Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-06-05

named Mrs. Fem stood by muddy pool
of water trying to find some trace of once
happy home. She was half crazed with
grief, and her eyes were red and swollen
As the writer stepped to her side she raised
her pale and haggard face and remarked:
"They are all gone. Oh! God, be merci-
full to them. My husband and my seven
dear little children have been swept down
by the flood and am left alone. We were
driven by the raging flood into the garrett,
but the waters followed US there. Inch by
inch it kept rising, until our heads were
crushed against the roof. 1t was death to
remain. So I raised the window and one
by one placed my darlings on some drift
wood, trusting to the Great Creator. AS I
liberated the last one, my sweet little boy,
he looked at me and said: Mamma, you
always told me that the Lord would care
for me; will He look after me now?' I saw
him drift away with his loving face turned
toward me, and with prayer on my lips
for his deliveranoe he passed from sight
forever. The next moment the roof
crashed in, and 1 floated outside to be
rescued fifteen hours later from the roof OF
house in Kernville. If could only find
one of my darlings could bow to the will
of God, but they are all gone. I have lost
everything on earth now but my life, ard
will return to my old Virginia home, and
lay me down for my last great Sleep"
Mrs. Fem is: native of Richmond,
Va, being the daughter of the late Stephen
Sullivan who died in Richmond in 1876
Her brother, Patrick H. Sullivan, has gone
to Johnstown for his bereaved sister,
EPETFFssBUaaE, PA-,J June The raging
storms that have prevailed through Penn
sylvania the past few days have resulted in
an appalling loss of life The scene of a
terrible disaster is at Johnstown, Pa, in
Cambria county, on the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad and the Conemaugh river. About
fourteen miles northeast of the town is a
reservoir owned by a rich fishing club. 1t
is the largest reservoir in the United States,
being three and half miles long and from
one to one and half miles wide. Its depth
in some places is 100 feet. 1t holds more
water than any other reservoir, natural or
artificial, in the United States. 1t was held
in check by dam. 1t is 80 feet in thick
ness at the base and the height is ITO feet.
The top has breadth of over 20 feet. 1t
was inspected once month by the Penn
sylvania railroad engineers, and their in
vestigation shows that nothing less than
some CONFUSION of nature would tear the
barrier away and loosen the weapon of
death. The steady rains of the past twen-
ty-four hours increased the volume of wa
ter IN all the mountain streams which were
already swelled by the lesser rains early in
the week.
From the best information obtainable at
this time it is evident that something in the
nature of a clond- burst must have the culmi-
nation of the struggle of water against the
embankment. The difficulty of obtaining
definite information added tremendously to
the excitement and apprehension. The
course of the torrent from the broken dam
az the foot OF the lake to Johnstown is al
most eighteen miles, and with the exception
OF at one point the water passed through
narrow V-shaped valley. Four miles below
the dam lay the town of South Fork, where
the South Fork irself emptes into Cone
maugh river.
The town contained about 1000 inhabi-
tants 1t has not been heard from, but it
is SAID that four ffchs of it has been swept
away. Four miles further down, on the
Conemsugh river, was the town of Mineral
Point 1t had 500 inhabitants, and 90 per
cent. of the houses were on fiat close to
the river. 1t seems impossible at this time
to hope that any of them have escaped. Six
miles further down was the town of Cone
maugb, and here alone was there topo.
graphical possibility of the spreading of the
flood and the breaking of its force. 1t con-
tanned 1850 inhabitants. and must be al
most devastated. Woodva!e, with 1000
people, lay mile below Conemaugh in
fat, and one mile further down were Johns
town and its cluster of sister towns, Cam
bria and Conemaughborough, with total
population of 80, 900, on made ground, and
stretched along right at the rivers verge
were the immense iron-works of the Cam
bria Iron aud Steel Company, who have
S., 900 ,00G Invested in their plant. Besides
this there are many other large industrial
establishments On the bank Of the river, the
damage to which connot be estimated.