The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-06-05


Saturday would have been pay day at the |
Cambria Iron Works. The money, S0,0Oc,
was drawn from the bank on Friday and
was placed in the vaults Of the company's
office. It is still there and is constant
temptation to the many professional and
amateur thieves who are on the ground.
On Saturday night an attempt was made 10
rob the First National Bank, all Of
which, except the vaults, had been
destroyed. The thieves were discovered
by the citizens patrol, and lively chase
ensued. Six Of the scoundrels were shot
but II Is not known whether any were killed
or not, as their bodies would have been
washed away Immediately II such had been
the case. The neutral gas has been shut on
and no fire is allowed in the town. Bishop
Phelan and Fathers Corcoran and Gallagher
are now here. One Of the Catholic churches
burned on Saturday. A funeral was being
held at the time. The congregation deserted
the church and the body burned with the
building.
Monday morning the first attempt was
made TO work into the Cambria Iron Works.
A gang Of 800 men was put TO work and is
removing the debris around the mill. At
almost every step dead bodies are being
unearthed and are being carried to the
Pennsylvania railroad station house, where
they are being placed In coiflns and are laid
on the platform for identification. One OF
| the bodies found here was that Of Mrs. Ogle,
the telegraph operator, who was heard from
In the town only moment before the flood
struck the building.
From the banks many charred remains OF
victims Of flames and flood are plainly visi-
bic as the receding waters give up their
dead. Beneath almost every log or black
ened beam glistening skull or the blanched
remnants Of ribs or limbs mark all that re-
mains Of life's hopes and dreams
Since ten o'clock Sunday night the fire
engines have constantly played on the burn
ing ruins. At times the fire seems almost
extinguished, but fitful flames suddenly
break out afresh in some new quarter The
sensation OF the day was the united re-
monstrance of the physicians against the
extinguishment Of the burning wreck. They
maintain that hundreds If not thousands Of
lifeless and decaying bodies lie beneath this
mass OF burning ruins 1T would be bet
ter" they say, ito permit natures greatest
scavenger-the hames-to pursue his work
unmolested than 10 further decay the horde
OF purifying bodies that lie beneath this
debris. There can be but one result Days
will elapse before the debris can be suffi-
ciently removed TO permit the recovery Of
these bodies, and long ere that every corpse
viii be putrid mass yielding forth those
frghtful emanations Of decaying human
flesh that can give but one result-the
dreadful typhus Every battle field has
demonstrated the necessity Of the hasty in
terment Of decaying bodies, and the stencil
that already arises is a forerunner Of tho
impending danger. Burn the wreckp
A loud cry Of Indignation arose from the
Ups Of the vast multitude and the warnings
Of science were lost In the eager demands Of
those who sought the remains Of friends
The hose was again turned upon the Kissing
mass and rapidly the flames yielded 70 the
water. 1t Is almost impossible to conceive
the extent OF thesc smoking ruins. An area
Of eight or ten acres above the dam Is COW
sred TO depth Of forty feet with shattered
houses, borne from the resident center Of
Johnstown. In each of these houses II Ia
estimated there were from one 10 twenty
ave people. This Is accepted as data upon
which TO estimate the number that perished
on thisspot, and II the data. be correct the
bodies that lie beneath these ruins must
number hundreds, II not thousands.
The scene at the lower end Of the city Is
beyond description. The half has not been
told and never can be as 10 the full extent
Of the awful wreck The town is now un-
der mar dial law and every one who goes
about the place Is challenged and required
10 give an account Of himself The water
has subsided to . great extent and the
streets In the main part Of the town are free
from water Tho falling water has laid
bare tho terrible work Of the food, and the
full entsnt of tho disaster Ia only lust being
lsccrtained The streets are one sickening
foul smelling mass Of wood and debris, and
the work Of searching FOR bodies has only
fairly begun
| Just cne month ago the wsrk Of taking
census Of tho dty for Q new directory was
completed and showed exactly q, 400 people
claiming residence In Johnstswn. Tho book
Is now In the printers hands at Altoona.
An effort win be made 10 secure q oopy Of
the directory az once, mako new oanynss
Of the city and In this manner ascertain 70 a
reasonable degree Of certainty the number
that met death In this terrible disaster. Tho
lateat estimates place the lossof life at fram
10000 10 l2,OO0.
A regular hospital has been opened ON
Bedford street. DR.. Foster. of Pittsburgh.
Ia in charge. DR.. Alex x. McCandless, the
sheriff. is his assistant The physicians
have been divided into regular hospital
oorps and placed in charge OF the various
5epartments. A drug store has been opened
In the rear OF the hospital. containing alarre
supply OF surgical supplies.
Two hundred and fifteen bodies were r,a-
ceived AT the Peuusylyania railroad depot
| ,T-a AAo. toix,. ,,,a.h.I .ko., -.