Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-07-19
TITE JOHNSTO WV FLOOD
A. Graphically Described by nm Rye
Wftmes.


sufficient TO create excitement and amusing
incidents was no unusual thing for Johns
town. We measured with interest rather
than concern the water as it arose half way
TO the ceiling of the first floor, where it
seemed to be at a standstill for about half
hour before the breaking Of the dam, which
reached us at 4:15 in the afternoon. Driv-
EN- 10 the second floor soon after breakfast,
there was little Of note that occurred
throughout the day, except a longing for
and wondering when we would get some
thing to eat and the rescuing by a rope Of
three men who had been lost from RATS
before noon.
When the rush came was standing on
the stairway and saw the front door burst
open and AN extra flow Of water about
eight inches high come in. | supposed at
first it was due TO the water being lower
within the closely constructed building than
without, until was pushed upward several
steps This was my first alarm The 9th
ers cried, Grab something and get up to
the third floor" Too anxious 10 go to the
lower side of the hall and get some things
from my room, rushed to the room on the
upper side and threw open one Of the bay
windows to see what was coming. The
thick foliage Of the surrounding trees oh
structed my view, and | could see only the
waters rising and the waves maddening
but in the distance | could hear that awful
roar have heard the roar of the earth
quake and felt its sickening rock, but never
have heard ANYTHING so dreadful as this.
! knew it was the jaws of death opening
and closing with its victims so rapidly as to
take us all within its grasp. l had but a
moment to stay if | would reach the floor
above, and when there the first real scene
occurred The servant girls were running
from one end of the hallway to the other,
with their hands above their heads, scream
ing, 1--WE are lost we are lost {" One
glance from the window confirmed these
words. An acre Of ground surrounded the
house, but there were our neighbors' houses
floating against our own We Immediately
started for the roof, where we had been in
the morning surveying the surroundings,
! anu thusi loTluhhJelNi IHe step-lhuueT was
still in place at the trap door. From the
roof one could see all around the tall trees,
through the tops Of which soon began to
come houses in all directions 1t reminded
me Of what it must be to stand in the cen.
| tire and see the ranchmen "round up the
cattle for division, as | have heard from
others. The next sweep carried away the
larger trees, those thicker than my body
| going as a mere branch This revealed to
me the awfulness Of city ahoat and sink
ing multitude Was it an explosion of the
natural gas pipes which underlie our city,
or had the earth opened, sending forth a
stream Had the clouds centred aud burst,
or was it the end of the world For the
| first time heard the cry, "The dam has
broken ~ which was my first knowledge
that any such place existed. Less than a
mile below us the Pennsylvania railroad
bridge of unmovable masonry spanned the
two rivers. Between us and that, and
from shore to shore, we could not see a
whole house standing on its foundation.
saw frame houses lifted and some of them
ground to pieces and swept against the
bridge forming the dam, while all could
see of the brick houses was a little dust
arise as the water swept away the walls
| There were few cries for help, as every
body expected TO go, and knew that no one
could help them but God And there would
have been few helpers had assistance been
asked, for we all stood paralyzed. Men
who iloated by, clinging to chimney tops, or
perhaps with a child in each arm, had ex-
pressions of anguish on their faces, while
their glaring eyes seemed TO reach eternity
and their hair almost TO stand erect. They
did not look like men, nor do know what
they did look like Women on roofs, shut
ters and logs iloated by without word and
looking neither to right or left They did
not see the houses floating behind them, nor
the waves that would soon cover them or
lift them higher. Floating past us was the
fatal house ablaze, with four white faces at
the windows, and soon it was lodged against
the bridge and kindled the flames TO receive
and consume 50 many more soon to follow.
Up the valley could see the clean sweep,
and only waited as the water neared the
house top to Join the silent procession to a
watery or fiery grave. How have wished
l could have hoated away and never have
witnessed all that passed us on either side
and yet did not want to meet that awful
death Iprayed for one thing resignation
but instead got the assurance that he
would in some way lead me out. At this
time five of us were holding a hysterical
young lady on the roof who had seen her
mother and her home swept away.
These are mere incidents of the two hours
spent upon the roof in the drenching rain
without shoes or hat There came to us
from floating houses 100 people. | station
ed myself ON the edge of the roof, intend
ing to jump and try to reach some floating
debris should our brick walls give way. AT
crash looked to see the roof of build
ing give way and bury about 30 people who
had been clinging to it. At the cry of "Too
many on our roof !" | could only reply,
Don't keep one off if we all sink together, y
When the waters receded about five feet
we went to the floor below, where we spent
that awful night. With fire raging above
and below us, river on either side of US
there was about 80 feet of water around
our building, in which we were warned by
one in another house to keep to the lower
side, as the upper foundation was very bad ,
Among the number some were injured, some
with broken bones and we had nothing tC
eat until the next afternoon, when physi
clan reached us from Ebensburg. | wa.
floating houses to a schoolhouse about five
blocks away, and from there in a boat
across the river to the hin
D. 49,, -. :, - ..., IA,