The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-20
JoHNsTowN RECOVERING.
1t is Believed that 1900 VIII Cover the loss Of


| It Is Believed that 4.OOU Will cover tne iOSs VI
Life.
| The State has assumed control of the Cone
maugh Valley, Adjt.-Gen. Hastings being in
command, and the first real work under the
new order of things began on Thursday. About
/ $500 workmen started up the valley from
| Johnstown early in the morning. The weather
was warm and sultry, and the stencil from the
| decaying bodies was almost unbearabie. Dur
| ing the morning a crowd of loafers gained en-
| trance to the town and tried to inaugurate
strike among the workmen. Some workmen
were already dissatisfied because new bosses
| had been appointed over them, and only wanted
/ q little encouragement to strike.
! DRIVING FHE LoAFERs.
| James Mcknight of Pittsburg, one of the
| State contractors, got wind of the trouble brew
| ing. and went among the men and informed
| them that he would have no kicking, and that
all those who wanted to quit would have to do
| SO Immediately, and about 100 of them left; but
the loafers remained around, and Mcknight
went to Gen. Hastings and demanded protec-
| ton for his men. A detachment of militia
| from the 18th regiment were detailed to the
/ place, and drove away all the men who refused
| to work. This caused Gen. Hastings to issue
an order to the soldiers not to admit anyone
to Johnstown proper without an order.
AN AWAKENING OF BUSINESS MEN.
The business men of Johnstown are prepar-
|
groceries were opened on Thursday morning
| and were soon doing a land-office business.
! This encouraged other merchants to start up,
and the probabilities are that inside of week
hundred stores viii be in operation.
| The first decisive step toward putting the
| business of Johnstown on its old footing was
made on Friday, when some 200 merchants
who had survived the flood, many of them
without a dollar to their credit, met Adjt.-Gen.
Hastings, and they were assured by the Gem
| eral that they would be established in business
on long credit. Both Pittsburg and Phila-
| delphia whosesale dealers have offered these
stricken merchants this business courtesy, and
the prospects for a renewal of business is there
| fore Frightening.
Resolutions were adopted to the effect that
each merchant and business man in Johnstown
use his best efforts to restore by his own exer-
tons his property and that of the community
| at large. Thanks were also rendered to Gen.
Hastings for his kindly actions When this
| clause was being read half dozen zIen wanted
to add to it, land denounce Gov. Beaver" but
the action was quickly frowned down by Gen.
| Hastings.
LATEST ESTIMATED LOSS.
The general opinion among well-posted peo-
pie in the valley is that the loss of life will be
between 5000 and 1000. Itwas generally given
out that Johnstown and boroughs adjoining
had population of s., 900 good people, but this
is very high estimate, and conservative people
put the population between 1000 and $4,000.
Col. Rogers who has charge of the registration,
states that from all he can learn the population
only amounted to about 5000. and this &C.
counts for 10000 people supposed to be lost.
The reports sent out from here to the effect that
| 1900 to Il, 900 people were missing were based
| upon the superstition that there were IS, 600 in
habtants in these boroughs. The reports as
to the number of bodies recovered at different
points along the flooded districts are very con-
flicting. Supposed official reports have been
sent in by different persons, and these are also
conflicting, and put the number of bodies re-
covered anywhere from !, 100 TO 300. Conse-
quently there is no telling how many bodies
have been recovered.
THE MONEY PROVIDED.
Gov. Beaver held a consultation on Thursday
in Philadelphia with Mayor Filter, Messrs.
Dolan, Reeves, Huber, and Ogden, representing
the Citizens Relief Committee. The object OF
| the Governors visit was to know how many
men were willing to guarantee the $1,000,000
| loan from the State Treasurer. at the conclu-
sion of the session the Governor said: There
is no need now for US trying to get signers to
an indemnity bond, for Philadelphia has again
come to the rescue, and number of her bank
ing institutions have offered 81 100000 without
security and free from all tax until the Legis-
lature makes an appropriation to repay them.
AhS Ohlg SECURITY Luty nave 10 my HoIu
BUFFALO BILLS CONTRIBUTION.
Hon. William F. Cody, better known as
Buffalo Bill" gave an entertainment in Paris,
France. in aid of the Johnstown sufferers which
Melted s., 900. Among the people present were
such notables as tha Prince and Princess OF
Wales, Prince Albert Victor and the Princesses
Louise, Victoria, and Maud. Minister Reid and
wife, and Mrs. Levi P. Morton, wife OF the
Yice-President, besides a long list of notables
| Europe. The wild West" show never before
performed before such distinguished audience,
and everybody was gratifed.
CHICAGO WITHDRAws A $27, 600 CONTRIBUTION.
Three members of the Chicago Relief Com
mittee who were in Pittsburg received a tele-
gram from Mayor Creiger on Thursday last,
| which said the fund which had been subscri bed
by Chicagoans was for the immediate relief of
the suffering living, and for the committee to
consider this fact. Whereupon the committee
went to Treasurer Thompson and withdrew
the Chicago contribution, stating that they
| would take the money back with them and
hold it until it was definitely settled whether
Gov. Beaver would take charge and remove
the debris at the State of Pennsylvania's ex-
pense. They were requested to leave the funds
sealed and placed in a vault only to be opened
upon their order, but they preferred to take the
money, and did so. On their arrival in Chicago
they said, they will give TO the press their rea-
SONS for this action. They gave inauiring
reporters to understand that they were dis
gusted at the way in which the money sent
there had been perverted to clean up State
highway instead of being devoted for the home
less and suffering poor of Johnstown.
THE DRIFT AT THE STONE BRIDGE
is gradually being cleared away. Dynamite is
the only thing which has any effect upon il.
and on Saturday $50 cartridges were put into
| it, and the noise of the explosion was heard for
miles. The engineer in charge of the work
expects to have everything out of the way in a
very short time. A number of lumbermen
were engaged in clearing the wreckage with
their hooks, and they made such rapid progress
that more will be Immediately EMPLOYED.
| Everything is being done to get out the bodies
which are in the wreck, but as yet it is impos-
sible 10 get at them. 1t has also been decided
to tear down all unsafe buildings in the town
and burn the wreekage; and this will be done
as soon as Philadelphia engines are on hand
to protect property which is safe.
GOV. Beavers PROCLAMATION.
Gov. Beaver issued a proclamation on Fri
day, in which he says 1.-THE propriety OF
using the money contributed by generous
donors for the benefit of individual sufferers
for the purpose of starting men in business
might be questioned, particularly if that bust
ness should prove remunerative hereafter.
There can be little doubt, however, that the
most useful and judicious expenditure at the
present moment for the entire people of the
region would be q fund which could be used