Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-06-06

hand. and apparently no escape for them. they
sounded thViT Whistles This they repeated at in
tervalS-the last time with triumphant vlSOT, as
the waters were Tecetlng from the sides of the ir
locomotives. Ry $50 o'clock the force of the res
ervoir waters had been spent on the VILLAGE of
COnemaugh, and the Pullman ears and locomotive
of the second section remained unmOved. This
was because of being on the highest and hardest
ground. the destructive current of the reservoir
food had PASSED between that and the mount1in,
while the current of the river did not eat il away
But the other trains had been DESTROYED. 4 Sui-
taTy Locomotive was seen imhedded in the mud
where the round EOuSe had stood.
As the greatest danger had passed, the people
of COnemaugh gave their thoughts t1 their neigh
bOTS OF the city Of JOhnStOvn. Here was conferred
the great steel and iron industry, the pride of
Western Pennsylvania, the Cambria Iron Works.
being known everywhere Here were churches,
daily newspapers. hanks. dry goods houses, ware
houses, and the comfortable and well-bUilt homes
OF l2,OO1 people What WIS their fate? In the con-
temptation OF the irresistible force of that awful
flood. gathering additional momentum as it swept
on toward the gulf, 1t became clear that the city
must h. destroyed, ald that unless the inhabitants
had telegraphc TOtice of the breaking of the
vOir they must perish. 4 cry of horror went up
from the hundreds on the mountain side, and a few
inStinctively turned their steps toward JOhnStOwn
All the mills furnaces, manufactures, the many
varied industries, the banks, the reSldenceS-aH
were swallowed up before the shadows of night
had settled down upon the earth. What of the in
habitantS? Who can tell with any certainty
Those who came back by daybTeak said that from
five TO eight thousand had been drowned. In the
sinks into inSignifcance.
In this latter place they were already bringing
in the dead on stretcherS. How many had been
can lost here at Mineral Point, and at South Fork
not be told and may never be known. There were
some passengers and possibly forty or fifty nhab-
itantS The loss of property is enormous. The
track of the railroad company is certainly de-
strOyed for at least ten miles below South Fork
and all other property of the company on the line
The destruction of JOhnStOwns Industries will
alone reach to many millions. Then to this great
sum add the value Of the houses and public build
ngS in that city, and of the villages above and be
low il, SCme idea can be formed of the wealth OBJ
liberated by the flood created by the breaking of
the reservoir And this reservoir was maintained
for the pleasure of Pittsburgh club. Up on the
mountain was suspended body of water three
miles long one mile wide, and seventy feet deep,
for the recreation of a few pleasure seekers
What would happen if there should be break
must have been imperfecty apprehCnded, since 1t
is said that a bond of only three millions had been
eNacted from the club. What are three millions
to the gross sum for the destruction of property?
Can they restore the dead to life, or aSSauge the
grief of the bcrcaved? The question of moral re-
SpOESibiity swallows up the financial as com
pletely as the angry waters did the city oi Johns
TOWN.