The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-06-15
PLACED AT 5000.
A Conservative Estimate at Johnstown-
Less Than Half That Number Recov-
ered-No Danger of an Epidemic hs
Was at First Reported-The Search
for the Victims Being Carried On by
aLarge Force.


Conemaugh Valley occpred, and the ex-
tent of the fatality can be appreciated
when it is known that bodies are still
found wherever men are at work. To-
day one of the morgue directors was
met and asked the usual question
How many bodies were recovered to-
day ?"
"Oh, not very many" he replied. az
believe there were fifty eight altogeth-
err" The loss of life has been SO great
that tifty-eight bodies found III one day,
even If that was the tenth, was consld-
cred light showing.
The remains that are now being re-
moved from the DRIFT are far advanced
III decomposition, and physicians in
charge are advocating their cremation
as fast as found, az it is almost impossi-
bic TO handle them safely.
The work of clearing away the debris
is progressing very encouraglngly. The
| Workmen were not required to proceed
| to-day, but njnetenths of them yolun-
teered TO continue. AS result a
large inroad was made ON the drift
In the central portion of city.
Main Street, which was the
| principal thoroughlare aud one
! of the worst blockaded, is now
the stone bridge, the work is going on
rather slowly. The force is small and
the difficulties great. Arthur Kirk, who
has been using dynamite blasts to sCpar-
ate the drifts, suspended operations to-
| day. A considerable force continued to
use pike poles and cleared few feet
| more. The eX-lnternal revenue collector
ofthe Western Pennsylvania district said
to-day TO an Associated Press reporter
that If he were given permission he
| could bring in 200 practical cant-hook
men from the Cleartield lumber dis
tricts and clean the channel above the
bridge in two days. The trouble with
those now at work, he says, Is mex
| perience. he mentioned the matter to
! Adit.-Gen. Hastings, but did not meet
with very much encouragement.
This has been a very quiet day in and
about Johnstown owing to the fact that
the Pennsylvania and Baltimore q Ohio
Railroads refused to run trains from
Pittsburg or other important points
! nearer than Bolivar on the former and
| lockwood on the latter road. This rule
| kept out large influx of eXcursionists
and lett the field clear TO the workers.
Religious services were held at vari-
Gus places to-day. Most of the suburban
| towns where the church buildings re-
malned had regular services. In Johns
town open air meetings were held at
| different points.
This has been the hottest day since
the disaster and the weather is telling
among the workmen. With the fires
that are constantly kept going burning
up the rubbish and the hot
sun many of them are exhausted
before evening. The hot sun beating
down on the wreckage above the bridge
has developed the fact that many bodies
of animals and probably human beings
are yet in the ruins. The stencil aris-
| ing from this pl has been more offen-
slve to-day than at any time vet, al
| though at no time has it been as bad as
| reported.
Gov. Beaver arrived this morning
about O'Clock He spent the dav in
visiting the ruined portions OF the city
and driving up the Conemaugh valley.
| he held a conference this afternoon
| with the committees heretofore in
charge, and as result will assume con-
troi on Wednesday morning. He left
this evening in Supt. Kings private car
| over the Baltimore & Ohio for Phil
adelphia.
The Western Union Telegraph Com
| pany Is pushing forward its lines and
| tomorrow will open an office in the
| i
| Associated Press will also secure quar-
ters in the city tomorrow, and the
| whole eUspaper force will then be
transferred from the west side OF the rail-
road bridge into what was the business
portion of Johnstown.
| The two large hospitals here, the Cam
bria and the Bedford, have but little to
do now, but the large corps of physi-
clans are kept very busy. At the Cam
| hria hospital, sixteen persons injured
| by the flood were cared for and only
two died, Miss Maggie Hughes and Mrs.
| Willower. Since the flood over 500 per-
sons have received the attention of the
physicians at this institution. Several
of the women who nursed some of the
injured became i'll, and one of them may
| rot recover.
At the Bedford Hospital $50 injured
persons We're cared for, and when they
could be removed safely were taken to
| PIttsburg hospitals. Only three patients
were brought to the hospital to-day.
| They received slight injuries while at
work clearing away the debris. Over
| coo persons were furnished medicine
and attention by the physicians in
charge Of the hospitals.
TIE tent hospitals have been prac-
ticaly abandoned, and none of them
| have had A case for several DAYS. The
| health Of the valley is unusually good
| notwithst indIng reports of threatened
epidemic. The following bulletin has
| been issued by the board OF health and
! speaks for itself. 1t was posted to- day
in every conspicuous place about the
town. The encouraging words of DR..
| Croft will do much toward relieving the
anxiety of the many thousands of sur
| yivors and workIngmen in the stricken
| valley, who have feared the outbreak OF
an epidemic For this reason many OF
them have deserted the town. More are
! constantly arriving, however. The bull
letin reads:
Health Bulletin-The general condi-
| ton of health In Johnstown and yicin-
| ity is excellent. No epidemic disease
| of any kind prevails, nor is it expected
that any viii arise. The whole region
has been divided into convenient dis
| tricts, and each placed under q
comretent sanitarian. The state
board of health is prepared to meet all
emergencies as they arise. The air is
| wholesome and the water generally
| pure. IL the goou people or the devas-
tated district will 60 on as they have SO
nobly done for the past week in their
efforts to clean up the wrecksge, good
health will certainly be maintained"
DR. Croft has made a careful lnvesti-
CATION of the drift in ths river, and re-
ports that there is no proba bility oi
contamination of the waters of the
towns below from this source. Tie val
leys have been swept so clean by the
great floods that the river waters are
now purer than before the disaster.
The bodies in the river are gener-
ally covered with from one to six feet
OF mud and sand. This earthly matter
absorbs all eftiuvia, and acts as the best
of disinfectants. There is no present
danger to the water supply of Pittsburg
at Johnstown. The only present dan
ger is from people being frightened into
sickness by sensational reports.
"Iou may state for me-" said he,
that there are more doctors here than
patients. The general health OF the
people IN the town is excellent-much
better than l expected, l expected