Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-06-06
JOHNSTOWN'S WOE.
Over Four Thousand Lives Lost In
the Disaster.
Most Awful Scenes-The Holocaust at the
Bridge-Some Alive in the Ruins
The woeful Damage
Done.

The woeful Damage
PITTSBURGH. Pa, June 3-The scene at
Johnstown beggars description Thou.
sands of sightseers and anxious friends
are gathered about the devastated city
and hundreds of wreckers are busily at
work removing debris and assisting the
wounded
Five hundred men were at work on the
railroad track and at eight O'Clock yester-
day morning the first train passed over
the road from Sang Hollow to Johnstown.
1t was received all along the line with
cheers and shouts of encourage
ment from who were waiting,
eager to obtain supplies contained
in the relief trains. three OF
which lay in Sang Hollow all night
waiting to get through. The first train
over the reconstructed track was sent out
by the citizens of Pittsburgh, and was
manned by the Americas Club boys
Captain A. j. Logan was in charge and
was ably assisted by Jack Little, chief of
the commissary department The train
brought glad news and much needed re-
lief to hundreds of starving women and
children. 'God bless you." was enough
to touch the heart of hardened cynics.
Adjutant- General Hastings has estab-
lished headquarters in the city and has
proceeded 10 deputize as many citizens as
possible. The police were organized on
the other side of the river and by ten
o'clock the whole locality was fairly we'll
patrolled. At two O'Clock yesterday after
of
from Pittsburgh so that at present the
punderers have a hard time making any
progress.
1t is still impossible to give any accu-
rate idea of The number of dead and no one
places an estimate lower than 1000, and
reliable information tends to show that it
will reach twice that Relief committees
are well settled and are doing big work.
The press relief committee and that of the
Free Masonic order, which was first on
the ground, reached Sang Hollow and
pushed over almost impossible roads to
KearnsvilLe where the receiving depot
was established at the house of Alexan-
der Kennedy, president of the Johnstown
council. The amount of clothing and pro-
visions sent in, while very large, will only
last few days and more is needed at
once. The waters are receding rapidly
and by tomorrow or next day most of the
street of Johnstown will be free from the
food. There is still wild, surgiug stream
separating the two parts of the city, how
ever and it will be several days before
communication is thoroughly established.
The work of repairing the bridge is going
on rapidly and it is expected that by
Tuesday or Wednesday trains will run
across it
THE UNBURIED DEAD.
JoHNsTowN, Pa, Juue 3.-rhree hum
dred and twenty bodies are lying just
across the river in Indiana County. The
real estimate of the number of dead can
never be made. You can not turn up a
log in Jamestown without finding body
under it Five bo1ies were found in the
upper floor of the club house. One OF
them was a woman of fine appearance
There are at least 4. 600 bodies in the 2,Oot
houses that are still burning. Backened
skulls are seen everywhere. The entire
force of Western Union operators is
among the lost. Eight bodies were found
piled in a space five feet square.
SAW ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY DROWNED.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, June "A baggage
man of the Pennsylvania railroad gives a
graphic account of the disaster. His
train had been stopped at New Florence,
and while standing in his car door he saw
one hundred and thirty persons drowned
in less than twenty minutes There wa
terrible current, whirlpool IN the
river, at this point, and as the people
came to it they went down. The B .lti-
more & Ohio and Pennsylvania railroad:
are carrying supplies free of charge and
are doing every thing possible to relieve
| the sufferers.
| HORRIBLE SIGHT.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, June 3-The fire a
Johnstown bridge where drift is burning
has not been extinguished The skulls o.
six people can be seen sticking up out o
| the ruins above the bridge. Nothing bu
blackened skulls can be seen buried in the
debris. There are supposed to be severa
| hundred bodies there. The whole thing
will be blown up with dynamite.
SOME YET ALIVE.
| PITTSBURGH Pa, June IA member Of
the American Club who has just returned
here from Johnstown, states that there
are still many people in the wrecked
houses, and among the debris at the
bridge who are still alive. OIe man was
rescued alive from the water at the bridge
| late last night The idea that some of the
unfortunate people who are imprisoned
are still alive he's created in
tense excitement more especially as
it was intended and preparations hac
been made to blow up the bridge with
| dynamite. The fire engines have JUS
T ached the scene and begun to pour
streams of water upon the burning mass
| Grave fears are now entertained that un'
less this debris can be gotten rid of soon
| it will produce an epidemic, as it is sup
posed TO contain thous sand bodies as wei
as a large number of horses, cattle and
hogs.
THE FINANCIAL LOSSES.
JoHNSTOwN, Pa, June 3.-The fnanci al
losses 10y the great food will be $40 900,
900. This is the conservative estimate
made yesterday by body ef business
men, and it is not one dollar too high. As
the water recedes the great loss can be
more clearly seen. OF this amount the
Cambria Iron Company will lose at
least 81, 500, 000 Their great iron plant
s almost total wreck. One mill has
| been completely swept away, and the
machinery in the others has been either
ruined or carried away. The woodwork
alone of 81 O00. 600 was burned last night.
1t is now estimated from a careful survey
of the flooded districts that at least 1900
dwellings were carried away.
The condition of political affairs in
Italy promises to speedily develop results
of great interest 1t is said that the pres
emit ministry is nearing a fall, and that