Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-07-11
THEY WAITED FOR ORDERS.
Fifteen Minutes More Would Have
Been Fatal to All On the Train.


Postmaster-General, and now editor OF
the Washington Post, tells thrilling
story of the narrow escape of the Chicago
limited train in the Conemaugh flood
near Johnstown ON that fatal Friday.
Johnstown was flooded to the second
story windows. but to the amazement
of the passen gers the train was driven
ON towards the east AS great bodies Of
water rolled down the gorges and over
the track, covering the cars with spray,
terrified passengers jumped back, ex
pecting the cars to be overturned. The
speed of the train gradually decreased,
and then, as if the engine had given up
in despair, the train stopped. The pas
sengers ahghted TO ascertain the loca-
ton.
1T was found" said Mr.. Hatton,
'sthat we were at the south end of the
bridge which spanned the Conemaugh
at the little town of South Fork, and at
the point where the South and North
forks come together, and neara telegraph
tower. But no orders came to move
forward The water came down the
two forks with terrific force, telling OF
the ruin that was being wrought above.
Portions of bridges, outhouses, logs,
pieces of furniture, and all kinds OF
debris went tearing by and ON down in
the rapidly swelling river. Ten, fifteen,
twenty minutes passed and there was
no movement of the train. The rain
came down in torrents, while the floods
of the two forks roared and dashed as
they Joined together making one mighty
and angry river. People from the town
of South Fork crossed the bridge and
mixed with the passengers. The latter
did not then know of the reservoir two
miles above them, which was getting
ready to loose the vast body of water
which it held within its confines. What
if the reservoir should break z said
citizen. God help us if it does, re
sponded an old woman, the mother OF
three boys, who had just come out of
the mines. Where is the reservoir 2
asked an old man. two miles and
half up the south branch, responded
he, pointing in the direction. Itneeded
but glance at the typography Of the
| country to show that should the reser-
voir, which was described rs three
miles long, one and one half miles wide
and sixty feet deep, empty its mountain
of water down the sides of the gorge
| through which the South Fork flowed,
the limited express would be destroyed
and all on board swept into eternity.
why don't you move this train
across the bridge and around the noun
tain on on the other sidei was asked Of
the conductor. Cannot leave here
without orders, was the response. in
this train, loaded with men, women.
| ri L. - for
orders from the officials of a railroad
company that is paralyzed for miles Z
was asked. All on board the train were
fully aroused to their danger. 1t was
plain that should the reservoir break
there was no escape. But the train did
not move. is the bridge unsafe Z was
asked. If it is dangerous to run the
train over the bridge, notify the passen-
gers and let them seek places of safety
was the next appeal made to the train
men.
'eThoroughly alarmed themselves, the
/ trainmen decided not to wait longer for
orders that never came. Slowly the
/ train pulled out and over the bridge,
/ many of the passengers alighting and
4 walking over. The bridge trembled and
swayed with the burden, but the train
passed safely over. A glance at the
/ map will show what danger the train
was in as it lay on the south side. 1t
was in pocket, and there was no escape
/ had the reservoir broken while it stood
there. On the north side the train
STOPPED, with its rear car few rods
from the brio ge. Along either side Of the
track were the houses of South
/ Fork. From the doors and win
dows and over the gate appeared
| the terror stricken faces of women and
children. Rushing up and down from
the bridge were men and women crying
and wringing their hands. About tif-
/ teen minutes after the limited had
reached the north side of the engine
the freight train, which had remained
on the south side, gave fierce shrek
and the train started for the bridge.
Intuitively every one knew the dam had
broken and the water was coming. The
inhabitants, shrieking and crying, ran
for the mountain side. The two engines
on the limited blew their whistles and
started with the train up the track, fol-
lowed bv freight train. The writer
was in the rear of the train next to the
last car on the limited. The roar of the
water was almost deafening. In q short
time it struck the houses nearest the
bridge, and they were lifted high into
the air and tumbled over in the surging
stream. The engine of the escaping
freight train which had given the alarm
hardly reached the north side when the
bridge went down and the freight cars
were borne off by the rushing waters.
As the passenger train fed up the track
the back water ON the north branch car
ried by it articles of furniture from the
houses which few seconds before were
standing by the side of the train. There
was great excitement among the passen-
gers on the train, but it was soon dis
covered that the danger was past and a
Thank God, we are saved went up
from the hearts and lips of all on board.