Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-05
,.bostown, I'm Pennsylvania, q
valley of Surging Waters.
ADDE'S FLOATING IN STREAM
One of the Most Disastrous
Storms Ever known Visits
Pennsylvania and Virginia
DESTRUCTION EVERYWHERE

uboIe villages Swept Away by the Rush
If Pent-Up Waters-A Tornado Rushes
Through the C~ountry-How 1t Dam
aged a Part of virginia-Every Hour
pr,ups News of Fresher and More Ter
rible Disasters.
prrrsBuRG, May 31.-A freshet is re-
,orted in the North Fork river east OF
Tobnstown. Pa, in Allegheny county. Two
,bi,Is OF Johnstown are said to be under
eater, and railroad and telegraph lines are
washed out. Pittsburg has had no wire
communication with Johnstown for hours.
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
PrrsBURG, May 3O.-The food at Johns
town resulted in an awful catastrophe. II
il SAID the reservoir above the town broke
at about 5 O'Clock, this evening, and an
immense volume OF water rushed down to
tLe city, carrying with it death and de.
struction. Houses, with their occupants.
we're swept away and many people
drowned. .a.. lra
lueTb rs uO COuu WIN ~
town yet, but the telegraph operators in
The Pennsylvania railroad tower at Sang
Hollow, IL miles this side OF Johnston u,
say that at least rs dead bodies have
Aoated past. The wires are all down, and
no trains are running east OF Blairsvi lie,
about 25 miles west OF Johnstown.
There is no way to go to the scene OF dis.
sstsr aud full particulars can hardly be
obtained, tonight, although very effort is
beiue made to do So. There will be no
trains through to the east before to-
morrow.
THE SCENE Of THE GREAT DISASTER.
BRADDocK, Pa, May 31.-En route to
the scene OF the disaster. The telegraph
wires being down absolutely for six or
even miles below the immediate scene OF
tbe disaster, and being in unavoidable
shape three or four miles distant, it was at
least half past seven O'Clock before an
accurate outline of the effect OF the tidal
wave could be learned. The chief officials
Of the Pittsburg end OF the main line OF
the Pennsylvania railroad, received most
Of their first information from the signal
tower at Sang Hollow, six miles west OF
Johnstown. sr@
At q quarter of 8 o'clock a boy was
rescued by men in the signal tower OF the
railroad. His name is unknown but he
said with father and neither and two sis
tefs, he
WAS SWEPT OVER
the breast Of the new stone railway bridge
at Youngstown; that it capsized a few
seconds later and they were all drowned 80
far as he could tell.
The railroad operator officially reports
that, before dark, they were able to count
11S persons cliDging to buildings,
Ereckage or drowned and floating in the
current. If this information is to be credit
ed. the damagssin town to property must
be in the nature Of a clean sweep.
As early as 1 o'clock an
alarm was sent to YOUNGSTOWN
that there was danger from the dam. The
railroad officials were notified, and in a
very short time began to carry people from
the town to a place of safety On the regular
trains and hastily improvised trains. Sup
eintendent Pitcairn OF the western division
Of the Pennsylvania railroad, was on his
way to the South Fork and was notified OF
the impending trouble. -... -
COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
G~REENBURG, Pa, May 31.-Johnstown is
completely submerged and the loss OF life is
inestimateable. Houses are going down
the river by dozens and people can be seen
Cfnging to the roofs.
At Camptown, q village OF several hun
dred people, the houses are almost entirely
covered. aud o great many dwellings at
Blairsville are submerged.
Scarcely a house in the vicinity OF Sang
Hollow can be seen.
The bridges at Bolivar and Minersville
are reported to have given away, and that
at Saleburg, it is feared, will be carried
away. .
People here who have friends in the
flooded districts are eagerly waiting Tor
news at tbs telegraph Office.
The river at Livermore is raising, and
great destruction will follow.
THE WORST EVER NowN.
PHILADELPHIA, May 31.-All the wires of
the Pennsylvania railroad west OF Will
more station, in the Pittsburg district. 20
miles west Of Altoona, have been down
since s a. M, and consequently informa-
ton in regard to the break west OF that
place is very meagre. Enough has been
learned, however, to indicate that the rush
Of water is the worst ever known in that
section.
The Chicago limited express, which left
New York at 8 O'Clock, this morning, the
last line leaving there the same hour, and
the train leaving that city at O'Clock, last
last night. are laid up at Latoonia.
At 1890 to.nighta dispatch was received
by General Manager Pugh, dated Wiilmorse,
from the conductor of the eastbound New
York limited, which left Pittsburg at z
o'clock this morning, saying that the train
was safe and that all were well on board.
Mr.. Pugh inferred from this that the limit.
ed was laid up somewhere west Of Lilies.
The conductor reported that the bridge
at South Fork was washed away and ex'
pressed the opinion that all the bridges be-
tween South Fork and Youngstown
WOULD BE SWEPT AWAY.
The Chicago and New York day express,
and all other eastbound trains, are sup
posed to be laid between Cerone and Pitts.
burg.
When Pugh was shown the Associated
Press dispatch from Pittsbnrg announcing
tie breaking OF the dam neal J~ohnstown,
be said that this report confirmed q dis
patch received from Willmore, tonight,
which said that a man had reported to the
Pennsylvania railroad operator there that
Cne south Fork dam mao DrOken, anu tnau
the water had carried away Goal Triple"
and telegraph tower at South Fork sta
ton and also a portion OF the east-bound
freight train. The telegraph operator who
was in the tower managed to escape, but
several OF the train men are reported
drowned.
The reservoir or dam at South Fork,
which is said to have bursted with such re.
suits, is described by q gentleman
acquainted with the locality In which it
was situated. It was built for the old
Pennsylvania canal. 1t has been owned
Tor several years by q number Of Pittsburg
gentlemen who ,
UsED IT AS FISHING GROUNDS.
The gentleman who gave this informa-
ton said that il the report Of the bursting,
Of the dam wat true, he had no doubt that
the damage and loss OF lie IL fully as great
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