The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-22

not have lived even longer.
From Johnstown to consmRugh vladuet
by Night,
TO he EdliOT d ths hltsltgmea.
SIN; Thinking that a few notes on
the great flood by one who has recently
passed through the valley OF death and
destruction, would prove OF interest to
your readers, | will pen you a few notes
gathered while passing through 1t,
! left Wheeling on the 4;20 p. IN.
train and arrived at YOUNGSTOWN at 10 p
N. We stopped at the west end Of the
bridge, awaiting the departure Of q train
preceding us, The stop was fully hall
IN hour giving the passengers a good
opportunity to get of and view the
ruins.
The sight at once was appalling, The
acres Of debris above the bridge was
burning, Amid the lurid flames hun
dreds Of workmen, barred 10 the waist,
could be seen climbing to and fro over
the DRIFT, carrying pals OF oil and throw
ing II upon tho tangled mass Of houses
and trees, In which hundreds OF human
beings and thousands Of dead animals
lie buried, To complete the destruction
Of what remained OF tine death dealing
food, The flames shot high in the air
and spread a wild and wlerd light upon
the surrounding country; siCkening
fumes arose from the burning flesh Of
man and beast, and all Combinedto make
the scene one Of horror ipdesCrib-
able, Governor Foraker was a passen-
ger on the same train, and stood upon
the bridge In silence looking upon the
scene. His face had q care.worn look,
yet, through II you could see the great
heart that takes in the whole country
in Its sorrow for the dead and charity
for the living,
In passing on to the depot, the school
house, the only building spared by the
mericiless flood, is q most notable fea,
tpTe. Alone, surrounded by acres OF
debris, II stands intact, What more ilt'
ting monument 10 the great Free School
system OF our country could be ereCted2
On tho higher ground innumerable tents
are erected, reminding me Of the dark
days OF the rebellion and the encamp'
ment Of a mighty army.
Before leaving Johnstown 1t was my
good fortune to form the acquaintance
OF Mr.. II, Millholland, William Humea
and w. {. Dunbar, OF the construction
staff OF the Pennsylvania Railroad, who
pointed out to me the various points oil
most interest from Johnstown to the
yiaduct, beyond Conemaugh. Allalong
the line through the valley electric light
stations are established TO furnish light
TO the vast army OF workmen engaged in
rebuilding the road. All through the
valley hundreds Of freight, passenger,
coal cars and locomotives can be seen
strewn about, as q box OF matches scat.
tered TO the winds. We made a short
stop at Conemaugh, where ! saw one Of
the survivors, who informed me that
the flood came like u mighty moving
mountain, 40 feet high, and in an In
slant oil was swept before 1t. From
here iorty.seyen locomotives were swept
away by the rush OF waters, some being
carried a distance Of three and q hall
miles. Nothing but a vast bed Of rocks
remain where this once thriving little
village stood.
A short distance east Of Conemaugh
one OF the most remarkable features Of
the force OF the flood can be seen. II
was here that a road bed for the four
tracks was blasted out OF solid rock for a
a distance OF several hundred feet, but
the flood cut 1t away to q depthCf sixty.
five feet and back to the face otthe rocky
heights above the track. From Cone.
mangh we move on slowly and safely
until we come TO the great vladuct pro.
nounCed by all to have been one oil the
most substantial pieces OF masonry on
the road, and one OF its most historic
points. Nothing but q few stones Of the
west pier remain TO mark the spot where
this once grand structure stood. We
pass over II on a trestle bridge, the mar.
vel Of all railroad engineering, So feet
high and about 600 feet long. Talk
about tho matChless enterprise OF the
Pennsylvania railroad, II must DO seen
TO DO realized. Pullman sleeping and
dining cars are scattered all through the
valley which arc being used ferthe COM
fort Of the Thousands Of men engaged In
reconstructing the road. Some say 1t is
a soullcss corporation, but in passing all
along the line the truth stands out in
bold reliefthat they have not been un.
mindful Of the comfort OF the horny
handed laborer.
Before closing, a word to the weary
traveller who Is fortunate enough TO meet
Messrs. Millholland, Hume and Dunbar.
The CHEEKY face Of Millholland can
"smile" upon all occasions, never
gloomy; Hume Is q second editor Of
Puck, ~unexCelled In Irish wit and story
telling; Ministerial Dunbar, well, he is
hard 10 fathom, but be gets there all
the same. Taken all together, they are
a genial and happy trio, hard to beat,
South Bethlehem, June IS,
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