Democratic messenger., 1889-06-08
Appalling Scenes of Johnstown
Destruction.
A TERRIBLE TIME (!
The Decaying Mass of Flesh may
Cause Contagion.
SOME HEROIC DEEDS
Several Hungarians Lynched for
Despoiling the Victims
Of Valuables,

has ever visited the Eastern States struck
Western Pennsylvania Friday. Its great.
est horrors were felt at Johnstown, where
about 10000 lives were lost.
The food at Johnstown Pa, has resulted
In an awful castastrophe The reservoir
above the town broke about five o'clock
Friday morning, and the immense volume
Of water rushed down to the city, carrying
with Il death and destruction. Houses
with their occupants were swept away,
and thousands and thousands Of people
were drowned. There Is no communica.
ton with Johnstown, but telegraph op.
orator on the Pennsylvania tower at Sang
Hollow, twelve miles this side Of Johns
town, says at least 5000 people must have
perishcd.
| THE UNFORTUNATE TOWN.
Johnstown Is situated In Cambria
county, at the junction OF Stony creek and
Concmaugh river. on the Pennsylvania
Railroad and canal, on the western slope
of the Alleganies. 7S miles east Of Pitts.
bnrgh, and is connected with Baltimore
by the Somerset and Cambria Railroad,
running from Somerset, on the Pittsburg
Division of the Baltimore and Ohio, to
Johnstown. The Somerset and Cambria
Branch was opened November 3, 1881, the
occasion being marked by large excur-
sion Of business men from Baltimore. The
population of Johnstown is about $4,000,
over 5000 Of whom are employed In the
Cambria Iron Works, among the greatest
in this country. The payroll Of the
company is $4OO, 900 n month, and 5000
tons OF coal are used every year. The works
turn out iron, steel and other products in
immense quantities. The works cover
many acres of ground. and the company
owns fifteen thousand acres in and around
Johnsiown. tccming with iron ore and
limestone.
The estimates of the losses of the Cam
bria Iron Company given is from $1,000
900, TO Sa,5OO,OOO. But little Of this can
bc recovered.
How THE FLOOD CAME.
Mr. Grouse, proprietor of the South
Fork Fishing Club Hotel, came To Johns.
town this afternoon. lie says that when
the dam of Conemaugh lake broke the
water seemed to leap. scarcely touching
the ground II bounded down the valley,
crushing everything before il. For mile
It's front seemed like n solid wall % fee,
high.
The warning given the stricken city
was sent from South Fork village by
Freight Agen, Dcchcit. When the great
wall that held the body Of water together
began to crumblc at the top he sen, mes.
sage begging the people of Johns,own for
Gods sake to take to the hills lie reports
no serious accidents at South Fork.
THEY WE'RE USED To WARNINGS. o
Richard DAVIS ran 10 Prospect Hill
when the water raised. As TO Mr.. Decherts
message he says just such have 6een sen,
down at each food since the lake was
made. The warning so oflcn proved use
less that little attention was paid to II this
time.
II cannot describe the mad rush." he
said. AT first II looked like dust. That
must have been the spray. Icould see
houses going down before Il like child's
play blocks set on edge In a row. As IL
came nearer could see houses tottcr for
moment, then rise and the next moment
be crushed like eggshells against each
other. Mrs. James Davis. her two daught.
ers and a son can nowhere be found.
AT Woodville there was row Of brick
tenement houses i20 feet long and three
stories high. II stood broadsidc 10 the
current. A few tenants fled, but many
went Ia their attics to watch the Hood.
To-day scarcely the foundation of the row
Of brick houses can he found.
NEW HORRORS EVERY HOUR
Each hour reveals some new and horri.
bile story of suffering and outrage, and
every succeeding hour brings news of
swim and meriied punishment metcd out
TO the fiends who have dared to desccrate
the stiff and mangled c0rpses In the city
Of the dead and torture the already half
crazed victims Of the cruclcst 0f modern
catastrophies.
As the roads to the lands around about
are opened, tales Of almost mlescribable
horror come 10 light, and deeds Of the
vilest nature, perpctated in the darkness
Of the night, are brought to light. just
as the shadows began 10 fall upon the
earth last evening party Of IL lIungar-
ians were noticed stcalthyly picking their
way along the banks Of the COncmaugh
toward Sang Hollow. Suspicious Of their
purpose, several farmers armed themselves
and started in pursuit.
soon their most horrible fears were
realized. The llungarians were out Tor
plumber. Lying upon the shore they came
upon the dead and manglcd body of
woman upon whose person there were
number of,rinkcts of jewclry and two
diamond rings.
In their cagerness To secure the plumber
the IIuugarians go, into squabblc. dur
Ing which one of the number severed the
finger upon which were the rings, and
started ON run with his fearful prize.
The revolving nature Of the deed so
wrought upon the pursuing farmers. who
by this time were close at hand, that they
gave immediate chase. Some Of the Hun
garians showed fight, hut, being outnum-
bered. were compelled to lice for their
lives. Nine of the bruies escaped, but
foui were literally driven into the surging
river and To their death. The inhuman
monster. whose alrocious act has been de-
scribed, was among the number ot invol.
nnlary suicides.
TWO HANGED.
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