The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-06-07
THOUSANDS DROWNED.
The City OF Johnstown and Other PENN
sylvsnia Towns Swept Out or Ex-
istence by Rushing Waters
Terrible Scenes.
MISERY AND WOE.


MISERY AND WOE.
pHuADHPHIA, June 3-Late details OF
the calamity In Pennsylvania multiply many
ttfnes the early estimates of the number of
lives lost and the probable value OF the
pyoperty destroyed. The first reports were
c0nhned mainly to the destruction wrought
at Johnstown, but they have since been ex-
tended to dozen towns and villages
and to cover vast extent. OF terri
tory. When the flood, caused by
the bursting of the South Fork dam, came,
10 ynahed down with fearful rapidity, q
wall of water from thirty to fifty feet high.
Johnstown was almost totally destroyed In
few minutes. Large factories stores, public
buildings, palatial residences and modest
homes were swept away and their inmates
crushed to death in the collapse OF build
ings or drowned after heroic but vain eff
forts to reach places of safety.
It Is estimated that 1900 citizens of
Johnstown and its Immediate vicinity per-
ished The towns of South Fork, Mineral
Point, Conemaugh, Woodvale, Cambria City
and other places, having from 1000
to 1900 inhabitants, were completely
devastated, and hundreds of their citizens
carried down by the torrent to be tossed
1ifeless. upon the banks and partly buried in
debris Such fearful destruction as WIS
occasioned within thirty miles from
the dam to the town of New
Florence has never before been
recorded The stone bridge of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company just below
Jamestown withstood the tremendous food
and against its piers was thrown o
mass of wreckage, 90 which per-
haps 1000 human beings were clinging
tenaciously for life. Portions of house
after house were added to this drift,
which became an immense dam. Even
bridges, freight cars and locomotives were
lodged there. Then to the horror Of the
flood was added that of fire, which was
communicated to the debris from stove,
and many who had hoped for succor from
the waters were burned to death.
Movements for the relief of survivors,
who are in need of all comforts of life,
have been made promptly by Federal, State
and municipal authorities and by in
dividuals
HOW THE FLOOD CAME
At 4 o'clock Friday afternoon, just before
the wires went down east of Sang Hollow,
the operator at South Fork telegraphed
Sang Hollow that the great South Fork dam
was about to burst The next call over the
wire for South Fork got no answer. The
An hour later there came rush of water
into Johnstown compared with which the
preceding food had been as nothing. 1t
poured down Conemaugh creek in great
wave like wall Of water, sweeping every
thing before it.
The immense works of the Cambria Iron
Company, employing 1000 men, the second
largest iron works in this country, were
buried out of sight, except the roofs and
chimneytops, and these soon began to
crumble and disappear under the battering
of the floating timber.
Half the town seemed to be lifted from
its foundations and swept away at once.
The wreckage covered the water thicker
than the houses that had stood in the town
before. 1t was no longer a flood of water.
It was a town atioat
Many had taken warning and fed to
higher ground, but hundreds of men, wom-
en- and children were swept away, their
heartrending cries rising above the crash of
smashing houses.
The mass of wreck, water, dead bodies
and drowning people rushed down into the
mouth of the gorge, where the hills come
together like pair of giant arms, and
choked the stream.
The stone bridge stood firm as the hills.
The wreck caught on the masonry 1t
thickened into dam. 1t chung to the bridge
and the hollow of the hill 1t gathered
strength with every piece of wreck and
every body that was crushed into it and
bound them all together In a tangled wall,
closing up half the outlet toward which the
mountain waters hurled their flood.
The water burst even the flood limits
which 1t had taken for its new banks and
poured q new river in new channel
oh, fba ~ ~ <Io orf Of f1a
city The drift piled up against the dam 1t
had formed at the bridge. House after
house added its wreck to the heap until it
formed a tangled mass from thirty to sixty
feet thick, rising high above the water and
stretching back three-quarters of mile
along the curve of the hill Here 1t was
that the awful holocaust took place.
The thousands of houses fioated against
the bank on one side have been jammed
and pounded by logs coming down from
above, and human occupants have been
wedged in as part and parcel of the
heterogeneous mass, which extends for
three quarters of mile and is 40 to 90 feet
high and 500 to 800 feet wide. 1t is this
mass which has been burning above the
water line
JoHNsTowN's APPEAL FOR AID.
PITTSBURGH Pa, June 3.-The following
touching appeal for aid has been sent out
from the nearest telegraphic point to
Johnstown:
"HOOvERsvILLE, Pa, June 1.-Ploase notify
the country that our bankers have been APP
pointed u committee to receive subscriptions.
They should be sent TO G. D. Lewis, chairman.
We sorely need food, clorning and money We
are putting ourselves together and will not
ask for help too long but must have some now
or many will starve. Words can not depict
the truth OF the disaster"
Adjutant-G General Hastings and Major
Sanger have assumed entire charge Of
Johnstown. One effect of this systematic
work is making itself felt The town is
guarded by a company of the Sixth Regi-
ment, Lieutenant Leggett in command. New
members were sworn in by him and they
are making excellent soldiers. Special
police are being enrolled and the regula-
lions are so strict that even the smoking of
cigar is prohibited General Hastings ex-
presses the opinion that more troops are
necessary.
VICTIMS OF THE DELUGE.
JoHNsTowN, Pa, June 4.-The total num-
Der OF bodies recovered is now estimated
by Adjutant-G General Hastings and the I'M
dertakers Mt $500, but the General has wired
Governor Beaver that he believes the loss