Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-06-06
.AFEARFUL CATASTROPHE
Johnston, Pa, Completely SUBMERGED
Hundreds of Persons Drowned
The Inhabitants Yainly Cling 10 fba
Wreckage as it Floats AWAY.
The River Fast Rising and the Highest
1t Has Beeu in Years

| ing and an immense body of wata,
rushed down to the city, carrying with !,
death and destruction. Houses VIZ.
swept away with their occupants
and many were drowned There -
no communication with Johnston, bn,
the telegraph operator in the Psnnsylya-
MIA railroad tower at Sang
Hollow, twelve miles this side of
| Johnstown says at least 70 dead bodies
/ have foated past. The wires are all down
ard trains art running east of Blairsville.
which is about 20 miles west CT Johns.
town. There is no way to get TO the
| scene of the disaster and full particulars
can hardly be obtained tonight, although
every effort is being made to do 30.
! There will be no trains through to the
east before tomorrow.
LATER.
| 1A.M.-The tracks west OF Johnstown
are at some pointa entirely carried away,
and the rosdbeds gone. The river for
some distance above the bridge is filed
with buildings and driftwood 40 feet high
which is on fire and likely to damage the
bridge, which is of stone. The fire is
beyond control. Johnstown is literally
wiped out.
/ BOLIVAR Pa, June 1.-2:35 A. MA
courier from the scene of the food at
Jchnstown reports 500 lives lost.
PITrsBUBG, May 3l.-Lstest reliable in
formation received from Johnstown
comes through the Pennsylvania railtoad
officials who aver that over 200 dead bod
les have been counted floating down the
stream at JohnstOwn alone, while along
the lines many additional lives have been
| lost. 1t is asserted that there are but
two hoses in Johhstown proper
entirely above the water line. A special
train bearing the Pennsylvania
railroad officials and Associated press
correspondents has left this city for the
scene. Telegraph communication is en-
| tirely cut off, and until the telegraph 70.
| pair men and operators with the neoces-
sary instruments to open up communics-
ton at the nearest point, bat little re-
| liable information can be obtained.
TYBON, Pa, May 31.-The Juniats river
has oyerhowed its hanks at this place
and flooded the entire southern portion
of the city, causing great destruction to
property and streets. People living 10
the flooded districts had To be removed
| from their homes in wagons to places Of
safety. All railroads centering in this
place are greatly damaged by the food.
The water was never known to be so
| high at this place. At Curwinsville
one man was drowned and at
! Clearfeld two young ladies were drowned
! ia trying TO escape from the flooded dis
trict. The SusquehaLna river has over
flowed its banks Mt Clarified and the
entire place is under water and all means
of escape cut off dany people have
gathered in the court and opera houses
as placessOf safety. This evening it is
still raining hard and the water rising
| rapidly.
BBADDoCK, Pa, May 3l-The Associated
Press correspondent is on a special train
/ enroute TO the scene of the disaster s.:
| The telegraph wires being down absolute
! ~ for six or seven miles below the i'm
mediate scene and being in unavoidable
shape for three or four miles distant 1t
was after O'Clock before the accurate
outline of the effect of the tidal wave
could be learned. The chief officials of
the Pttsburg end of the main
line of the Pennsylvania railroad
received most of their first informstic
from the signal tower at Sank Hollow,
six miles west of Johnstown. At quarter
of o'clock a boy was rescued by the
men in the signal tower of the railroad
| company. His name is unknown, but he
said that with his father, mother, brother
and two sisters be was swept over the
| breast of the new stone railroad bridge at
johnston, that il capsiz d in q few sec
onds and they we're ell drowned so far a.
| ne could tell. The railroad operator
| officially reports that before dark they
were able to count ll9 persons
clinging to buildings and
wreckage or drowned and floating
in the current. If this Information is 20
be discredised, the damage to the town
proper must be in the measure OF clean
sweep. As early Is ! O'Clock, an alarm
was sent 70 JohnstoFn that there was
danger from the dam. Railroad officials
were notified, snd III very short time
/ began 10 carry people from the town 70
! places of safety on regular trains and
| hastily improvised rescuing trains.
| HARRISBURG, Pa, May 3I.-A great land
slide is reported at L}ly's Station. Water
/ Is said to be ten feet deep on the Penn
| sylyania railroad tracks. Dispatches re-
celved up to midnight at the office vi the
Pennsylvania railroad indicate that the
/ situation i hourly growing worse. The
| effects of the storm are now being
felt on the middle division
OF chat road, extending between Harris
/ burg and Altoona. Land slides and
washouts are reported along the line be
tween these two places. No trains have
/ been sent out west of Harrisburg uutil
| the storm sbRtes aud the extent of dam
! age canuot be ascertaiued.
WmLtAMsPoRr, Pa, May 31.-The re.
ports at 10 O'Clock tonight are alarming
from points up the river. At C.earheld
the water Is considerably higbe- lhAa 10
1850. Two or three bridge arc carried
away, and there are fears Tor
the safety Of the boom at L0cahayen-
A large force of men are a work on tno
boom here trying to make il secure. Inc
water Is expected 90 reach sixteen tee4
by morning. Il is feared that fifteen
million feet of logs in Lovalsock creek
will be lost. Il il still raining hard here
Blaze at WoneWoc