New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-03
SOME NARROW ESCAPES.
TIE EFFICACY LITTLE GIRLS PRAYER
RUSHING AHEAD or THE FLOOD WITH AN IN
GIYE-wHAT EYEwITNEssEs SAW.
my 1EItoRAPu 10 IuR TkfBCXg.l


lBr IELEGRAPH IHE TKiBCSEl
Johnstown, June 2-Among the miraculous es-
eape, is that OF George J. La aud family. When
the rush OF water came there we're eight people on
tfp roof OF Trn's house The house swung around
and aoatcd for nearly half hour before It struck
the wreck above the stone bridge. threc-year-
old girl with sunny golden hnir and dimpled
checks rrnyC,l all the while that God would save
them, and IL seemed that God really answered the
prayer aud directed the house against the dr1tI
enabling every one " the eight 20 get OF.
II ~ Bennett and s. W Reltz, engineer and
conductor Of cnginc No. l,l65 and the extra
freight, which happened 10 be lying NJ South FORK
when the dam broke tell n graphic story OF the'r
wonderful flight and escape on the locomotive
before the advancing Good. Bennett and heIh
were in the signal tower awaiting orders Inc
fireman and nagman were the engine, ana TWO
hrakcmen were asleep in the cnbooSc Suddenly
the men IN the tower heard . roaring sound In the
valley above them They looked In that direction
and were almost transhNed with horro'
10 rr two miles above them'
huge blnc< wall OF water. at least 100 ieet III
icight, rushing down the valley. The lear.
,,rckcn men made a rush for the locomotive. at
the same time giving the alarm TO the sleeping
brakemen IN IN, caboo>c. but with no avail. IL
| ,,, inuossiblc 10 aid them further, however, SO
| rcnnctt and Kcltz cut the engine loose from the
| tr,io and the engineer. with one Wild wrench
! throw the lever wide OPEN and they were away
| ON a mad race for life II seemed that they would
! not receive momentum enough to Keep aheha oil
the food and they cast one deSnaring glance
| hacl, Then they could see the awful dclage mp"
| rroaching IN It's might, On II came, rolling ana
roaring. tossing aud tearing houses. sheds ana
trees in its awful speed as II they were toys
! As they looked. they saw the two brakemen rush
out OF the cnboosc but they had not time 70
gntber the slightest idea OF the cause OF thclr
doom before they. the car and signal tower were
tossed high In the air, 10 disappear forever Thea
the engine lenpcd forward like thing Of life, and
spcedcd down the valley. But fast ~ il went
the food gained upon II. In a few moments the
shricl,ing locomotive whi1zcd around II curve,
ond they were in sight of u bridge. Horror upon
horrors ahead Of them freight train, with
| tho roar end almost on the bridge, and 10 get
! across was simply impossible. Engineer Bennett
then reversed the lever and succeeded in checking
the engine ns they Rlidcd across the bridge. Then
the men Jumped and ran for their lives up the
hillside. Thr bridge and the tender of the engine
they had been on were swept away like bundle
| OF matches.
Twenty-scvcn locomotives belonging 20 the
| Pennsylvania Railroad arc lying in the river bed
under the debris Of JohnStown. The town OF
Woodyille aud Concmnugh borough, above Johns
town. ore swept rs clearly oil the face Of the
rorth a. II they had never been in existence. In
thu frst-nnmed town only one building is left
standing Out Of u population OF $4,000 souls,
borcly half dozen have been accounted for. One
OF thrsc, Joseph T. Brackcn, with on" OF his chill.
drpp. swan all the why down the stream 10 n
poirt below Johnstown, where they succeeded in
lurding. The only remaining building in Wood
willie is the big woollcn factory 50 familiar to
through passengers on the Pennsylvania road.
Mr. Grouse, proprietor Of the South Fork Fish
ing Club Hotel. came 70 Jamestown this afternoon
lie say, TINT when the dam OF ConemauSh LAKE
broke, the water seemed TO leap, scarcely touching
the ground II bounded down the valley, crash
ing and roaring, carrying everything before II
For o mile its front seemed like n solid wal
twenty feet high. The warning given the StrickeI
city was sent from South Fork VilllCe by Freigh
Agent Dechcrt When the great wall that HEX
the body Of water began TO 'crumbe al the top
he sent u message begging the people Of JohnstowI
for Gods sake to take to the hills. lie reports nI
serious Gccid Jnls at South Fork
Iichurd Davis rnu 70 Prospect Hill when th
water rose A. to Mr.. Dcchcrts me sage, he sHys
just such have been sent down at each aood sine
useless shat little attention was paid 70 II thi
time.
Il cannot describe the mad rush. he said, A
! first 10 looked like dust. That must have bee
$ the spray. / could houses going down befor
IL like q childs plny-bloeSs set on edge In row
As 1t came nearer. could see houses totter for