The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-01
Men Get On Bridges and Drop
Ropes to the Living.
Wonderful Unselflshnese and HUI.
man Courage Shown.
The Terrible Experience OF People
Floating on the Roofs OF Houses
a Mother and Her Children Sep
arated in tho Floods.

the rushing, angry tide. Dead bodies are
floating about in every direction, and al.
most every piece Of movable timber is car
rying from the doomed city corps Of hui
manity drifting with the raging waters
God knows where. The disaster overlook
Johnstown about o'clock this even.
ing. As the train bearing the special cor
respondents sped eastward, the reports at
each stop grew more appalling. At Derry
group OF railway officials were gathered
who had come from Bolivar, the end OF
the passable portion Of the road westward.
They had seen but u small portion Of the
awful food, but enough TO allow them TO
imagine tho rest. Down through the pack
saddle came tho rushing waters. The
wooded nights Of the Alleghenies looked
down in solemn wonder at the scene OF
the most terrible destruction that ever
struck the romantic valley OF the Cone
maugh. The water was rising when the
men left at o'clock at the rate OF Eve feet
an hour.
CLIMBING TO IMPIovIsED RATS,
constructed in the death battle from float
ing boards and timbers, were agonized men,
women and children, their heartrending
shrieks for help striking horror TO the
breasts of the on-ookers. Their cries were
OF no avail. Carried along at a railway
speed ON the breast OF this rushing torrent,
from which no human ingenuity could
devise q means OF rescue, with pallid
cheek and hair clinging wet aud damp
to her check, mother was seen
eagerly grasping floating timber,
while with her other arm she held
her babe. The special train pulled in at
| Bolivar at 1880 o'clock aud the trainmcn
were there notified that further progress
was impossible. The greatest excitement
prevailed ut this place, and parties OF citi.
zons are out ondcayoring 10 save the poor
uniortunales that are being hurled TO stcr-
nifty on the rushing torrent The tidal
wave struck Bolivar Just after dark, and
in five minutes the Concmaugh rose from
six TO forty feet and the waters spread out
over the whole country. Soon houses
began floating down, and clinging TO the
debris were men, women and
CHILDREN sHHIEKING ron AID.
A large number OF citizens at once gath.
/ flNA 0A Alt h0hAAN NAAhkff hllA INV MNNf
| reinforced by number from Garfield, a
town on the opposite side. They brought
/ a number Of ropes, and these were thrown
over into the boiling waters ~ persons
/ driited by, In Efforts to save some poor
beings. For hali-hour all efforts were
| iruitloss, until at lust. when rcscuers were
about giving upall hope, little boy astrido
a shingle roof managed 10 catch hold one
Of the ropes. lie caught il under his
left arm aud was thrown violently against
an abutment, but managed to keep hold
aud was pulled upon the bridge amid
cheers 81 the onlookers. Al midnight
your correspondent secured an interview
with the boy. Ills story Of the irightiul
calamity is rs follows "With my father.
! was spending the day at my grandiath.
cr's house In Cambria City. In the house
ward and John kiniz and John
kintz, Jr., Miss Mary kiutz, MH Mary
kinlE, wife Of John, Jr., Miss Tracy
KNIT, Mrs Rica Smith, John Ilirsch and
four children, my father and myself
Shortly after o'clock there was a noise
Of roaring waters aud screams OF people.
We looked ont OF the door aud saw per
sons running. My father told rs to neyei
| uluut w INC NAltfa Mouiu not flHt
further. But soon We
SAW HOUSES BEiNo SWEPT AwA.,
aud then ran up TO the floors above. Tn,
house was three stories, and We wero al
last forced to the top one. In my fright
jumped ON the bed. II was an old
toned one with heavy posts. The water
kept ri-ing, and my bed was soon ailoat
Gradually Il was lifted up. The air Ia
the room grew close, aud the house WI,
moving. still the bed kept rising, and
pressed the ceiling. AZ last tho post,
pushed the plaster. Il Yielded and a sec
lion Of the roof gave way. Then sud
denly ! found myself on the roof
aud was being carried down stream. Ailel
little. the roof commcnc Il 10 part, and
was afraid ! was going 30 bc drowned, bu
lust then another house with shingl,
roof iloated by aud | managed 10 cmV
on Il aud Heated down until, when ncurl,
dead with cold, | WIS saved. After W..
freed from the house / did not see M,
father. My grandfather was Ia tree. hu
lac must have been drowned rs the waite
was rising fast John kintz. Jr., wa
also on n trcc. Miss Mary kinlzand Mr..
Mary kniz I saw drown. Miss Smitl
also drowned. John llirsch was In lrcu
bat tire four children were drowned. III
scenes were Terrible.
LiyE courses = 20 nonirs
wtrs Coating down with ..a aud ava,
from me. 1 would see person shriol
and then they would disappear Al
along the line were people who were trg
ing 10 save ~, bat they could DO nothinl
and only a few moru Worc caught"
This shows what happened 90 oao ian
ily. God only knows " hat has happcnp,
10 hundreds who wcfo in the path ol thl
rushing waters IL u impossible 10 gc
anylhng Ia the way 81 nvws save mcarr
details An eyewitness no Oliver Blocl
station tolls a story OF unparalleled terror
lam which occurred nj the lower bftiu
which crosses the ConCmaugh al Tia
point A Young man with two woinel
were seen coming down the river on
Part ol a ilooE Al the upper bridge rup
was thrown 10 them THIS thoy all Ailc
10 catch. liriWocn ihe tuO bridges lao VI
noticed to point toward he elder womai
which u Is supposed vs. bis mother. II
was then seen 10 insiruc'. the woman no
10 catch the rope which was being loNcrc
from The other hnd.n Down came ID
TAFT with rush. TIE Young man sioo
with his arm around Z ir TWO women.
they swept under he bridge he rrachf
up and sctzcd the " pc. lie was jcfkc
Violently away lrow lhe two women, vi
inIicd ~ rul u hold ON the rope. sccir
that they would nc he rescued
uE nhoi rrD rur n0rE
Az. icll back o. the mt which loaic
uuwu the river lhr current wa bed tue
if.h uat in lug ari hoe bank. The yout
man WIS unat ed DO scizt hold oi q bmuc