The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-06-06
DEVASTATED DISTRICT.
Johnstown and it's Environment
Millions in Manufacturing.

Johnstown is situated at the junction of
two rivers, the Stony creek on the western
side aud the Little Conemaugh on the east
ern SIDE 1t is comprised of six boroughs-
Woodvnle Conemaugh, Johnstown, Pros
pect Millvale and Cambria East Cone
maug, Grubbtowne, Mllville and Coopers-
dale are contiguous, and united by the
Johnstown street railway, and together ag-
gregate population of about 81, 900 people.
The dam or, reservoir, is short distance
from South Fork, and for the escaping
flood, the only waterway is the bed Of the
Little Conemaugh. At this time of year
the mountain st cams swell the rivers even
with their banks, and when struck by this
tremendous head of water from the dam
III, miles in area-from an elevation of
over 300 feet, the effect can be imagined.
South Fork and Mineral Point lie directly in
the path Of this flood and the houses are
nearly all light frame buildings utterly I'M
equal to such resistance. There are large
lumber interests here and these, of course,
were swept away. After passing Mineral
Point the hills on either bank converge
there is absolutely no opening for the water
until it strikes East Conemaugh, except the
constantly narrowing banks Of this noun
tain stream. East Conemaugh is built upon
slope, but close to the water are the round
houses of the Pennsylvania railroad; these
and the lower part Of the borough received
the full force of the water.
From here the line of the torrent.is direct
~ through the centre of Johnston. Along
this line are the fine residences and larger
business honses of the CITY, but few of them
OF great strength, excepting perhaps the
mammoth retail stores of Wood, Morrell &
Co., claimed to be the largest and most
complete in the state, and were worth in
stock and structure about 81 900 900, and
the elegant general offices of the Camden
Iron and Steel company, and these build
ings must have been submerged.
The rivers unite at the stone bridge of the
Pennsylvania railroad, leaping over which
it struck Millvil 9 and the open hearth and
converting departments of the company,
and from there immcd iately the entire plant
and the borough of Cambria. This estab-
Tshment is worth not less than sc, 900, 600.
at this point the hills aga1n narrow tho
river bed until 1t widens into the sites of the
beautiful and but recently built bridges Of
Monellville and Coopersdale nearly all Of
which were entirely under water.
From here the waters again collect until
they reach Sanghollow, a large village;
from there to New Florence, Prospect Bow,
Peelowille, part of Millville, large part
Grubbtown ard the banks of the Stony
creek, considerably above the point, were
beyond the reach of the water.
Summing up the total amount of manu-
factories in and about the doomed city in
the foods track foots up $4,000, 900, and
other properties as much more. In addi-
tion, at least six expensive iron bridges
three quite new-were washed away The
food of the coal mines could not have been
followed by great mortality. because the
veins are generally high up on the billsides,
md the larger mines have been abandoned
since the introduction of natural gas
Nearly all the dwellings were Of tho
smaller kind, and were occupied by the
workmen, by whom they were owned. The
number of men thrown out Of employment
is about 60O0
This is not the first time this prosperous
town has suffered by floods. Two years ago
the entire town was flooded, water being
four feet deep ON the principal streets At
ttat time it was thought the reservoir had
bursted- About 20 years ago a flood came
down the same valley, following substantial
ly the same tract. 1t totally wrecked Cone
fnaugh and part of Johnstown and Mill
Vile The other boreughs were not then
built. Quite number of lives were lost at
that time.