The Washington critic., 1889-06-06


Mr. NJ. V. Richards, the B. & O.'s
land and immigration agent, who was
coming from the West at the time Of
the storm, returned TO Baltimore yestei
dny from Johnstown. He says the
scene there is beyond description.
When he left 5000 people had been
registered out of population of about
% 1000. The B. g. o., he says, has re.
paired its track, so that trains run right
where the town was. Provisions and
clothing are coming fast, and gangs OF
men are at work digging bodies out OF
the mass of debris. The smell from
the putrcfying bodies of people, horses.
dogs and cows, he says, Is sickening.
Bodies were being carried up all day 10
the hills and buried. The survivors
show the effects Of the long strain,
slceplcss nights and hard work looking
for their dead There are no houses to
sleep in except some on the elevated
ground. He thinks 1t will be some
time before the wreckage can be cleared.
It Is piled up in some places 90 feet
high, and Is composed of almost every.
thing imaginable, from a locomotive
and train Of cars to cradle. large
provision house has been built near the
u. & o. tracks, from which food is DIS
pensed. He says the sight of the
wrecked cemetery on the slope Of one
Of the hills is ghastly.
Registering the Living.
One of the most valuable parts Of the
work Is that of registering names OF
survivors, which is the only means by
which may be had m idea Of the total
loss of life. The registering is done by
fifty agents, under DR.. ii. j. McCon-
naghy, who has taken the place Of Dr.
j. J. buchanan, who was obliged to re-
turn to Pittsburg. There are thirty
agencies, and all persons are notified to
leave their names. Each name is writ
ten on single slip of paper carried,to
headquarters and arranged and copied
alphabetically. They register about
5000 day. The greatest difficulty is
had with the foreign element by reason
of their not understanding the Ian
guage, but efforts will be made to have
Hungarian interpreters TO act as agents,
and by this means the names of many
more survivors may be obtained Ac-
cordiDg to census taken about two
weeks ago the population of Johnstown
and its surrounding borroughs In which
the offices of registration have been es.
tablished was 10000. Including yes,
terday's work, about $4,000 persons
are known 10 survive, and by the end
of the week full list Of the dead may
be had
Children Playing Flood.
A special from Johnstown says: /
came across a party of little children
playing "The flood" Yes, the little
ones, gathering the awful incidents Of
the past few days, had turned 1t to a
pastime. Now, be quiet" cried one,
1.-THE water is coming" ".Oh! ohl"
shouted the others, I'VE are drowned"
and down they fell, playing dead.
Then others picked them up and car
ried them as dead, as they had seen 80
many being lifted, and placed them on
the ground and covered their faces with
pieces of their clothing. You must
lie still, for you are dead, said one Of
the little ones to rebellious child who
did not relish the idea of lying prone
upon the grass. You are dead, and
can't move; you must be still" II
made me sad the innocence of these
children, and passed on down again
into the valley Of horrors.
Like Huge Camp.
Where Johnstown's principal stores
stood last Friday are now pitched 1000
tents, ana before night this number will
probably he doubled. Under this
shelter are accommodated the members
of the militia and the thousands of
workmcn who are trying 10 clear the
,traoto NJ ,h;v vroclfad city Ovar X O00