The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-06-11
HARD AT WORK.
Good Progress Made in Removing
the Debris at Johnstown by
Machinery and Dynamite.
Reports of the Prevalence OF Contag-
ious Diseases in the District Said
to rave Been Exaggerated.
Million Dollars to be Expended by the
state in Repairing the Damage
Done by the Flood.

II
the work at the stone bridge to day has
been more satisfactory than any so far.
| The stationery engine on the bridge has
done more work than fifty men. The
masses of broken and bent iron and the
| immense timbers which the men have been
| trying TO move for days were lifted from
| their places and moved with ease Four
| teen more of these great helpers have been
sent for. A heavy charge of dynamite wss
set OF to-day and did great deal of
| good. Ii demonstrated that heavy chsTge
| must be used in order 10 do any good.
/ Three bodies were found to-day near the
stone bridge.
All the commissary stations are kept
busy. At the Cambria one a vast amount
of provisions and clothes has been dis
tributed. Long lines of sufferers stood in
the heat and rain waiting their turn. No
one is furnished without an order, and
every department is under the strictest
discipline. The most excellent work is be
ing done here. Some good work is being
done at the AmeIicus club cOmmissary.
The hurried burial of the dead in the
Prospect Hill cemetery is causing the resi-
dents of that beautiful suburb OF Johns
town a great deal of annoy ance, and may
The bodies were placed in cheap collins
and none were secure. The Odor from the
decomposed bodies arising to the surface
attract a number of dogs. who make night
hideous by bowling and paving over the
graves, The collins were put only three
feet under ground, as there was no time To
dig the graves deeper, and II was found
necessary to place guards IN the little
cemetery contaiding the 200 graves to drive
the dogs away. TO day DIR. Miller in
structed the Americus club members, who
are in camp near the cemetery,
to secure a disinfectGnt and place
IL on the graves, thus killing
the odor. There were thirty five bodies
recovered to-day, eleven of them at the
stone bridge. Those taken out of the
water were in much better condition than
those found among the debris. The latter
were not only bloated and horribly distOrt-
ed in feature but decomposition had set in,
and the stencil arising therefrOm WAS so
unbearable the men at the various mOrgues
found 10 a disagreeable duty TO wash them
The list OF the unknown is growing as the
means of Identification become more
obscure.
The report that Dr. Sibbet OF June S, ad.
dressed to DIR. Goff may be given in brief
as follows: Fourth ward school house
morgue, bodies recovered, 2ls; PennsyI-
vania Railroad moTgue, 1872: Moorville
morgue, l2S; St Columbia church mOrgue
in Cambria City, $50; Hawes mOrgue, IS;
Millville, 58; Grandview Chapel, lis; Olo
N1ncNan. INDIANA county,. uOTEue, 90, y lu-
evah proper, 2S3; total $50.
The official bulletin of the state board of
health issued today says: Reports re-
ceived last evening from the inspectors of !
this board show the favorable condition |
stated in the first report continues. No i
contagious disease of any kind prevails. |
There are few cases of q mild type of /
no signs of any epidemic The |
bodies still in the wreck are SO covered /
with earth as not to be dangerous to health. /
her IL var htIn IA a
prevent the contamination of the water \
supply for the towns below JOhDstOwn.
There Is no ground for alarm in this mat
ter at present"
Mr.. scott said this afternoon: "The |
work will continue as It has until Wednes-
day, when everything will be handed over
TO the state. We are obtaining some sort |
Of system, and have finally brought some
kind of order out of chaos. The work of
relief will have to continue until the peO-
pie can take hold for themselves. When
the Cambria Iron Works and other mills
resume, the people will be able to earn
money. The great aim at present is g give
the survivors work. The line of charity
will gradually shade into that of ability OF
taking care of themselves. Until that
time has come the people will have 10 be
taken care of.
Mr. Munson, who is in charge Of the re-
moval of the bodies from the ruins, says
hat up to this date be had found over
5000 in money in the pockets OF victims.
4 he largest sum was S3. ia -.
Private DalZell has written a letter to the
Associated Press in which he says the
widows and orphans whose husbands and
fathers were drawing pensions on the day
lf the great calamity are entitled TO the ac-
,rded pensions due the soldier at the time
If his death, aud no longer. This also Ap-
plies to those whose pension claims were
He further suggests that all the
insurance companies should publish list
)f the persons having policies in their
srr mi. ~, .1.A
n many cases the policies are lost.
An important meeting was held here
at which Gov. Beaver, Adlu-
Hastings and others were
present. A general discussion of the sit
nation was had. Chairman MeCreery, of
he relief committed, said he thought
{ was time the committee was
relieved of the work of clearing away the
iebris by the state The governor said ali
he necessary money could be raised; that
here were 200 men who would become re-
,pOnsible for 5000 each; that he would
1--WE his bond to the state treasurer for
Il, 900, 900, with those 200 men as
and the state treasurer
would then pay out $1,000. 900 for the
necessary work. When the legislature
meets the money withdrawn from the
could be appropriated. He said the
money already subscribed should be used
entirely for the relief of the sufferers, and
he money from the state treasury should
D. used for restoring the vicinity 10 its con
lltlOn before The Hood. All debts already
for the removal of the debris
paid out for this purpose from the relief
und should be refunded, so that every
,ent subscribed for the relief of the strick-
IN people should be used for that purpose
Alone. The governor has S25O,OO0 in
lis hands now for the relief fund. A com
nittee OF seven well known men of the
tate will be appointed TO distribute the re-
ief fund, and the present relief committee
5 10 continue until the commission Is ap-
pointed. In an intervivw Gov. Beaver
aid: "The funds which have come into
ny hands from so many quarters outside
Il the state. and which have been imposed
lpon me as q sacred trust, will be expend-
d wholly and absolutely for the benefit of
Individual sufferers. No part of il will be
in the work, which is legitimate
y the domain Of the state under its police
,Owers."