West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-06-06
THE GREAT FLOOD.
The Loss OF Life Estimated ut Six to
Ten Thousand.

disastrous than it was at first repre-
sented. Although it is still impos-
sible to make anything like an
accurate estimate, the latest infor-
nation renders it probable that the
bursting Of Conemaugh lake and
reservoir, to which the calamity was
largely due, has resulted in the loss
of from 5000 to 10000 lives and in
the destruction of many million
dollars worth Of property. Hundreds
of people have been left homeless
and destitute, and active measures
for their relief have already been
inaugurated.
Fifteen thousand strangers crowd
ed the scene Of the disaster yestcr-
day, and six hundred bodies have
been collected. Several vandals
caught removing jewelry from dead
bodies of women and children along
the river were put to death by in
dignant citizens.
Conemaugh lake and reservoir was
fourteen miles above Johnstown. 1t
was the property of a number of
wealthy gentlemen in Pittsburgh,
who constituted corporation called
the South Fork Fishing and Hunt
ing Club. The sheet of water was
situated in the mountains from 200
to 800 feet above the level of Johns
town, was three miles in length,
from one to one and q quarter miles
in width and in some places said TO
be 100 feet deep. The original lake
had been quadrupled in size by
artificirl means, and was held in
check by dam from 700 to 900
feet wide. The dam was 90 feet in
thickness at the base, WITH height
of ITO feet and breadth of over 20
feet at the top. The great body of
water in the lake had been greatly
swollen by the continuous rains, and
finally swept away the immense dam
which had been built to retain it
and rushed in mighty and irresist-
IDLE flood upon the country below
1T, growing in volume and strength
as it Joined the Conemaugh creek
and the already swollen streams
along which it poured. The course
of the flood led it most of the way
through a narrow V-shaped valley.
-Four miles below the dam and ten
miles above Johnstown lay the town
of South Fork, at the junction of Il
small stream with Conemaugh creek.
1t had population of about one
thousand four hundred. Three
miles below South Fork was Miner
al Point, cluster Of workingmen's
houses about half the size. Neither
ofthese towns was partof Johnstown.
Conemaugh, ten miles below the
lake and four miles above Johns
town, was the largest village on the
creek between the reservoir and
Johnstown. 1t is often spoken of
as part of Johnstown, though it's
railrosd station is two or three miles
up the creek from the Johnstown
station. The streets of the two
towns ran into each other, and the
space between the two stations was
we'll built up along the creek. Part
Of the Cambria Iron and Steel Com
pany's works were at Cone
maugh' and five or six thousand of
the workingmen and their families
lived there.
Between Concmaugh and Johns
town borough was a string of tene-
ments along the river which was
called Woodvale. Possibly 1000
workmen lived in them. Further
down were Johnstown and its clus-
ter of sister towns, Cambria City
and Conemaugh borough, with a
total population Of about 30, 900.
Johnstown was in the southwest
part Of Cambria county, at the forks
where Stony creek and Conemaugh
creek form the Conemaugh river.
1t was on the Pennsylvania railroad
thirty-nine miles southwest of Al
toona, and seventy-eight miles east
Of Pittsburgh. The people Of the
town were the employees Of the Cam
bria Iron and Steel Company, their
families and small storekeepers.
Three quarters Of the population
lived in small frame tenement
houses on the flats by the river
around the works Of the Cambria
(cros,or,v III H.. t,...s o..