The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-08
CLEARING OUT THE DEBRIS
The Work Done by 5000 Men Yester
day Only a Drop in the Bucket.

The Work Done by 5000 Men Yester-
day Only aDrop in the Bucket.
JoHNsTowN, June Eight thousand
men have been at work to-day clearing out
the debris, but truth compels the statement
that the undertaking has NOT been fairly
started. Fires are burning up and down
the valley of the Conemaugh as far as the
eye can reach. The air is thick with smoke,
and yet to people familiar with the situation
the efforts of this army of earnest toIlers
are hardly appreciable. Something like
system is being established, but the most
careful estimates are to the effect that it
will take 10000 men for weeks TO clear out
the heaps of ruin piled up between the hills
in the course of the river. There is an es-
tablished belief with many people that
newspaper reporters live chiefly in the
world Of fiction. Could every person who
reads these lines see the frlghtful sights
that have confronted the members of the
press here during the last night, they would
all unite in saying that only small por-
ton of the story had been told.
BEYOND CONCEPTION.
Human fancy cannot conceive the horrors
of the situation. This report is being
written from the second story of a building.
worth probably SIS, which commands a
view of the mountainous wreck at the
Point bridge. The stencil that is waited
through the doorless and windowless
structure by every passing breeze
is sickening. An hour ago the
writer completed tour of the mighty
wreck in this vicinity in company with
Arthur Kirk, millionaire oil man, who is
looking after the work of opening up the
the river channel, chiefly by dynamite
Dozens of human beings and animals were
to be seen on the surface, charred and
blackened by fire and in such state
of decomposition that the strongest man
could no more than glance at
them. Mr.. Kirk, who is a man of iron
nerve and a stranger to fear, declared that
he was sick at heart and axious to quit the
awful scene. In fact, while he was talking
with the reporter the chief of the sanitary
committee came to him and said that
Director Scott begged him to stay and
carry on the work. He will stay to the
limit, but his task is an awful one
SCATTERING DIsINFEcTANTs.
Eighty-six men from Altoona, under
orders Of the sanitary officials are scatter
ing disinfectants over the acres of wreck
age that the railroad bridge stopped. Mr..
Kirk declared that thousands of bodies will
will yet be found in this territory alone.
Great trouble has been experienced at
the bridge on account of the mass of
telegraph wires in the debris. Line re-
pairers are badly needed to help in re-
moving the wires, and Kirk says that as
soon as they are gone he will hustle the de-
bris through by the acre. The Western
Union Telegraph officials have been asked
to send experienced linemen to help in the
work. The problem of the hour is the dis
posal of the debris above the Pennsylvania
railroad bridge. Unless it is soon got rid,of
the stencil will be so overpowering that no
human being can stand it.
THE PNEUMONIA sooURGE.
The pneumonia scourge grows alarm
ingly. DR., Sweet of Philadelphia, a prom
inent member of DR.. Groff'S staff, came
down from the Cambria hospital tonight
with a startling report. DR.. Croft had re-
tired and no official action could be taken.
DR.. Sweet said: Prospect Hill
is full Of pneumonia, with
hospital is full to overfiowing and
to-day I attended forty-two cases on the
outside. They were almost all severe pneu-
monia. There is every condition needed
for a spread Of the disease, and l fear an
epidemic" DIR. Darlington also reported
several cases of pneumonia, having found
them on the hill near Morrellville.
Dr. Fusell came in with load of in
formation from the Kernville- bonneville
district this evening. The cellar of house
on Bedford street was found stored with
wet clothing which was full Of disease. The
bonfire was brilliant. A butcher shop on
Franklin street was found full Of putrid
meat, which was destroyed. Nine horses
and four COWS were cremated, making $50
animals in this district.
ROW OF HUMAN FEET.
A row of human feet was noticed stick
ing out of the sand on the river bark near
Kernville. A gang Of men soon uneHrthed
the bodies of two men and one girl, az tu a
good state Of preservation.