Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-12

okN. HASTINGS WILL BE READY TO COMMENCE ~
EARNEST TOMORROW WITH A RIO BODY OF MIN
THE PEOPLE ALL TAGGED OUT AND BkoIx-
MING TO REALIZE THE -RUE SITUATION
JoHSsrowS. Pa, June l2-The borough Of
Johnstown and the surrounding towns are now
under military rule. At o'clock this morning
Gen. Hastings took charge. and soldiers were
placed on guard duty at all the commissary
stations and morgges. A slight rain has been
falling all the morning, and the city presents
most dismal appearance. Everything n tur-
mol and confusion, and little or no work 10
being done. For the first time since the work
has commenced the men seemed tagged out
ana are not IN hurry 10 get TO work How
ever. all the men at the morgues and the re-
lief committees are still hard at work Ths
sufferers were at the commissary stations ~
early as usual this morning. and stood around
IN the rain for several hours before they we're
served. They have the same distressed look
tnat they have had ever since the food and 20
days roll on they do not seem TO liven up any.
In fact, the people here-that is. the resi-
dents-are just commencing to realize fully
the terrible ordeal they have gone through
The excitement has kept them up until now,
but since the excitement has been diving ous
they are
NOW CONSCIOUS OF THE SITUATION,
and IT number of suicides do not follow is
Will be something remarkable. For the first
time since the calamity the people are COM
menclRg 10 talk of their financial losses and
this seems to worry them much as anything
else, and TO say that a vast number OF the
former merchants are disheartened is putting
II mildly. On all sides YOU will hear these
merchants exclaim: 1t is no use; we will never
recover from Mis-. we have lost everything"
The 1ttsburg wholesale merchants who are
here are trying to comfort them and are Offer
ing all the old merchants some very elegant in
ducements to start up again. A circular has
been receivedby these men from several Pitts
burg merchants Offering them all the credit
they want. All the laborers employed by Booth
d Flynn and all the volunteer and other work
men were paid off at the club house this morn
ing by the finance committee. Over four
thousand men surrounded the place, and it WAS
with considerable difficulty that they were
paid. number of them forgot their numbers
and 1t caused no end of trouble. The payroll
altogether amounted to about $4,000
Gen. Hastings states that the work of clear
| ing away the debris under the direction of the
| state will commence in earnest tomorrow
] morning. James Mcknight of Pittsburg, has
rh.
! Will have 1000 men at work tomorrow morn
| ing. An Altoona contractor and two other con-
tractors from the eastern end of the state have
also been selected TO do work for the state
| The contractor sent here from Maryland by
| Gov. Beaver has been left out In the cold. He
was TO have 5000 men at work but when he
came here he did not have a hundred men,
and wanted TO go into a combination with Jas
Mcknight but the latter refused and the Mary
iand gentleman went home sadder but prob
| ably wiser man.
GOING TO WORK IN EARNEST.
General Hastings, in an interview this morn
ing, said: Il have now taken charge Of this
work, and it will be work in earnest and not ON
! paper. The time for red-tape foolishness is
passed, and intend to push this work to a I'm
lsh. no matter who II pleases or displeases. 1
| have been placed in such position that can
proceed expeditiously and propose to do IT.
You can hear lots of criticism. but we will not
listen to anything of that kind am about
tired OF all this 'tomfoolery,' and what We want
/ here Is business men TO work on business prin-
| clples. have detailed soldiers every place
possibly could, and intend to get all the work
out OF them that Is possible. The
state has to pay for the work, and
If it is in my power intend to see that il 10
| done as it should be. To-day we will do little
! or nothing. This is of course on account Of
the changing OF the rule and the wet weather.
! by Tomorrow We will be at work in earnest
| and at least 5000 men will be employed One
! thousand workmeh leave New York this after
| noon and at least 500 will be sent from Pitts
burg. have given the employment of these
| men into the hands of four contractors and
| will hold them responsible. have no idea
how long IT vi take to clean up the place, but
| am afraid there will be very little of the
governors million after the work is DONE"
Will you clean out the cellars of the build
ing?" was asked.
well, that is a question cannot answer at
present. Ii there Is money enough left We
will. but we want to first get the town cleaned
up"
FREEZE-oUr SCHEME sToPPED.
Hon. VIM. Finn, Of Pittsburg, arrived here
last night just in time to stop scheme which
was on foot to freeze out all the Pennsylvania
contractors. Governor Beaver wanted one man
to take charge OF all the work and sent him TO
look into the matter. In the meantime Mr..
/ Finn vas in Pittsburg arranging for about
| l,500 men, and had them engaged when he re-
ceived telegram from Gen. Hastings telling
him not to hire any more men and to come to
| Jchnstown Immediately. He accordingly ar
| rived late last night aud had consultation
with Gen. Hastings. The general informed the
| Pittsburg contractor that Gov. Beaver had
man TO take charge of the work. Finn inquired
| If the contractor had any men here with him
and was informed that he had not.
We'll" said Finn, "let HIM go on with his
work. will have nothing 10 do with the mat
| ter. L thought L was TO be consulted in this
\ matter and have already hired l.JU0 men. but
1 will give them orders to remain where they
are and let this mar 60 ahead. | don't want
any contract myself and only have an interest
so far as far play is concerned There are
| four contractors here who volunteered their
services. and il 1 have any say at all want
them employed"
| Gov. Beavers man was called in and be
stated that it would be impossible for him TO
get men unless he got the men that the other
| contractors had. but he would be willing to pay
the contractors for their time. This rolled both
] General Hastings and Mr.. Finn, and the result
was that Beavers man was left out in the cold
! and this morning Mr.. Flinn's smile assumed
gigantic proportions.
Damage from Overflow i'm Illinois.
DECATUR, ILL.,, June l2.-The sudden high
water in the Sangamon river has done great
damage to bottom lands crops andNhss broken
through four levees built at a cost of $4,000.
The leyees had redeemed nearly 1000 acres ef
] land but they were not built high enough.
The bottoms are overfowed for miles. but the
river now lacks foot Of reaching its highest
point. 1t rose Is inches in twelve hours yssr
! terday.
OVER ONE HUNDRED KILLED.
Sad Accfdanf fn Sunday SchnnI IT,