The evening world., 1889-06-01

full valley of the Conemaugh River. in Cambria
county, is a horrifying scene Of devastation,
ruin and death to-day.
The wrecks of houses, stores and factories
are strewn along the banks of the river for a
distance of many miles.
A dozen villages and the city of YOUNGSTOWN.
with Its rs, 600 population, are literally de.
stroyed.
The loss of life is tremendous, probably
thousands of people having been destroyed
In the Hood caused by the breaking of the
greatest reservoir in the world, located two
miles above South Fork, and ten miles above
Jobnstown.
The dam gave way at its base at 5 O'Clock
Yesterday afternoon. emptying the water Of
Conemaugh Lake three and a half miles long
three and a half miles wide and more than
one hundred feet deep in places, into the
valley.
Conemaugh Lake had been damned by the
South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club,
composed of wealthy gentlemen of Pittsburg.
1t was more than $50 feet above the Johns
town level, on the side of the Allegheny
mountains and the dam was ITO feet high and
80 feet in thickness at the base.
The top of the dam was 700 to 1000 feet
wide.
Recognizing the danger to the valley below
the company had the dam inspected every
month by the Pennsylvania Railroad engi.
neers, and their report was that nothing less
than a CONFUSION of natures forces could
tear the barrier away.
The ~convulsion came yesterday.
E1r fnrA, o.-LA 1900 - -
rain had been falling all along the valley ~
the South Fork and Conemaugh rivers. and al
5 O'Clock the people of the valley had beer
warned of impending danger.
At 8 O'Clock there was q water-spout, and
then the dam gave way.
With a rush aud a roar the food went pour
ing down the valley carrying everything be.
fore it.
Sturdy elms and stanch old oaks were
wrenched out of the ground and tossed and
tumbled like siraws by the irrestible torrent.
Two miles below the dam was the town 81
South Fork, where the South Fork emptiet
into the Conemaugh. 1t had 500 houses. and
1000 inhabitants.
The warning lhad been received by the
people of this devoted town and many OF
them had clambered up the mountain sidef
to await the subsistence of the storm, taking
with them only a few belongings wherewitt
to stock improvised camps.
And from their places of security in an in.
credibly short time after 8 O'Clock they 81 W
their homes swept away and the town com.
pletely destroyed.
Down through the "Pack-saddle" came
the rushing waters, already freighted with
the trees and timbers of the valley above.
The trunk and boughs of the trees, its
first victims, were used by the angry torrent
as weapons wherewith to strike destruction
in its further course.
Many people were still in their houses, and
the surging waters were so rapid in theil
movements that many of these were caught
at their avocations and drowned at theil
posts.
Others rushed to the upper floors only tc
be overtaken there, while some succeeded in
reaching the roofs, and these were carried
away with the tide and were seen tossing
hither aud thither on the upper wave, then
submerged or dashed against some obstacle
in the pathway of the venGeful torrent.
And where the fair village of South Fork
rested yesterday there is not a. house, not a
soul to-day
Gathering fresh impetus and fresh strength
as it went, the food rushed on and caught
the little village of Mineral Point, two miles
below.
The Point had 800 inhabitants and was on
a fiat at the very bottom of the green-clad
valley.
Not a house wal left.
E,,,r ,ns1oo c,-Alo- 1-. Al .-- III
run alongside the tracks of the Pennsylvania
road, was the beautiful little town of Cone,
maugh.
Here the valley widened and the village
sat on q little e%minence, though in the centre
of the valley. and 1t was hoped that in a case
OF food the torrent would be stopped here.
Indeed. the people below Conemaugh had
SO much faith in this idea that they had made
little or no preparation for the flood, even
after the warning was sent out.
But the devoted little Conemaugh was
wrested from its foundations. and its homes
and business houses were ruthlessly tossed
and torn by the maddened waters, and her
$500 people were made homeless, while
many of them were swept away by the tidal
wave to destruction.
Woodvale. a village of 1900 inhabitants, a
mile below, and the city of Johnstown, an
other mile Town the valley, with her suburbs,
Cambria City and Conemaugh Borough, were
next caught in the flood.
The torrent had travelled ten miles, and it
was forty feet deep when it washed over
Johnstown.
Johnstown with her suburbs had a popula-
ton of more than 30. 900.
The Cambria Iron and Steel Company en-
ployed l., 600 men in their big factory and had
So, 900, 900 worth of buildings, machinery and
stock.
All this was reduced to a ruin, and the de-
voted city was literally wiped out and hun
bred of lives were lost.
From places far up the mountain side fu-