The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-06-07
DEVASTATED JoHNsToWN.
The Ruined City Under Martial Law-The
Work OF Relief


thrown around Johnstown and nobody can
enter II unless he shows he has business in
the city. The Pennsylvania railway has
been making every effort to keep out the
crowd, but the Baltimore & Ohio was
opened yesterday and brought in flood sui
ferers from the Somerset valley. When
Gen. Hastings heard Of il he had a confer.
ence with Scott, Of the Pittsburg police,
and il was decided 10 send a company Of
the Fourteenth regiment To Somerset for
the purpose Of preventing any further rush
Of people this way. A committee of citi-
zsns accompanied the militia They
will stop of at all stations along
the road and demonstrate with the
| people against coming to JohnstOwn,
| growing, TO the hlndrsnce of the work Of
removing bodies and clearing away the
debris. On the Pennsylvania roadside the
gates are practically shut, and Il is hoped
this move Will have the same effect on the
Baltimore X OeiO. There is but one bridge
across the Conemaugb, and nothing but a
pass from AdjutantGeneral Hastings or
Scott will carry one over it,
Gloom settles on .IOhnstOwn as the sun
goes down, the cOlored lanterns of the rail-
readers being about the only relief TO the
darkness. superintendent Duncan, of the
Allegheny County Light company, is still
here awaiting the arrival of his engine and
dynamOs, which have been blockaded in
the Pennsylvania freight yards west of
town. There are tons of supplies in this
blockade.
The state board OF health and the Penn
sylvanla rail way were to-day busy operat-
ing IN the work of removing the bodies from
tie debrls above the stone bride DIR.
Gross, OF the health board. says there will
be thousand men at work here to morrow.
he sanitary question Is the paramount
on. nff fh.zh h. Az hfa f.f hal
is looked on as more potent
factor than the militia and the
civic forces. This afternoon the work of
the board was distributed, DIR. Lee taking
a relay 70 PIttsDuTg with the intention of
establishing headquarters in tue city hall.
force of sanitary inspectors will be
established, half of which 20 up the river
by boat and the remainder take con-
stTuctiOn crew up the railroad. The latter
have adopted cremation as their cry, and
tomorrow night the desOlate valley will be
lit up with bOnfires OF wreckage, which
will be the pyre OF hundreds of dead bodies.
DIR. Morrell, deputy chief of the state board
of health, said to-day; "The point has
come in this horror when sentiment
must be laid aside. 10 endanger
the lives of the living that the dead may be
Identified is no longer justifiable. Besides,
the bodies are all past being em0almed,
and friends can scarcely recognize the fea-
lures any longer. Identification Is possible
by clothing or jewelry on the persons" DIR.
GOff, who is nov in charge OF the Johns
town bureau of the state board of health
and the sanitary inspectors, said TO an
Associated Press correspondent this after
noon that there Is no immediate danger of
an epidemic in Pitfsourg. "rhe danger"
said he, ais that people will be scared into
being sick. We need thousands Of men TO
work on the debris and clear il of car
casses-"
An inspector just arrived from the Wood |
vale district reports great destitution, |
- nnThlnu n
bran, and very little of that.
About noon to-day Il was reported 10 |
Chief Gageby, of the police committee. that |
a body OF alleged rezcuers at the foot of /
Main street were removing jewelTy from |
the bodies they carried away. Gageby |
ordered a policeman 10 go and pretend to /
the work tor the purpose of /
apprehending the thieves. Special police |
bad to be selected to prevent stealing from /
the debris back of the general hospital.
The relief committee is TO be q .tional in /
its scope, action 70 that effect being taken /
at the meeting of the finance committee of
the local relief organization this afternoon. /
The plan was proposed by parties high in
authority and has been given the official
santiOn of the finance committee by the /
following resolution: "The survivors of the
flood are now and must be for
some time wholly dependent upon
the issues TO them of Hood
and clothing. As there are no goods here
except those brought by the relief commit
tee and no place In which commerce can
be carried on, the agencies for max ing such |
should receive consideration.
IL is the unanimous opinion of this com
mittee that another committee should be
appointed for this purpose, composed in
part of citizens of this locality and of mem
bers appointed by the governors of states
Or by chambers of commerce of cities from
which contributions have been received, or
In such other way as will give this agency
a national character, and assure the coun-
try hat It's most generous charity will he
judiciousIy and fully applied TO the relief
Of the victims of our unprecedented cal
amity."
Up 10 to-day the committee has received
In actual cash contributions S25, 7e6. 10. with
S57, 1855 promised in addition The
greater part of this is represented by tele-
grams from a distance instructing the com
mittee to draw on certain banks. This is
an impossibility, as there are no banking
facilities left here. The committee hopes
that contributors will forward their money
by express. To-day j. ID. Roberts said
had promised $500, 900, which
IS now at the disposal of the committee.
Gov. Beaver has reported 500, 600 at hand.
but has not made any move to send it, 80
FAR as known.