Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-06-03


depth of twenty feet. The Pennsylvani
Railroad loses thirty-fve engines ant
many cars.
THE BURNING wRECKAGE.
The Baltimore and Ohio tracks ar
now open. The fire in the wreckage ha
spread steadily all day and the uppe
part Of the drift is burning tonight, 4
fire engine is stationed on the river PAM
and others will be gotten here py tht
Baltimore and Ohio. The natural ga'
has been shut off, owing to the many
leaks in Johnstown. The walls OF many
houses are falling, Their crash can b(
heard across the river, wnere tlle ho"s
paper men are located.
oBsEoUIEs INTERRUPTED.
A funeral was being held at one OF the
Cath )lic Churches at the Tune OF the
food. The congregation deserted the
church and the body was burned with
the building.
LoAFERs MUST LEAVE.
The Citizens Committee has issued a
nroclametion that all men who are able
for work must report for work or leave
the place. There is too much to do to
SUPPORT oilers, and the committee will
not abuse the generous help that is being
sent by doing go.
LIKE TADMoR IN THE WILDERNESS.
Johnstown is the most complete wreck
that Imagination can paint. Probably
800 houses have been swept from the
face of the earth, as completely as if
thew had never been erected. The main
street, from end to end, is piled fifteen
TO twenty feet high with debris, and in
some instances it is as high as the roofs
OF the houses. This great mass OF
wreckage fills the street from curb to
curb. and frequently has crushed the
fronts of the buildings in and filled the
space with the reminders of terrible
calamity. From the wooden mill, above
the island to the BRIDGE distance proba-
bly, OF two miles, strip of territory
nearly half mile in width has been
swept clean, not stick of timber, nor
one brick on top of another, being left to
tell the story.
TRAvERSING THE DREARY SCENE.
All day long, men, women and chill
dren were plodding about the desolate
wa ste, trying in vain to locate the
boundaries of their former homes.
Nothing but wide expanse of mud,
ornamented here and there with heaps
of driftwood. remains, however, for their
contemplation.
RIVERS OF TEARS.
Those, losses. however, are as nothing
compared to the frightful sacrifices of
precious lives to be seen on every hand
During all this Sunday Johnstown has
been drenched with the tears of the
stricken mortals, and the air is filled
with sobs and signs that come from
breaking hearts. There are scenes en-
acted here every hour and every minute
that affect all beholders very profoundly.
HEART.BREAKING SCENE.
An utterly wretcIed woman named
Mrs. Fem stood by a muddy pool Of
water trying to find some trace of once
happy home. She was half-crazed with
grief, and her eyes were red and swollen.
As the writer stepped to her side she
raised her haggard face and remarked:
'Tney are all gone. Oh, God be merci-
full to them My husband and my seven
dear little children have been swept
down with the flood, and l have been
left alone. We were driven by raging
foods into garrett, but the water fol.
lowed us there. Inch by inch it
crushed against the roof. 1t
window, and one by one placed my dar-
linps on some driftwood, trusting to the
great Creator. AS 1 liberated the last
one, my sweet little boy, he looked at
me and said "Mamma, you always told
me that the Lord would care for me.
Will He look after me now?" l saw
him drift away with his lovely face
turned toward me, and, with a prayer on
my lips for his deliverance, he passed
from my sight forever. In a moment
the roof was crushed in, and l tioated
outside to be rescued fifteen hours later
from the roof of house in Kernvlle.
If could only find one of my darlings l
could bow to the will of God. But they
are all gone. l have lost everything on
earth now but my life."
IDENTIFYING HER DEAD.
A handsome woman walked through
the depot where dozen or more bodies
we're awaiting burial. Passing from one
to another she finally lifted the paper
covering from the face of woman,
Young, and with traces of beauty show
ing the stains OF the muddy water. With
a crv of anguish she reeled backward, to
he caught by man who CHANGED to be
passing. In O moment or 80 she had
calmed herself sufficiently to take one
more look at the fe ltures of her dead.
She stood gazing at the unfortunate as if
numbed. The dead woman was the
sister of the mourner. The body was
placed in a coffin a few minutes later
and sent away to it's narrow house.
These incidents are but fair samples of
scenes familiar to every turn in this
stricken city.
THE LOSS OF LIFE ESTIMATED.
The loss of life is simply dreadful.
Most conservative people declare that
the number will reach five thousand. The
streets have been full of men, carrying
the bodies to the various places, where
thew await identification, ever since
morning, and the work has only just be-
gun. Every hour or 30 forces OF men
working on the various heaps OF debris,
find number of bodies buried in the
mud and wreckage.
THE BODIES IN THE BURNING PILE.
It believed that when the flames are
extinguished in the wreckage at the
bridge, and the same is removed, hun
dreds and hundreds of victims will be
discovered. On the face of it this seems
certain, as dozens of bodies have already
been found in the outskirts of the houses
in the mass OF broken timbers.
HORROR PILED UPON HORROR.
Reports from outside points are Also
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