Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-01
Johnstown Completely Submerged
BY the Rushing Waters.
HUNDREDS OF FLOATING BODIES.
The Awful Catastrophe Caused BY
the Bursting of Reservoir
Several Towns Threatened
with Destruction.
The People Panic-stricken.


struction. Houses with their occupants
were swept away and many were
drowned. There is no communca-
tion with Johnstown, but the telegraph
operator on the Pennsylvania road tower at
Sauk Hollow, twelve miles this side of
Johnstown, says at least seventy-fve dead
bodies have floated past. The wires are all
down, and trains are running east of Blairs-
vile, which is about twenty-five miles west
OF Johnstown. There is no way to get to the
scene Of the disaster, and full particulars can
hardly be obtained tonight, although every
effort is being made to do so. There will be
no trains through to the east before to-mor-
row.
LATER REPORT.
The latest reliable information received
from Johnstown comes through Pennsyl-
vania road officials, who aver that over two
hundred dead bodies have been counted float
ing down the stream at Johnstown alone,
while along the lines many additional lives
had been lost. 1t is asserted there are but
two houses in Johnstown proper entirely
above the water line. A special train bear
ing the Pennsylvania railroad officials and
Associated press correspondents has left this
city for the scene. Telegraphic communi-
cation is entirely cut off, and until telegraph
repair men and operators with the necessary
instruments open up at the nearest point, but
little reliable information can be obtained
AS SEEN AT GREENsBTRG.
GREENsBURG, Pa, May 31.-Johnstown is
completely submerged and hundreds of lives
are lost Houses are floating about and the
people are panic-stricken and fleeing to the
mountains At point near New Florence
eighty-fve persons have been seen float
ing down the river. The Covetown
and New Florence bridges have been
washed away, and all the buildings
along the Conemaugh, between New Flor
ence and Johnstown, have been carried
away. The railroad towers have been aban-
doned by the operators. The people here
who have friends in the flooded district are
eagerly waiting for news at the telegraph
office. Great uneasiness prevails. The
river at Livermore is rising and great de-
struction will follow.
THE JUNIATA RISING.
TYRONE, Pa, May 31.-The Juniata river
has overhowed its banks at this place and
flooded the entire southern portion of the
People living in the flooded districts had to
removed from their homes in wagons to
places of safety. All railroads CEN
damaged % by the floods. The water water
was never known to be so high at this place
before. AT Curwinsville, one man was
drowned and at Clearfed two young ladies
were drowned in trying to escape from the
flooded district. The Susquehanna river has
overflowed Its banks at Clearfield and the
entire place is under water, and all means of
escape is cut off. Many people have gath
cred in the court house and opera house for
safety. This evening it is still raining and
the waters are rising rapidly.
TELEGRAPH WIRES DOWN.
BRADDocK, Pa, May 3l.-The Associated
press correspondent on a special train en-
route to the scene of the disaster says that
the telegraph wires being down absolutely
for six or seven miles below the immediate
scene, and being in unworkable shape for
three or four miles distant, it was after
o'clock before an accurate outline of the effect
of the tidal wave could be learned. The
Of the main line of the Pennsylvania
railroad received most of their first informa-
tion from the signal tower at Sauk Hollow,
six miles west of Johnstown. At quarter
of O'Clock boy was rescued by men in the
signal tower of the railroad company His
name is unknown, but he said that with his
father, mother brother and two sisters he
was swept over the breast Of the new stone
railroad bridge at JOhnstown; that it cap
sized few seconds later and they were all
drowned, so far as be could tell. The
railroad operator officially reports that
before dark they were able to count 1l9 per-
sons clingng to buildings and wreckage or
drowned and floating or the current. If this
information is to be credited the damage in
the town proper must be in the nature of a
clean sweep. AS early as l o'clock an
alarm was sent to Johnstown that
thene aam rhs was raroadf Sanfsr odns dsG wens ens
notified and in very short time began to
carry people from the town to places of
safety, on the regular trains and on hastily
improvised rescuing trains. Superintendent
Pitcairn. OF the western division of the
Pennsylvania railroad, was on his way to
South Fork and was notified of the impend-
ing trouble.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESERVOIR.
In order TO understand the nature of this
calamity, it is necessary to describe the
respective locations of the reservoir at John
stown.
1t lies about two and half miles north
east of Johnstown, and is the site of the old
reservoir, which was one of the feeders
OF the Pennsylvania canal. This sheet
of water was formerly known as Conemaugh
| lake. 1t is from 200 to 300 feet above the
| level OF Johnstown, being in the mountains.
| 1t Is about three and half miles long and
| from mile to mile and quarter in width,
and in some places it is 100 feet
| in depth. 1t holds more water
than any other reservoir, natural or
| artificial in the United States. 1t was held
| IN check by q dam 200 to 100 feet wide. 1t is
| ninety feet in thickness at the base. and it's
| height is 10 feet The top has y breadth of
| over twenty feet. Recognizing the menace
| which the lake held to the region below, the
oOulu CluD, Which, OWueu rcScTNolr,
had the dam inspected once month
| by a Pennsylvania road engineer and
| their investigation showed That nothing less
| than some convulsion OF nature would tear
| the barrier away and loosen the weapon OF
! death The steady rains of the past forty
| eight hours increased the volume of water
| IN all the small mountain streams, which
| were already swelled by lesser rains earlier
| in the week. From the best information OBJ
| tanned at this time, it Is evident that some
! thing in the nature of q cloud burst must
| have taken place.
HOURLY GROWING WORSE.
PHILADELPHIA, May 31.-Dispatches re-
| ceived up to midnight ut the office of the
| Pennsylvania railroad indicate that the
situation is hourly growing worse. The
| tracks west of Johnstown are, at some points
| entirely carried away and the roadbeds
! gone. The river for some distance above
| the bridge is tillcj with buildings and
| driftwood forty feet high, which Is on fire
| and likely TO damage the bridge. The fire is
| beyond control.
Johnstown is literally wiped out.