The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-17
SUNDAY IN J0HNST0WN.
Religious Services in the Open Lir-Petroleum
Used to Help Burn the River Debris.

JOHNSTOwN, Pa, June 16-Johnstown's
cirizens have settled down to their routine
life again. There was almost total sus-
pension of work in the Conemaugh valley
to-day, and the day was spent very quietly.
There was no improvement in the weather.
During the early morning hours a heavy
rain fell. About o'clock the clouds rolled
away and the sun came out bright and
strong. and few moments later the mer-
curry registered eighty degrees. Religious
services were held by all the denomina-
tions. Nearly all Of the services were,
from necessity, conducted in the open air.
The sermons and addresses counseled the
people to be brave and keep up heart
1t is understood that polling places will
be open here on Tuesday to give the resi-
dents q chance to vote on the constitutional
amendment.
About $50 men were working at the
gorge to make wider opening in the
debris. Seven hosting engines were
working all day, and as result the chan
mel opening is now over twenty feet wide.
A hundred other men were engaged in
searching for dead bodies and six were re-
covered during the day. None were iden-
titled
Late this evening large quantity of oil
was poured over the debris below the stone
railroad bridge and the torch applied. AT
9O'clOck there was sheet OF flame twenty
feet high and two hundred yards in length
along both banks OF the river. A careful
search for dead bodies was made before the
torches were applied, General Hastings
having issued orders that no human re-
mains shall be burned where it is possible
to avoid it. Tonight rain began alling
again, but it is not yet heavy enough to
interfere with the fires now raging.
Col. Rogers, who is in charge of the
bureau OF registration, reports to General
Hastings that the aggregate registration
is 1850 names; $500 survivors have left the
locality without registering, and many
ity who, because they were not affected
by the flood refuse to register, as they
think they are not legitimately survivors.
Col. Rogers estimates the SURVIVORS at
sumably approximately correct. Deducting
these $1,000 survivors from the total popu-
lation leaves 4125 lives lost" This esti-
mate is rs positive as 1t will probably ever
be possible to give; as they are made up
from careful house-to-house canvass and
from comparison with the pr0Of-sheets OF
the JOhnstOwn directory, which was COM
piled Just one month previous to the
disaster, and is now Ill the hands of the
printer.
General Hastings determined to-day that
where people desire to baild Immediately
he will clean their cellars and assist them
to put up their buildings. A Chicago firm
has been furnished money by the Chicago
relief committee with which to send $50
houses here, ready to place upon their
foundations. They will begin to arrive in
day ortwo. To facilitate building schemes
the Baltimore 4 Ohio Railroad Company
and the Pennsylvania Railway Company
will construct special switches for the ae- nc.
are now arriving. The State is to furnish
the carpenter tools, nails and all the requi-
sites for prompt work in rebuilding.
Snecial orders were issued to-day
and arrangements, made for rushing
the work of clearing away the debris
with ali possible dispa 6ch. If ex.
pectations are realized and few days
of favorable weather intervene, there will
be but little work left undone by next Sat
urday night. So confident is General Hast
ings of this that he has expressed the de-
termination of asking. during the week.
that twenty-five ministers, of various de-
nominations, visit JohnstOwn next Sab.
bath and hold special thanksgiving services
for the saved from the late visitation.