Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-06-06
SIMPLY APPALLING.
Deiuse In the Conemaush an Kis-
kiminstas Valleys in
Pennsyivania.
Towns Swept Away and the PEOPLE
Hurried to Death on the Rreas,
Of the Dreadful Rush
Of Waters.

OF me Dreadful Rush
Of Waters
. Tale ef Death aaa D~ssru~tIsa that
Makes One stasa axh..t q. csa-
tsmpt.sins n. Fsarfat
Magnitude.
Jshnssevn. Pa. washed Away By . rssosa.
PrrrssrRGH. Pa. June IA Green's
burg pal special to the Times SAYS;
Tbs banks OF the Conemangh river are
overfoved for miles. and the whole eoun.
Try Is deluged With water. The PennsyI-
vauia railroad all along the river from
Johnstown 10 View Florence il washed
away, and travel Is entirely suspended.
AT sang Hollow. the operator in one os
the railroad towers counted eixhty-seven
dead bodies floating down the river on
the drtftwood- The river rose so rapidly
MAT all the operators IN IN. towers be-
tween Sang Hollow aud New Florence
had 70 Tee for their lives Ths bridges
a. New Florence. on the Pennsylvanfs
r1lroad- and COketosa. on the West
reunsytvsnia. we're carried auav
Houses, furniture. etc. are being carried
down the river Ths latest report is that
Johnstown - entirely submerged. and
the roofs of but two houses are visible,
while Il Is still raining and the river rfS-
ing az n very rapid rate. The cause Of
the Hood - attributed 10 the bursting os
vater-spous and the breaking % the
south Fork reservoir which covers an
area oe one square mile aat has had
twenty feet of water IN it
The latest news Is that Johnstown is
nov gone.
D~serastios ssd Lss. Of rlf~ sisa< ta-
kI@ksmln<tAA
PrrrssrRsH. Pa. June L-R.ports from
along the Ktskimi=-.ss river. into Which
the ConemaGyh enptis<. are most dis
-essiEg. The river near Salisbury L.
flled with wreekase. and . number %
persons we're noticed eiiuxinx to sach
timbers NJ woaId bear their weight
At Blairsvlle men are stasioaesf on th.
bridges and baaks Ia the hope Of r-scu-
ing some Of those who are being carried
down the stream The volume os water
Is unprecedented The iron bridge con-
meeting BlairsvtG- xith Blairsvills Inter-
section has been carried away. and with
Il train % heavily loaded ears standing
upon the bridge 70 hold it IN place. This
was tAe largest aaI strongest bridge on
the West Pennsylvania road Il Il
thought that all 0t the West Psuusvl-
vania railroad bridges viii share q sim
lar fsfe.
All OF the towns In the Kiskiminesas
valley are expected To be submerged
Among them are Livermore. Salisbury.
Apollo Lesckhurg and Avenmors, hav-
ing populations Of from eigat TO ten thou
sand each. The Inhabitants along the
river have been warned. but are almost
panic stricken at the idea Of their great
loss Of property, which Is inevitable.
Later reports from Cokstown are To the
effect that the entire town Is submerged,
and mum Der OF lives have been lost at
that place.
Fifsrea Hundred Lives Lost I'm the Val
fss nj the Csaemaugh-
BOLIVAR, Pa, June The water is
higher here than vas ever known. and
tvo-story houses, barns, stables, whole
forests OF trees. out-hoasss, smoke
houses. railroad bridges. county bridges,
RATS, inverted skis and driftwosd By the
score. from all Of which imploring hands
we're held out TO those on the banks, will
ing, bus impotent to help. have aoated
down the swollen torrent OF the Cone
maugh- Information received Is meagsr,
but for the most part accurate.
AT Lockport, two miles east more than
twenty people have been taken frou the
Hood The frst great rush OF water
reached here at seven O'Clock last even
ing. This came from the burstsd dam
above Johnstown- It came like q freaxied
whirlpool, and before the people could
realize it they we're in its grasp. Forum
asely, the people living on the low lying
ground escaped At half-past seven
O'Clock Q great pile Of drift wood was
swept along. and from it Shrek upon
shrek for help help for Gods sake"
cane. The horrided spectators on the
shore saw three women, 70 one Of whom
we're clinging two children. neither of
whom was apparently more than an in
FAINT The rapidity Of tho current and the
position OF the raft on the stream, to-
gether with the lack OF facilities for res
cuins. pEscluded the possibility Of even
thinking Of the matter. aud the raft
passed out of sight, the screams Of the
women aud children blending in their
pleadings for aid long after the raft was
sround the bend
The stream then became thickiy strswn
with men, women and children, clinging
TO all sorts Of temporary means Of saliva
tior- and txo men and . woman clung
madly TO the tops Of huge trees, the men
em1lattng the females in their shrieks for
help that it was not possible 10 give.
Just at dark . lad was noticed clinging
20 . log. James Curry secured . long
line and ran 10 the river bank The moose
OF the lasso fell over the boys neck and
shoulders. and Q moment later the
dreneed, povsrty-stricken little fellow
was hauled TO the bank He was soon re-
stored. and stated that his name was Ed
ward Harsten. thirteen years Of age. He
had lived with bis father and grandfather
s.i z.oths. e c.-h-t. City. part CO
yohustown. At four O'Clock their home
had been canght in the volume OF water
let loose BY the bursting OF the dam.
They had all climbed upon . mass Of
dristwood, and we're carried along. Their
raft went to pieces against bridge pier.
and hs had nos seen his relatives since.
but thought they were downsd
A man rescued in the river here Who
was swept away from yOhnstown says
positively that no less than fifteen hun
dred lives are probably lost in the valley
Of the conemangh- This point Is twenty
miles below Johnstoxn, aud the work OF
rescuing Uen. women and children
sweeping c6vn the river has been stead
lily torvar1ed all night
Mr. Rhoades. agert at Blsirsville In
tersectiOn, saw . woman floating by on
the roof OF q house. With arms out
stretched. she called IN the most piteous
tones 70 save her. '.1Oh. my Godp she
cried, save. save, save me- / caught the
name % Lucy .hoEe the roar Of the sood
Just ahead Of the house ne eould plainly
see a cradle floating with babe In It
The child seemed to be sleeping, but more