Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-06-22
AFTER THE BREAK

After the break oil oil the dam
above Johnstown and the terrible
loss of life and property in conse-
quence, many things come to the
surface but no dead arise. The
great railroad there filed in the
stream and cut off the outlet OF the
water. When the floods came the
channel was too narrow and the
water spread out and made way fol
itself. The dam, too, was known to
be insecure; business men and pro
perty owners lived in constant
dread; but the nuisance was tolera-
ted and the results all suffer. II
was not even necessary water
power to run machinery, but apleas'
are groaad, a pond for duck shooting,
a summer club room for few
WEALTHY PITTsBURG SPORTS.
But it was failure as an engi
neering feat, or a botch Of construc-
ton work, done on the cheap in a
hurry plan like the Washington
aqueduct contract.
Tho people Of Egypt, 1000 years
ago, knew enough to draw off the
food. water of the Nile into the Lake
of Moeris, and there retain it secure
ly by banks 80 feet high and $50
feet wide, inclosing an area OF loo
square miles OF water, and from
thence distribute it usefully for the
irrigation of 1900 square miles of
territory on which no rain ever fell,
and yet where by means OF this
water no harvests ever failed.
Tho Egyptians gave their dam six
feet of thickness to one in height.
The Pittsbu-g architects thought it
safe to fence in their avalanche with
a wall 90 feet thick at its base, and
80 feet thick at the top, and accord
ing to some reports, Ito feet high,
thus giving only one-seventh as
much thickness, according to its
height, as belonged to the work of
the Egyptians.
There are other lessons as worthy
of note which leave their impress
upon the world, and none more so
than the unconditional response to
tho cry for need. Churches helped
churches; societies aided their fel,
low.members; strangers poured in
relief; the hand OF charity was ex.
tended from State and Nation, every
town and village; childhood was
moved to the same realization OF
grief as old age; the poor as well
as the rich, the free as well as
the convict; the good with the bad.
Everything else was forgotten; may
it not be SO at the last day. The
richest one minute was the poorest
the next; the banker took his turn
for his relief portion by the side OF
the beggar. Judgment may take
the terrors ont of the grave, and the
grave smooth the way for Judgment
When all are together In death there
is no looking backward, accounts
are all even to date; the next entry
is in the Blood ofthe Redeemer, and
white as snow leaves no mark, un
less the Father reads therein the
sign of cancellation.
There is another lesson all towns
should read in the Johnstown flood
1t is an industrial lesson,-a point
of business. Not SO many ears age
JohnstOwn was struggling village
The food found it city teeming
with life and business. 1t was q
manufacturing town. Pittsburg ant
Philadelphia capitalists had millions
invested there. 1t gave employment
to thousands. L. attracted laborerS
and citizens and visitors from almost
every section OF Pennsylvania
Maryland and West Virginia, as
seen from the list OF dead. Thous
ands had friends and interests in
Johnstown though they lived huud
reds of miles away. So must other
towns attract that wOuld prosper.
A few more material points i'm
press US the noble work of the
volunteer physicians and nurses who
attended the sick and dying;-the
christian brotherhood and sister
hood that found ready homes for the
orphan children; and who did uoblel
work than the faithful newspaper re
porters who bravcd storm and food
and spread before the world the aw.
full news and buried on the needed
relief. Honor and praise and eter
nal reward for all, helpers and help
ed,-and peace to the dead.
~@.am@pans.s-
The West Virginia editors had a
pleasant time at Wellsbnrg and q