Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-06-12
The Late Flood Disaster.

The Late Flood Disaster.
In the SENTINEL AND REPUBLICAN Of
the 5th inst, was given an outline OF
the devastation Of the flood of May
81 aud June 1St 4 detailed account
of the destruction Of property and
individual adventure, death, and es-
capes from death Is impossible, such
an account would HI many volumes
~ large rs the Bible.
The destruction wrought IN the
valley Of the Juniata and Susque-
hanna are very much alike, and one
scene such ~ was witnessed IN this
county at this place, and in Patter-
son, at HonIugtovn, at Port Royal,
at Mexico, at Thompsontown and
along the creeks and on the farms
II typical of the scenes every
where the flood ragged. In some
places 1t was on large scale, and IN
other places II was on smaller scale,
but taken all IN al Juniata county
may I've taken Il fair sample of what
has betulleu large portion Of this
commonwealth The work of gen
erutiou II inhabitants VIII be requir-
sd to make good the loss. The calam-
itv at
was a many time multiplied one, IN
which 5000 people were rushed to
their death within the period Of half
an hour
At noon on Nav 81. the water at
Juhu-town had risen to and flowed
through the streets on the fiat land
of the town. but IN all probability
the town would not have been flood
ed to n greater degree than
was Patterson, III tins county, and as
were other towns III the Juniata val
lev and the valley Of the SUsque-
hanna had il not been for tho de
funct canal feeder dam. The State
canals cost
FORTY MILLION DOLLARS
Add 10 that the Johustown horror
and what a costly enterprise they
proved themselves to be.
The calnal on the other side Of the
Allegheny mountain was fed by
rest ENhNAI ANA NttNfA ANNhANhl III q AAI
IN the mountain 20 miles beyond
Altoona and IL miles east OF Johns
town. When the canal was aband-
oued the reservoir or dam was kept
up by n party Of rich men from Pitts
burg, as a fish lake, boat lake and
general summer resort They bought
the surrounding mountain land and
an 4f.4 vv-rlaA
such leisure days as they had at their
disposal during the summer months.
The dam was 100 feet deep,when full
3 miles long and covered 500 acres.
1t was built across ravine or gap
through which flowed a little creek
South Fork Greek, which enpties in
to the COnemsugh river two miles
below the dam, nine miles below the
junction Of the creek with the river
was located Johnstown on the flat
land along tho Conemaugh.
On Thursday May 80 the manage
meut If the dam had large force OF
men engaged in cutting the ends ot
the dam so that the surplus of rain
water could escape without breaking
the breast of the reservoir.
Almost at u o'clock, noon, on Fri
day, Nav 81, the dam management
became convinced that they coulc
not save the lake. 1t was then thai
a. man named Parke, mounted hors'
and at full speed rode down the road
along South Fork Greek, shouting
" the dam, the dam, Is breaking.
Reaching the COuemaugh river road
he continued down the valley as harC
us the horse could run sounding til,
alarm. He rode through JohnstowI
sounding the death knell. but few o
the people needed it.
But that was not all
Tho PENNSYLVANIA railroad passes
up the Conemaugh river on its way
TO Cresson, and Just where South
Fork Greek empties its water into
the river = q telegraph station. The
operutor N the station telegrapheo
Parkes thrilling message all along
the line.
THREE HOURS
after Parke's alarm-at 3 o'clock z
". the dam broke and, in 40 minutes
AAAAt' NAAN l''.LtN "a NalSi A'tiNA hAANN 'A
IT the valley down South Fork Creel
carrying everything before 1t at thu
hight of so feet to Conemaugh river
and thence down the river on wav,
oi 40 feet sweeping all the towns snc
locomotives and trains of cars in tn
valley in one indiscribable mas
against Johnstown, which passe
away under the hurculean pressur
and left not one brick upon anothe
TO mark the place where the house
stood.
Below the town Is massive ston
railroad bridge with high arche
against which the drift lodged L
tho deluge Of IL miles more tina
5000 people lost their lives Th
upsettlng Of cook stove IN q fran
house that fosted among the Dirt
against the bridge set the pile o
6re, and to the horrors of the foo
vas added the horrors of FIRE.
FORGOTTEN.
The loss Of thousands ofproperty |
people IN, this county were forgo
ten in the destruction oflife that toe