The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-06-10
NO DISEASE ON THE coNEMAuGH.
The State Authorities Deny the Re-
port Of an Epidemic.
Little Waits for whose Welfare Zeal
Gus Women are Working.
The Death Roll Greatly Shortened by
the Increased Registration.

day since the disaster All were fast ad-
vanced In decomposition. The work of clear
ing away the debris is progressing very en-
couragingly. The workmen were not re-
quired to proceed today, but nine-tenths
volunteered to continue As result large
inroad was made on the drift in the central
portion of the city. Main street, the prin-
cipal thoroughfare, one Of the worst block
AIDED, is now about cleared At the wreck
age above the stone bridge. the work Is GO
ing on rather slowly, as the force is small
and the difficulties great. Arthur Kirk. who
hns been using dynamite blasts to separate
the drift, suspended operations today, but a
considerable force continued to use pike
poles and cleared a few feet 1t has been
very quiet in and about Johnstown owing to
the fact that the Pennsylvania and Balti-
more and Ohio railroads refused to run
trains from Pittsburg or other important
points nearer than Boliver on the former
and lockwood ON the latter road. This
kept out large influx of excursioDists and
left the field clear to the workers.
Religious services were held at various
points today. Most of the suburban towns
lar services. In JohnstowD. open air meet
ings were held at different points. Chaplain
T. a. Mcguire of the 14tt Regiment held a
at the open air meeting in the afternoon.
The hot weather Is telling on the w0rkmen.
With fires constantly kept going, burning
up the rubbish, and broiling sun, many
were exhausted before evening.
The large hospitals here, the Cambria and
Bedford, have but little to do now but large
corps of physicians are kept very busy. At
the Cambria hospital 16 persons injured by
the flood were cared for. Two died, Miss
Maggie Hughes and Miss Willomer. Since
the flood 500 persons have received the at
tention of the physicians at this institution.
Several women who Dursed some of the In
jured became i'll and one may not recover,
At the Bedford hospital 1862 injured persons
were cared for and when they could be re-
moved safely, taken to Pittsburg hospitals.
Only three patients were brought to the hos
pital today. They had received injuries
while clearing away the debris. Over 600
persons were furnished medicine and atten-
ti0n by the physicians in charge OF the hos
pital. The tent hospitals are practically
abandoned and none have had case for sew
eral days. The health of the valley is unus
uaily good Notwithstanding the reports of a
threatened epidemic. A bulletin issued by
the State board of health says the condition
of the health of Johnstown is excellent No
6pluemlc disease Oh any klnu eAlStS nor Is IL
expected that any will arise.
DR.. Croft has made careful inspection of
tine drift in the river at the stone bridge and
reports no probability Of any contamination
of the water supply Of the towns below from
this source, He says the number OF bodies
in the river cannot be large. The valleys
were swept so clean by the great floods that
the river waters are now purer than before
the disaster. There is difference In the con-
taminating power of decomposing organic
matters. That from bodies dead Of contagi-
ious disease would be far more dangerous
than from bodies of healthy persons. As 1t
is, the bodies in the river. are generally
covered with from one to six feet Of mud and
sand. This earthly matter absorbs all effiuvia
aud acts as the best disinfectant There is
NO present danger to the supply
of Pittsburg at Johnstown. The only
frightened into sickness by sensational rc-
ports. "You may state for me-" said he,
that there are more doctors here than pa
tients. The general health Of the people in
pected. There is hardly any typhoid fever
In town and but little pneumonia. Fears of
an epidemic. of diphtheria are unfounded."
Several cases of vandalism and robbery are
reported today. Last night number OF
cars containing supplies. were. broken into
thieves could not steal they trampled and
ruined. A Masonic relief car was entered
and robbed. Twelve men were arrested for
stealing today and released upon returning
the goods. The militia guards in Cambria
city were kept busy last night arresting
thieves. The thieves were placed in the
guard house and this morning drummed out
of town. When they reached the outskirts
they were warned that If caught again they
would be summarily dealt with. Many peo-
pie are imposing upon the relief committee,
and in several cases men have succeeded In
getting enough supplies to- last several
months. One man was found this afternoon
who had nine sacks of flour in his cellar, be-
sides large stock of provisions and clothing
secured from the committee.
G, 14th regiment, committed suicide in tent
by shooting himself in the head with a rife
ball. He was farm laborer and a resident
of Toms Run, near Mansfield, Pa. He had
been sick several days, but nothing in his
ing his life.
Miss Walk and Miss Ely North Of the
Home for Friendless Children returned
to Philadelphia yesterday and took the Hoff-
man family Of nine children. The little ones
rents and the elder sister being drowned in
the flood Miss B. w. Hinckley, head of the
Children's Aid Society of Philadelphia is
one OF the busiest young women in the val
ley. Miss Hinckley says the object OF the
society is to unite rather than to send them
away AiOhi OOnuotOnns dlbuOuHu htttC uuCo
may be provided for if their parents are not
found. Plenty of Johnstown people will
adopt these children and bring them up as
citizens of Johnst0wn instead Of send
ing. them to asylums where they
will become State paupers. Miss Maggie
Brooks is the only resident member Of this
aid society not drowned. She is school
teacher and knows every child and its
parents In the city. She spends her time
hunting every house for miles around. This
evening about 21 900 persons had registered
and the list is still increasing. The number
lost is placed now at 5000 by those who held
it would reach 10000, week ago. A con
servative estimate is between $500 and 4000
Up to date 1900 bodies have been recovered
Gov. Beaver was here today and gave as
surances that the State would provide ST.
goo, 900 for immediate used in the work of re-
building.
voIney Gushing Safe.
BANGOR, June S.-Volney B. Gushing was
not among the sufferers at .J0hnstown as