Will reach you with help as soon as Mont
gomery bridge can be crossed am loading
cars here with flour and groceries notwith-
standing the pressure of our own stricken
people. Put your unemployed men to work
in removing the debris and In cleaning your
city. l will furnish means for paying them
reasonable wages. The country is respond
ing nobly, and the address sent out last night
will give better idea of the situation, so
that have no fear of any lack of means for
furnishing all needed help"
Fixing Up the Lines.
PHILADELPHIA, June 4.-Superintendent
Pettit, of the Pennsylvania road, made his
way to the edge of the city Of Lock Haven
this morning and ascertained there was no
suffering. Only one person Is known to have
been drowned at Lock Haven, but several
lives are reported lost at Mill Hall, about
four miles from Lock Haven. The through
mails delayed at Altoona were started over
the mountains to Pittsburg at
O'Clock this morning. One hundred
and thirty-tw passengers accompanied them.
They 60 to Edensburg via Cresson by rail-
road, and from Edensburg to Blairsviile
they will travel over mountain roads in wa
gons, and at the latter place they will take
the train for Pittsburg. 1t is thought more
than likely that many Of those caught in AL
toona have made their way ON their own
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