The Washington critic., 1889-06-01
THE DISASTROUS FLOOD.

days have raised the rivers in the East
ern States TO such an extent that greater
foods have resulted than have been
known in many years. The Signal
Officer ut Harper's Ferry telegraphel
this morning: River is within two feet
of being as high as in 1877 and still
rising. Water In Shenandoah street is
TO 10 feet deep. My office Is rocking
and am making preparations To aban
don n. Great damage TO railroad
pier. All kinds of heavy drift run.
ming.
The greatest distress and loss Of life
occurred at Johnstown, Pa. Johnstown' $
geographical situation Is one that
renders II peculiarly liable to terrible
loss Of life in the event Of such casu-
atty as that reported last night II Is Il
town built in a basin of the mountains
and girt about by streams, all of which
finally find their way into the Allie
ghany River, and thence into the Ohio
On one side of the town flows the Cone
maugh River, u stream which during
the dry periods of the summer drought
can be readily crossed in many places
by stepping from stone to stone, but
which speedily becomes raging noun
tain torrent when swollen by the
spring freshets or heavy summer rains.
On the other side of the town is the
Stony Creek, which gathers up its own
share of the mountain rains and whirls
them along toward Pittsburg.
The town is practically submerged
beneath a torrent of water, and hun.
dreds of its people-how many hundreds
no man knows---are dead. The lowest
estimates place the loss of life al 200,
while some reports indicate that not
less than 1000 souls perished in the
awful cataract of water that poured into
the place this afternoon. tits impos-
siole to ascertain the exact facts Of the
disaster. Telegraphic communication
with the deluged town was entirely cut
off all night. II is not even known how
near to Johnstown the trains will be
able to run. as the track Is probably
submerged for many miles.
The first news of the disaster was re.
ccived in Pittsburg late yesterday after
noon, when telegraph operator on the
Pennsylvania Railroad signal tower at
Sang Hollow, twelve miles below
Johnstown, reported that he had seen
not less than seventy-five, dead bodies
floating down the Conemaugh River
past his station. He telegraphed that
as nearly as could be ascertained the
reservoir above Johnstown, swollen by
the recent rains, had suddenly given
way at 8 o'clock In the afternoon, pre-
cipitating its thousands Of gallons Of
water into the town, sweeping away
houses and factories as though they
were chips. in millrace and drowning
hundreds Of people. The operator also
reported that no trains were running
east of Blairsville, whichis twenty five
miles west of Johnstown. H'
The awfulflood caused by the sudden
outpouring Of the contents of town
reservoir, together with the torrents of
rain that had already swollen these
streams to triple their usual violence Is
supposed to be the cause of the sudden
submersion of Johnstown and the
drowning of so many of its citizens
The water, unable to find its way
rapidly enough through its usual chau-
nels, piled up in overwhelming masses.
carrying before 1t iteverything that OBJ
structed Its onward rush upon the
town.
The latest information comes
through Pennsylvania Railroad officials,
who aver that over 200 dead bodies
have been counted floating down the
stream from ,Iohnstown alone, while
along the line many additional lives
have been lost. II is asserted that
there are but two houses in Johnstown
proper, entirely above the water Tine.
Wrecked and dismantled houses,
barns, shops and portions of manufac-
turing establishments are constantly
coming down the stream, many of
them laden with the dead bodies of
men, women, children and domestic
animals
Johnstown is on the main line of the
Pennsylvania Railroad 276 miles from
Philadelphia and rs from Pittsburg. It
is the headquarters of the great Cam
bria Iron Company, and its acres of
iron works fill the narrow basin in
which the city is situated. The rolling
ing mill and Bessemer Sleel Works Ell
ploy 5000 men. The mountains rise
quite abruptly ON almost all sides aud
the railroad track, which follows the
turbulent course of the Conemaugh
River, is above the level of the iron
works, which must have been inundated
by the flood.
The telegraph wires being down for
six or seven miles below the immediate
scene of the disaster and being in un-
workable shape for three or four miles
distance, 1t was at least 1880 o. clock be.
fore an accurate outline of the tidal
wave could be learned. The chief Off
cials of the Pittsburg end of the main
line of the Pennsylvania Road received
their first information from the signal
tower at Sang Hollow. west of Johns.
town. At aquartcr of 8 O'Clock boy
was rescued in the signal tower of the
railroad company. His name is un.
known, but he said that with his father,
mother, brother and two sisters he was
swept away in the light frame house
which was their home.
At o'clock this morning Pittsburg
correspondent of the Philadelphia Press,
connected with the Pittsburg Dispatch
telegraphed: 1--WE have heard nothing
Of our train or men, and don't know
how near they got TO Johnstown. We
know nothing of what we can expect
The wires all around MS are down. The
disaster at Johnstown, from all avail
able accounts, was terrible affair.
Some reports have il that at least 900
were drowned.
Everything at Harrisburg, Pa, is
deluged. The greatest damage done is
along the flats bordering on Paxton
Creek, ordinarily very shallow, mar
row stream. Last evening, however,
the great bulk of water burst its banks
and that portion of the city known as
"Sibletown" was overlooked and the
water began to rise at rapid rate. Peo-
pie seized what they could and fled in
terror, scarcely getting out with their
| lives. In some instances men had TO
carry out their wives and children. As.
sistance was prompt and the flooded
portion was soon depopulated, Those
rendered homeless by the flood have