Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-09
The Brilliant Wedding and Its
Terrible Sequel.
MRS. GRIFFITH's STORY.
Joyful Wedding Party, the Eve of the Flood
and the Same Party HOuseless, Half
Clothed and Desperate the Day After-
-Four Hnrbors of Refuge in KernviIle-A
Memorable Picture.

1
in-law, Mrs. Charles Griffith. Mrs. Grif-
fifth will be best known in Pittsburg as MISS
Mollie Jennings, daughter of Richard Jen-
nings, the oil operator, and for number OF
years student of the Pennsylvania Col
lege, at the East End. Her husband owned
one of the principal drugstores in Johns
town; located st the corner of Main and
Franklin streets, though pretty thoroughly
flooded, it seems to have been supported by
buildings around it. and was not carried
away. A large proportion of the drugs
were saved. These Mr.. Griffith turned over
to the Relief Committee for use in their
hospital work, nd'placed himself at their
service in dispensing drugs. In this work
he is still engaged.
When the dam broke there was no one in
Mr.. Grifith's store except a small boy,
John Walker by name. Mr.. Griffith him
self, at the first rising of the water, had left
the store in charge of his clerk and gone
over across Stony creek to his home on the
south side, or what is known as Kernville,
to look after his family. Soon after the
clerk, alarmed for the safety of his own
relatives, as the water was still rising, left
the store, instructing young Walker to
close up.
Saved by the Elevator.
So the boy was lett alone when the crash
from the dam came down upon the city.
He heard the engine whistles shrieking the
alarm and the roar of the food approach
ing. Hurrying to the elevator he started
the machinery and raised himself to the
third story. It seemed to him an age that
the elevator took in slowly making its way
to the top of the building. Below him he
could see with horror the rushing Of the
water, its ascent seeming to be as rapid as
his own. A dread lest the machinery should
give way almost paralyzed him. At last
the elevator reached the top story, the
water scarcely two feet below. Hurriedly
scrambling to the roof the boy remained
there all that night and the next day until
rescue came.
Meanwhile, the experience Of the Griffith
family at their home across Stony creek,
was crowded with dramatic incidents. As
Mrs. Griffith related it to THE DISPATCH
reporter, who called upon her at Mr..
Sloan's last evening, her eyes filed with
tears and her form trembled with excite
ment of the recollection. The interest
of her story centers about the four
houses in Kernville, which, if his observa-
tion is correct, are the only ones of the
many hundred homes in the low land of the
prosperous and. beautiful south side now
standing. These four houses Mr.. Grifith's
and Mr.. George Schryoek's Ga double house),
Mr.. Dean Cannon's, Mr.. B. T. Horner's
and Sheriff Banners withstood the food
and became the salvation (of many whose
homes had been swept ayay. All through
that dreadful night meh, women and chill
dren floating down IN roofs and timbers
found Judgement and Safety on the roofs and
in the atties of thess four houses.
Four HaFbors of Refuge.
In Mr.. Dean C2nnon's house between 40
and 80 people taken from floating wreck
and timber remained crowded together in
one room all night. On Sheriff Banners
roof there were still larger number. On
Mr.. Horner's roof and in his attic there
were between 80 and 40 people. The Grif-
fifth housS was but stones throw from the
Horner'h on Morris street. The scenes of
the night there are best described in Mrs,
Grifithfs own words.
"MYhusband and ], ,"she said, "were stand |
ing on the front porch when we heard the |
engine whistle. Immediately great black |
masf Seemed to be advancing right upon us. |
I sbFieked that the judgment day had come. |
Indeed thought that that was what it was. |
Sofneway, 1 can't tell how, my husband had |
THE presence of mind to shut off the natural |
gks that was burning and hurry me to the |
4ttic. Our hired girl followed us, and we |
were there none too soon, for in a moment |
we heard the water crashing into the house |
below us.
well, there we were, peering out of the |
little attic window-and upon such scene
won't attempt to describe it. The hotel I
across the way was hurled by the food di-
rectly upon us, and, swinging around, lay in
the water almost within reach. The water
was almost up to the level of our window. /
Houses and roofs with their freight Of cling
ing, shrieking, wailing human beings floated
down past us, some lodging against our
house. When they lodged, the poor wretches
on them, half crazed, half naked, would
crawl up upon our roof and down into the
attic and fall, weeping and wailing and
shivering with fear and cold-upon the
floor.
"a red flame flashing up from near the
church revealed the whole horrible scene to
us. We could see the faces of those we
knew turned toward us as they foated down
past. In this way we saw the Randolph
family, the Hamilton family and the Balls
niger family as they foated past us. By
this light We could recognize the faces of
those who noated up to our house and
found 1odgment there.
Robert Murphy ut Gri1ath's.
''The first that we could see-for many
had come before the fire had Lit up the scene
and we could not see their faces although
we could hear their voices-was Mr.. Robert
Murphy, the lawyer, son of Francis Murphy
with his little family, chilled, soaked
scantilY dressed and half falnting, they had
Aoo Tod daur fhe Sfraaf T1,1o,, f1,a roof 80
house. They made their way into our
attic, and we gave them such welcome as we
could. 1t was not much of a welcome,
though, for everyone was paralyzed with
fear, and little was said, and that little we
hardly knew what we were saying. Ny
own voice sounded to me strange and far
away. It was like the voice of one talking
in another room. You must remember that
many of us expected every moment that the
house we were in would be carried down
With the food. asked Mrs. Shryock, who
4 .a-,.o c,ar from, 1ar ~ ,f Az, L.. |