Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-13
AFFAIRS IN JOHNsrOwN.
Conflicting Reports as to the Condition
Of Things To-day.

ONE ACCOUNT sArs THAT oES. HASTINGS BAs
REDUCED THINGS TO PERFECT SYSTEM AND
THAT MEN ARE AT WORK. WHILE ANOTHER
SAYS THAT CHAOS RkIeSs SUPREME
JoHSsrowS, Pa, June ls.-The FIRST real
work under the supervision Of the state COM
menced this morning at O'Clock The whistle
at the Cambria iron and steel works Was the
signal for the men 10 commence, and about
l,5oo started in with their picks and shovels.
The early morning was warm and cloudy and
the fumes and odors from the decayed bodies
was something almost unbearable. As the
morning advanced the weather grew
warmer and by 10 O'Clock the sun Was
shining brightly, and every one on the
ground was hard at work During the MORN
ing crowd Of worthless loafers in some man.
ner secured an entrance TO the town and
wanted to inaugurate a strike among the work.
men. Some Of the laborers were already dis
satisfied at having new bosses over them and
only wanted a chance TO complain. James Nc
knight. OF Pittsburg Of the state contractors,
got wind Of the trouble brewing and went
among the men and informed them that
he would have no kicking and that all
those who wished to quit would have
to do so Immediately and about 100 of the men
left, but the loafers remained around and Mr..
Mcknight went TO Gen. Hastings and demanded
protection for his men. A detachment Of milf
tia from the l4th regiment were detailed TO the
place and drove away all the men who refused
to work. This caused General Hastings 20 is
sue an order TO the soldiers not TO admit any
one to Johnstown proper without an order.
THE BUSINESS MEN OF THE TOWN
seemed to have awakened TO their senses, and
this morning a number of them were prepar-
ing to start over again in business. Two
grocery stores were started near the Pennsyl-
vania railroad freight station. Both places
were doing a land Office business, and this en-
couraged other merchants 10 start up, and the
probabilities that inside of a week at latest
hundred stores will be in operation. Already
two barber shops and one jewelry store have
been opened.
Gen. Hastings was up very early this morning
and was kept hustling for several hours 10 get
things rightly started. He said As yet do
not know how many men are at work, but I
suppose there must be /, 500 at the least calcu-
lation. We intend TO put many men 10 work
as can be worked properly. do not suppose
we want more than 5000, and il will be an easy
matter to get that many men. / do
not want to employ any one but Penn
sylvanis men, and would like 30 get
as many Johnstown people at work as
possible. They are the ones that need the
work. false impression has gotten out TO the
effect that the boroughs here are under martial
or military law. This is a mistake. The state
has charge of the work. and the only thing the
military is doing is guarding the property. We
will clear away all the debris on the streets and
level the town off. / do not know yet
whether We will clean out the cellars of
the houses, but if had my own
way would do it. 1t is little as the state
can do TO clean out their places and give the
people a clean foundation 20 build on. Besides
there is not the least doubt but there are a
number of bodies in these cellars, and they
should be taken out"
Gen. Hastings has now gotten everything
down to a system. There will be but one
morgue and hospital and one headquarters.
Everything has now been centrallZed and II il
easy to get at the facts.
DIsrRICTING THE BURROUGHS.
Capt. Seers of the Z. s. A.. one of the corps
of engineers at Willet's Point, and Capt. Bur-
bank. of the West Point engineering corps,
have laid ont the different burroughs in five
districts, and competent men have been APP
pointed TO take charge of each district.
Capt. Seers, in an interview, said II am
only here to advise Gen. Hastings and do what
| L can TO help him. 4 think that inside OF two
| weeks the 5000 or 1000 men that will be at
work will succeed in putting the town in very
| good condition, and think inside OF month
Johnstown will have almost recovered from
this terrible shock.
| THE LOSS OF LIFE LESS THAN EXPECTED.
The general opinion among well-posted peo-
pie here is that the loss Of life will be between
5000 and 1000. 1t was generally given out
that Johnstown and boroughs adjoining
had population of $4,000 good people, but
this is a very high estimate, and conservative
people put the population between $4,000 and
| 2S,0U0.
Col. Rogers who has charge Of the registra-
tion, states that from all he can learn this
population only amounted to about $4,000, and
this accounts for 10000 people supposed to be
lost. The reports sent out from here
to the effect that $4,000 to l5,-
900 people are missing were based
upon the supposition that there were 5000 in
habitants in these boroughs. The reports as to
the number of bodies recovered at differ
ent points along the flooded districts
are very conflicting. Supposed official
reports have been sent in by
different persons, and these are also conflicting
and put the number of bodies recovered any
where from l,lOO to l,S0O. Consequently there
is no telling how many bodies have been reco~
cred.