The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-06-07
Flood and Fire.

The greatest catastrophe ever witnessed
in the United States occurred at Johnstown
on Friday last. The North Fork reservoir,
above the town, broke about o'clock p. m
and the immense volume of water rushed
down TO the city, carrying with it deathf
and destruction.
The awful torrent came down the narrow
defle between the mou ntains, distance of
miles and wi til fall of 800 feet in that
distance, sweeping away the villages of
South Fork, Mineral Point, Woodvale and
Conemaug, leaving but one building stand
Jog, wooden mill, where but an hour before
had stood hundreds, and dashing on with
the roar of cataract and the speed of the
wind upon the fair city at the foot of the
hills.
The plain in which but yesterday sal
Johnstown sits in the mountains like a
jewel in a queens diadem. The great
Gautier Steel Works sat in this plain and
the city below it, the railroad tracks bound
north
Thousands of dead lay in heaps in Johns
towns streets. Thousands more were
carried by the raging flood down the Allie
gheny river and into the Ohio. Direct
communication was established with Johns
town, and just before midnight bull
letins began to arrive by wire. "fThere are
5000 dead" came from the telegraph in
strument. "There are 5000 dead followed
and few minutes later another thousand
was added TO the estimate. AT o'clock
Monday morning it was announced that
10000 are dead. The money less is meal
cuable, but it will go high up in the mill
lions. From all points of Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and
New York come reports of the loss of prop
erty and life. Richmond and Washington
are flooded. The Chesapeake and Ohio
canal is hopelcssly ruined Two whole
passenger trains, with their living freight,
have been washed from the rails of the
Pennsylvania road. Bridges are swept away,
roads washed out and portions of towns in
undated. No such catastrophe has ever
occurred in the United States before
: The scene is thus epitomized by reporters
who succeeded in reaching the places dew
as.ated by The flood:
THE FATAL BRIDGE.
Here is where the trains were standing
when the tide of water like caapult came
down upon them with such resistless force
that the heavy trains, locomotives, Pull
mans and all were overturned and swept
down the torrent and were lodged against
the great stone viaduct along with Al loco
: natives from the Johnstown roundhouse,
the heavy machinery and ponderous Frame
work of the Gautier mill, the accumulated
debris of more than 1000 houses, furniture,
bridges, Lumber, drift and human beings.
The low arches Of the stone vladuct choked
up Immediately, and the water backed back
over the entire level Of the valley upon
which the city stood to the depth of what,
from the water marks, indicates about SO
feet. In the great sea thus formed hun
dreds, perhaps thousands, Of people were
struggling for life.
FLAMES LEND THEIR AID.
The scene TO day, Monday, is one Of the
most narrowing possible for the Imagination
of man to conceive. The accumulated drift
gorged up at the viaduct to height of 40
feet, and then took fire from the upsetling
OF stoves or lamps. Then were strong men
made sick at the sight. AS the flames
cracked and roared among the timber Of
the floating houses human being, were seen
pinioned between the house roofs, locomo-
tives. iron beams, freight, passenger, Pull
man and baggage cars, heavy iron beams,
the greedy flames licking with haste their
diet of human flesh.
The scene was horrible beyond descrip-
ton. From infancy few days old to the
wasted figures of age were burned before the
eyes ofthe beholders, and no rescue from
such fate was possible. Strong men turn
ed away with agonized expressions and
Women SnTlekeu dt the horror Vi the scene.
The dead have been computed at no less
than 5000 and the number may even ey-
coed this estimate, and 10000 is moderate
| figure.
THE RUSH OF THE FLOOD.
A Pennsylvania railroad supervisor gives
a graphic description of the scene at Johns
town when the waters from the South Fork
dam reached the town. He said:
"The destruction is terrible. The dump
at Johnstown is gone between the bridge
and the town. The track west of Johnstown
at some points is entirely carried away and
The roadbed gone.
FLAMES AID THE WATER.
"The river for tire quarters Of mile
above The bridge is filled with buildings and
drift 40 feet high, which is on fire. The
fire is raging and entirely beyond control.
BETWEEN TWO DEATHS.
This huge pile ofdebriS was full Of living
human beings, and when they saw the flames
and knew that they were placed between
two deaths their shrieks for aid were heart
rending.
There must have been 500 or 900
living persons clinging to that funeral pyre,
and do not think one of them escaped,