The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-04

For the first time since the flood men
| have been put to work at the debris at the
bridge and are hunting for bodies that
have not been burned beyond recognition.
| Ihls morning a man, woman and child
| were taken from the ruins. The child was
clasped in the arms of the woman, and the
trio were evidently husband, wife and
| child. 1t was most distressing sight to
see relatives of people who are supposed to
be lost standing around, watching every
body as it is pulled out, and acting more
like maniacs than sane people.
WRITING AMONG THE CoRPsEs.
The condition of affairs here is illustrated
by the circumstances under which these
dispatches are being sent 1t has been
| necessary to establish the headquarters of
the Associated Press in a building which is
being used as one Of the morgues, and its
| telegraph operators are sending the distress
ing news to the world while surrounded by
| the bodies of the dead. The Western Union
Telegraph Company IS furnishing every
possible facility for the transmission of
news
A relief train from Pittsburg over the
Baltimore and Ohio road reached here at 2
o'clock this morning, after an exciting ride
up the mountain. All along the road at
each town contributions were made to the
| already well-flled cars of provisions
McKeesport added two to three laden cars.
| at PIttsburg two more were added, at
| Braddock three. at West Newton another,
and so on all the way to Johnstown. until,
when the latter town was reached, the train
| had ten loaded cars.
WILLING HEARTS AND HANDS.
When Johnstown was reached every one
was anxious to get to work to assist in the
work of rescue and relief. A party was
made up and started for the lower part of
the town. The path was covered with
trees, rocks, fences, parts of houses and
every imaginable thing. Bureaus, beds,
| sideboards and furniture of all kinds were
strewn from hill to hill, while the valley of
Stony creek for miles up from Johnstown
is filled with debris Of all kinds The line
of the Baltimore and Ohio road has been
cleared of debris, and it is piled up on each
| side as high as the top of the cars
When the lower part Of the town was
reached, the scene presented was beyond
description. The half has not been told,
nor never will be be, of the awful wreck.
From the Pennsylvania railroad to Main
street there is nothing standing but stone
church aud large brick school house.
OVER 100 KILLED IN HOTEL.
The Mansion house is gone, and over 100
people were lost there. From the Balti-
more and Ohio depot you can see for blocks
in every direction, and between the depot
and that point there is standing only part
of the Morrell block and two small brick
offices that were protected by the Morrell
building. The town was at rest early in
the morning. Every one was thoroughly
exhausted with the terrible strain and the
work of the last two days and nights.
The town is under martial law and every
one who goes about the place is challenged
and required TO give an account of him
self.
The water has subsided to great extent
and the streets in the main part Of the town
are free from water.
ONLY JUST COMING TO LIGHT.
The falling water has laid bare the terri
BILE work of the flood, and the full extent of
the disaster is only being ascertained now.
The streets are one sickenlng, foul-smelling
mass of dead wood and the work of search
ing for bodies has only fairly begun. The
latest estimates put the loss of life at from
10000 to II, 900. 1t is impossible to get any
account of the number lost. Everyone
is so thoroughly tired out and overcome
by the weight of the disaster as, to be utterly
unable to give any accurate details or
figures. The work of Identifying the dead
goes on very slowly, and comparatively
few bodies SO far have been identified.
SOME OF THOSE IDENTIFIED.
Among those identified were:
Mr. WOLF and his wife.
Mr.. GoLDBET, merchant on Main
street, whose body was sent to Baltimore.
accompanied by his daughter.
MRS. J. KATERSTINE and son, who were
visiting Mr.. Bohm. father of Mrs. Kater-
stine. They were standing in Mr. Bohm's
store on Main street, which was carried
away in front of his eyes.
The Hotel Holbert has been entirely
washed away and seventy-two persons per-
ished, Behind the Morrell property lies
locomotive which was carried over the
bridge and swept up by the food.
SAW THE FLOODS ONWARD RUSH.
Frank Mcdonald, a conductor on the
Somerset branch of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, was at the Pennsylvania railway
depot when the flood came. He says that
when he first saw the food it was 80 feet
nigh and gradually rose to at least 40 feet
There is no doubt that the South Fork
dam broke" said Mr.. Mcdonald. Fifteen
minutes before the food came Mr.. Decker,
the Pennsylvania railroad agent read me
telegram he had just received, saying the
South Fork dam had broken. As soon as
they heard this the people in the station,
numbering 600, made rush for the hill.
certainly think | saw 1,000 bodies go over
the bridge The first house that came down
struck the bridge and at once took fire, and
as fast as the others came
down they were consumed
believe that | am safe in saying that |
saw 1000 bodies burn. Itreminded me of
lot of flies on fly paper, struggling to get
away, with no hope and no way to save
them. | have no idea that had the bridge
been blown up, the loss of life would have
been any less They would have 6oated
little further with the same certain death.
Then, again, it was impossible for any one
to have reached the bridge in order to blow
it up, for the waters came so fast that no
one could have done it. l saw fifteen to
eighteen bodies go over the bridge at the
same time I offered $50 to row me across
the river, but could get no one to 60, and
had finally to build boat and get across
that way"
CoRPsEs UNDER A SCHOOL.
From under the large brick school house
124 bodies were taken last night and to-day,
and in every corner and place bodies are
being found and buried as fast as possible.
The necessity for speedy burial is becoming
manifest, and the stencil arising from the
bodies is sickening. A number of bodies
have been found with bullet holes in them,
showing conclusively that in their madden
ing fright suicide was resorted to by many.
Up to this morning people living here
who lost whole families and parts of fami-
lies hardly seemed to realize what dread
full calamity had befallen them. However,
this morning the people are beginning to
understand the situation, and agony is
stamped on the face of every one, and it is