The Penn's Grove record., 1889-06-08
.ACITY OF DEAD.
FL00DA YOUNGSTOWN
A PROCLAMATION. BY THE GO
VERNON OF PENNSYLVANIA.

A PROCLAMATION BY THE GO
VERNON OF PENNSYLVANIA.
CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF LOSSES 5000
LIVES AND S25, OO0, 600 IN PROPERTY.
PIrTsBURa, May H.-s food at
Johnstown has resulted in an awful
catastrophe.
1t is said that the reservoir above
the town broke about 8 o'clock this
evening. and the immense volume
OF water rushed down to the city.
carrying with it death 81 d destruction.
Houses with their occupants were
swept away, and scores. probably hum
dreds, of people were drowned. $50
PITrsBURo, May 31.-The latest In
formation received from Johnstown
comes through Pennsylvania Railroad
officials, who aver that over 200 dead
bodies have been counted floating down
the stream at Johnst0wn alone, while
along the line many additional lives
have been lost. 1t Is asserted that
there are but two houses In Johns
town proper entirely atove the water
line.
BLAIRsvILLE INTERSECTION, June
/. 1 A. MA reliable courier just ar
rived states that 1900 lives are lost.
PITrsBURG, Pa, May 31.-A special
from G~reensburg, Ps., says: YOUNGSTOWN
Is completely submerged and the loss
Of life is inestimable. Houses are 60
ing down the river by the dozens, and
people can be. cen clinging to the
roofs. At Oakley, q village Of TOO
inhabitants, the houses are almost en-
tireiy covered, and q great many dwell
ings at Blairsville are submerged.
Scarcely q dwelling in the vicinity Of
Sans Hollow can be seen. The bridges
at Bolivar and Nineva, 1t is reported,
have given way and that at Salisbury
IL is feared will be carried away. Peo-
pie here who have friends In the
flooded district are eagerly waiting for
news at the telegraph Offices. Great
u~neasiness prevails. The river at
Livermore Is rising and great destruc-
ton will follow.
From the best information obtained
at this time 1t Is evident that some
thing in the nature Of q cl0ud-burst
must have been the elimination of the
struggle of the water against the EN-
bank ment.
This reservoir lies about 81 miles
northeast OF Johnstown, and is the ste
Of the old reservoir which was n Of
the feeders Of the Pennsylvania canal.
1t IL the property OF . number Of
wealthy gentlemen In Pittsburg, who
formed themselves into the corpora.
tIon, the title of which Is the South
Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.
The sheet Of water was formerly
known al Conemangh lake. It is from
200 to 800 feet above the level Of Johns
town, being In the mountains. 1t Is
about three and one-half miles long
and from mile to n and one.Quarter
miles 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. The lake has been
quadrupled In size by artificial! means.
and was held In check by q dam from
100 to 1000 feet Wide: II Is 81 feet In
thickness at the base. and the height Is
ITO feet. The top has . breadth of
over 20 feet. Recognizing the menace
which the lakes had to the region below
the South Fork Club had the dam in
spected once q month by the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad engineer, and their In.
vestigation showed that nothing less
than some convulsion Of nature would
tear the barrier away and loosen tine
weapon Of death.
DERRY, Pa. May 3l.-The urse Of
fha tnrronf from thu hrrUap dun, af Tho
foot OF thelake at JohnstOwn, Is almost
10 miles, and. with the exception Of at
one point, passed through u narrow
"Y"-sbaped channel.
Four miles below the dam lay the
town Of South Fork, where the South
Fork itself empties into the Couemaugh
river. The town contained about 20O0
inhabitants. lit has not been heard
from, but it is said that four-frths Of
1t has been swept away.
Four miles further down. on the
C0nemaugh river, which run parallel
with the main line Of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, wa the town of Mineral
Point. 1t had 800 inhabitants, 80 per
cent. OF the houses being on a Hat and
close to the river. II seems impossible
at this time to hope that any of them
have escaped.
Six miles further down was the town
Of Conemaugh, and here alone was
there a Typographical possibility of the
spreading of the food and the breaking
OF Its force. 1t contained $500 inhabi-
tants, and must be aim Of wholly de-
vastated.,
Woodvale. with 1000 people. lay a
mile below Conemaugh in the hat, and
one mile further down were john
stown and its cluster Of sister towns,
Cambria City. Conemaugh borough,
with Q total population Of 10000.
On made ground and stretching
along right 1t the river verge we're
the immense iron works OF the Cam
bris Iron and Steel Company, who
have 81, 000, coo invested in their plant.
Besides this there are many other
large industrial establishments on the
bank OF the river. How badly these
III damaged cannot be established.
At IL p. N. q railroad man says the
loss Of life will reach to possibly over
= thousand. The report Of loss OF
these towns above cannot be con.
drmed.
rryr nES0r rynN nm rnuvyo