The Meeker herald., 1889-06-08


water was eight inches deep. This in
dicatcs that nearly the city WAS whole
oyerilowed.
Later reports from the Hooded region
would Indicate that ut least 5000 people
lost their lives. The midnight terrors
OF Ashtabula and ChatswOrth pale into
insigniiicance rs the tine story Of the
Johnstown horror becomes known. As
the waters rcccded the sights presented
throughout the valley We're blood
cnfdling In the extreme. The flames
broke out In u good places and COM
plcted the work of destruction. Along
the banks for miles. on either side,
are scattered the smouldcTing runs OF
the wreck, aud beneath nearly every los
OR beam A.rc found u glistening skull
or blanciied remains OF iib or limb.
Days Will eiapsc b fore the rubbish can
bc sufficiently removed Ia permit the re-
coy-Ty Of most of The bodies and by this
time every corpse viii bc = putrid mass
yielding forth those irightfa .inana-
ti0ns OF decayins human ilesh that In
such "A crowded community can give
but one resuit-a dreadful Nphus, For
this reason the physicians consrrgnted
,her. protested against the .Nlinguish-
mcnt Of the burning wrecks, They
maintained, although II seemed heart
less, that hundreds, II no, thousands, OF
lii-lcss. drciying bnSlirs We're lying bc-
Meath this mass of burning ruins, aud Il
So.
burn with the rest of the debris than to
cNpus- them to further decay. and thus
spread prsiilrucc. Tie stencil that lins
already arisen " ior.runnrr uf i'm
pcnilng danger.
There have b-cn numerous conflicting
reports about how many train, were
caught In the ilpu-ls. but from the most
reliable sources II has lccn ascrTtliucd
that three trains We're caught by
the wafer. \ passenger un onr OI the
trans saws lac can count np at least
twenty whom iic saw drown.
In III. main part OF jamestown the
streets were IRE, NJ water Moudiy
morning and 1t laid bare the terrible
work OF the liood. Tie stress We're
sichcnins with u foul'snclling mass Of
dclifis nni Victims.
Tic Sheriff took charge II the cily
Monday. aid armed men paiTollcd ihr
streets, ou- deputy shot two ilunsar.
ians wb, persisted In rtbLlng ,hr deal
bodies. pniy pNupl" having property Ia
III. limits are permitted tu enter tire
.skf
began In ratucsi. II h % muat distress.
Ing sight Ia tr- the relatives ul prupl.
Who n'. a"IIs.fd To 10 lost standing
around aui watching every bo,ly ~ It IA
over two Thousand met are employed
In different parts II the valley clearing
up the RUNS and removing tie dead.
Tie bodies ~. hc!ug taken away aud
buried as fast rs possible. In the vas;
number oi eases the bodies arr almost
completely burned, but the clothing or
something u IL. kind makes tile ii-n-
ii,y 81. the bliy possible. Some of tie
Incidents which come under the news.
gaihrtegs' observation ave sud and
touching. the following being utr " tie
many which are sent OFT:
Awcllthy young phila,l.lpli,u Himcl
Ogic recently brcIml engaged to u
jolinstown li1y. Miss CIt.ir D.rll.
They were To- Lo w'iioI in tie middle
oi June ani b,;ii parties We're prep ring
for the ceremony. Tile lover heard ~
the terrible Hood, but knowing that the
residence OF his dear one was up IN the
hills. felt little fear Tor her safety. To
make sure. however. he started for
Jolins;own Monday. Near The Fourth
street mprcuo he met Mr.. Dirll.
Thank God YOU are safe" hr cN
claimed. and added. "iS Carrie we'll !:
"shc was visiting In ,lryal.ry whcn the
Hood camt''" was thc mDuruiul reply.
Tie father then hcckuucl the Young
man 10 enter the chamber of death. 4
moment later Ogln was kn"clinc be-
fore rough bier and was kissinga cold,
white face. From a lifclcss finger lie
slipped u gold ring aud In lis place pm,
on his own. Then he stole quietly ont.
lie was only one uf thousands made To-
mourn by the bursting of the South /.
Fork dam.
The dam at the reservoir which played .
the havoc throughout the Conemgugh /
valley broke in ITS center at . o'clock on |
Friday afternoon and at ! the lake was |
empty. An effort was male To avert !
the disaster by digging u sluics.way on /
one side to ease the. pressure Oh the /,
dam, but without avail. The water !
passed over the dam about foot above |
its top, beginning ut hllf-past . o'clock. |
When the final break came there WIS -
sound like tremendous continued pcals I
of thunder. frees. rocks and earth shot 4
into mid-air in great columns. aud then 4
the wave started down the rayiuc. The /
whole of South Fork was swept with ,
not trec standing.
Every mail brings fresh evidence of
the fact that the disaster eclipscs any
thing Of the kind in the history of the .
country. The latest estimates put the ,
loss OF life ut l. O00 to 1900.
Uncle Tum-Gut anything 10 do To-
morrow, Jack 2 Jack-Ycs, I've got to
go down town TO try case. Uncle
Tom--rhcn you've got II client at last
Jack-Oh, this case Isn't In court, it's at
a wine merchants.