The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-07-10

A coronsr's sary Chaf f1es the Terri
bic Joi1nstown Disaster to the
Fran South Fork DAM


A eoronsr's sary Chaf1es the Terri
bic Joi1nstovvn Disaster to the
FraH South Fork DAM
JoHNs-ouS July o.-Coroner Evans. o.
Cambria county. has found The members o.
the South Fork Fishing Club responsible foi
thr Io-s of lie aud ilsc destruction Of prop
eriy ootAsloned by the bursting If the dam
81 ConcInangh Lake The last session of the
Coroners ooart was held this evening and
oue witness was examined AtIhe eonclu-
sion Of the testimony tire jury deiibsfate'i
upoa tie case Cor abou, half an honr. and
then found verdict against The Ios'iii'ers of
the club. The Esllouels is . verbatim copy
Of the verdict as written by the coroner;
We the undersigned jury, imlannelled to
/ investigate the cause Of the death Of Ellen
Hite, on the day OF May 81, after hearing
! the testimony, find that Ellen H'te came to
1 her death from drowning, and that the
I drowning was caused by the breaking OF the
South Fork dam. We further find from the
/ testimony and what we saw on the ground
the dam constructed sufficiently strong. nor
Of the proper material 20 withstand the over
flow, and hence we find that the owners Of
said dam were culpablc in not making il as
secure as it should have been, especially in
view OF the fact that a population Of many
thousands were in the valley below, aud we
hold that the owners are responsible for the
fearful loss OF life and property resulting
from the breaking Of the dam
Witness our hands aud seal July C, 1888.
Jons Como.
ABRAHAM FEEvtH.
H. B. BLAIR
JoHx H. DEvIxE,
JoHN A. WIs=INGER,
+. ". CoHIcK.
ne DECLINED TO TESTIFY.
Upon assembling this evening all the
members Of The jury were present. Lieuten-
ant Reese. OF the United States Army, a COM
petent engineer and one of The men who had
made an inspection of the dam after the
food, lad been requested by the Coroner to
be present and give his testimony. A note
was received from Lieutenant Reese saying
that upon the advice of his superior officer
he would not be present The Coroner said
If he thought it would be necessary he
would make the engineer testify, but under
the circumstances, he did not ihink so.
Mr.. james Shoemaker, grocer Of Johns
town, who los, all liis property in the flood,
together with his wife and six children, was
called to testify lie declined TO be sworn,
and after being affirmed, testified as fol-
lows
was at the South Fork dam nine years
ago this spring. The fishing clu5. were then
repairing the dam. 1t was leaking at the
time. The men used dirt and straw to fill
in the dam. drove out on the dam. In
the centre was break which prevented US
from goin across. and saw a wagon load of
straw or hay which they had dumped in the
dam and threw dirt upon ii. The stuff was
clay, gravel aud stone that they had dug ont I.
Of the hillside toward Johnstown. Tho (
work did not indicate any packing or pud I
ding.
THE BREAK IN THE DAN
was not large The water was running
through the bottom of it. ! did not take +
particular notice as to the quality of the I
material they were repairing the dam with. /
did dot know who the owners Of the dam
were al that time. have been there once
since. but could not see whether the dam
was leaking or not. The pipes were there .
the first time, and the water was running
through the dam Hay was right above the
pipes. and in the breast Of the dam. The
dirt was dumped into the dam from the top.
There is 80 doubt in my mind that if there
had been pipes there to Jet the water through
il could have been drawn of. The dam was
wide enough then for me TO turn a two
horse carriage on the top. did not know
the exact width Of the dam at the break.
AT the conclusion OF Mr. Shoemaker's tes-
timony lac retired, and upon the faces of the
iuIymen were looks OF determination. It
did not take them long TO make up their
minds after the evidence had been reviewed
By Coroner Evans, and they rendered the
verdict as given above.
After the verdict had been read our cor
inierrogated the Coroner as TO
what his future course would be in the mat
ter. Dr. Evans said; As far as I am con
cerncd the ease is now settled. IL Is now the
duty of the proper officers 10 take it up and
act as the law directs. will make nay re-
port and send transcript Of the verdict TO
the Cambria County Court at E5ensburg,
and the Prosecuting Attorney Of the county,
Mr.. John Fendiow. should take itup. There
is no necessity of any instructions from me
in the matter. The verdict IS plain enough
and there is no mistaking what the jury
means.