The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-05

panic and a rush for the mountain side
Children were carried and women assisted By
the few who kept cool heads. Il was q race fol
life. There was seen the black head OF the flood
now monster Of destruction. whose crest wa;
high raised in the air and with this in view
even tie weak found wings for their feet. No
words can adequately deScrioe the terror tEat
filed every breast or the awful power mani
Tested by the flood. The roundhouse
had stalls for twenty-three locomotives
There were eighteen or twenty Of them stand
ing there at this time There was an orninous
crash and the round house and locomotives as
appeared Everything in the main track OF the
1ood was first fitted in the air and then sWal-
lowed up by the waters A hundred houses
were swept awav in few minutes. These in
cluded the hotel the stores and saloons on
Front street and the residences adjacent Inc
house and demolished. The side OF another
house stopped in front OF another locomotive
aRd served as a shield.
CAR WASHED AWAY.
The rear car of the mail train swung around
In the rear Of the second section of the express
and turned over on its side. Three men we're
observed standing upon It as 10 fioated. VIII
they trust to it or the still upright Pullman
oars The couplings broke, and the car moved
out upon the bosom of the waters. As II would
roll the men would shift their position. The
situation was desperate, and they were given
up for lost Two or three me seized ropes aud
ran along the mountain SIDE 70 give them ald.
Later it was reported that the men
escaped over some drift wood, as
their car was carried near a bank.
1t is believed that there were several
women and children inside the car. OF course
they were drowned. AS the fugitlves on the
mountain side witnessed the awful devastation
they were moved as never before in their lives.
They were powerless to help those seized upon
ey the waters. The despair of those who had
lost everything but life, and the waiting OF those
whose relatives or friends were missing filed
their breasts with unutterable sorrow.
Rain continued 10 fall steadily, but shelter
was not thought of. Very few passengers saved
anything from the train, SO sudden was the cry
run for your lives the reservoir has broken
Many were without hats. and as their baggage
was left on the trains they were without means
of relieving their unhappy condition. The oc-
cupants Of the houses still standing on the high
ground threw them open TO those who had lost
all and the passenger OF the train.
TWO BRAVE ENGINEERS.
During the hight of the food the spectators
were startled by the sound of two locomotive
whistles from the very midst Of the waters
Two engineers, with Characteristic courage, had
remained at their posts, and while there was
destruction on every hand and apparently no
escape for them. they sounded their whistles
This they repeated at intervals, the last time
r.th triumphant vigor as the waters were
receding from the sides Of their locomotives.
By $50 O'Clock the force of the reservoir water
had been spent on the village Of Conemaugh,
and the Pullman cars and locomotive OF the
second section remained unmoved This was
because being the highest and hardest
ground the destructive current of the reservoir
food had passed between that and the noun
tain. while the current Of the river did not eat
il away. But the other trains had been de-
strOyed. solitary locomotive was seen i'm
bedded in the mud where the round house had
stood. AS the greatest danger had passed the
people of Conemaugh gave their thoughts
TO their neighbors of the city of
Johnstown. Here was conferred the
great steelsI land iron industries the
pride Of Western Pennsylvania. the Cambria
Iron Works, being known everywhere. Here
were churches. daily newspapers, banks and
dry goods houses, warehouses and the comfor-
table and well-built homes of 1900 people.
What was their fates In contemplation OF the
irresistible force of that awful flood gathering
additional momentum as it swept on toward
the gulf it became clear that the city
must be destroyed. and that unless the inhabt-
ants had telegraph notice of the breaking of
the reservoir they must perish. cry of horror
went up from the hundreds on the mountain
side and a few instinctively turned their steps
toward Johnstown. The city was destroyed.
All the mills. furnaces, manufactures the
many and varied industries, the banks
and residences, oil, all were swal-
lowed M before the shadows of
night had settled down upon the earth. What
of the inhabitants, who can tell with any GER
taintyf Those who came back by daybreak
said that from 200 to 5000 had been drowned
Our hope is that this is eXaggeration, and
that when the roll is called the most will re-
spond.
The representative of the Associated Press
was on the second section caught at Cone
maugh, and after Witnessing the worst there
procured team and drove over the mountain
to Ebensburg, a distance of sixteen miles, in
the hope of getting fresh report by wire. All
he could do was to send a few words to the
Philadelphia office, saying that the passengers
on the train had escaped. If these got beyond
the break at Tyrone there ara less anxious
hearts in distant cities. What lies west of
Johnstown is enveloped in impenetrabe OBJ
security. WIN. HENRY SMITH.