The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-06-02
Whole ToWnW ashed AWAY!
GREATEST RESERVOIR ON THE
CONTINENT GIVES WAY
AND CARRIES DEATH AND DESC
LATION WHERE.
THO1rSANDs OF HUMAN BEINGS
SWEPT TO THEIR DOOM!

SWEPT IO THEIR DOOM!
P1rTsBURe, Pa, June 1.-One of the
most appalling calamities that ever oc-
Cured in this country has just resulted
from the breaking Of the great reservoir
above Johnstown, Pa, about 5 o'clock
last evening. The reservoir lies about 18
miles northeast Of Johnstown. It was
formerly known as Conemaugh lake, in
the Allegheny mountains. It is three
and half miles long and mile and a
quarter in width. It was about 100 feet
deep and holds more water than any 9th
er reservoir, natural or artificial, in the
United States.
The lake has been quadrupled in size
by artificial means and it was held in
check by dam 700 to 1000 feet wide.
It is ninety feet in thickness at the base
and the hesght is no feet. The top has
breadth Of over twenty feet. Rec
coenizing the menace which the lake
presented to the region below, the South
Fork club, which owned the reservoir,
had the dam inspected once a month by
a Pennsylvania railroad 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
~>F s,> ~ %Io
mountain streams, which were already
swclled by lesser rains earlier in the
week. From the information obtained at
this time it is evident something in the
nature Of cloud burst must have been
the elimination of the struggle Of the
water against the embankment.
The course of the torrent from the
broken dam at the foot of the lake to
Johnstown is almost eighteen miles, and
with the exception of one point the wa
ter passed. through a narrow V-shaped
valley. Four miles below the dam lay
the town Of South Fork. where the South
Fork itself empties into the Conemaugh
river. The town contained about 1900
inhabitants. 1t has not been heard from
but it is said four-fifths Of it has been
swept away. Four miles further down
on the Conemaugh river, which runs par
allel with the main line of the Pennsyl-
vania railway, was the town of Mineral
Point It had 800 inhabitants, 80 per
cent Of the houses being on a flat and
close to the river. It seems impossible
at this time to hope that any of them
have escaped. Six miles further down
the stream was the town of Conemaugh,
and here alone there was a Typographical
possibility of the spreading of the flood
and the breaking of its force. 1t con-
tanned $500 inhabitants and must be al
most wholly devasted. Woodyale, with
1900 people, lay mile below Conemaugh
in a flat and one mile further down were
Johnstown and it's cluster of sister towns,
Cambria City and Concmaugh, with to-
tai population Of 10000. On made
ground and stretched along the river
were the immense iron works Of the
Cambria Iron and Steel Co., who have
$5,0OO,00O invested in their plant. Be
sides this there are many other large in
dllstrial establishments on the banks OF
the river. How badly damaged they are
cannot be estimated
The tracks west of Johnstown are at
some points entirely carried away and the
roadbed is gone. The river for some dis.
tance above the bridge is filled with build.
ings and driftwood forty feet high, which
is on fire and likely to damage the bridge
which is Of stone The fire is beyond con
trtl. Johnstownis is literally wiped out.
Watchers with lanterns remained alons
the banks until day broke, when the frs
view of the awful devastation o1
the flood was witnessed. Here ant
there were uprooted trees and piles O
drift lay about in which some of tn,
bodies of the victims will be found. Res
cuing parties are being formed along tn
railroad. Houses have been thrown opel
for the refugees and every possible mean
is being used to protect the homeless. /
courier from the scene of the flood nea
Johnstown reports that the loss of lif
will reach 1900.
A conductor reports that immediatel
after his train has passed over the brldg
which spans the river at South Fork tha
structure was swept away by the rushin
water
A boy who was almost miraculousl
saved, relates the following story Of whf
he saw of the frightful calamity:
"With my father was spending tn
day at my grandfather's house in Cambri
City. In the house at the time wei
Theodore Enwart and John King, jr., Mr.
Mary King, the wife of John jr., Mil
Tracy King, Mrs. Rico Smith, job
Hirsch and four children, father and m.
self. Shortly after 5 o'clock there was
noise Of roaring waters and screams
people. We looked out the door and sa
people running. My father told us
never mind, the waters would rise I
further; but we soon saw houses sweI
away and then ran up stairs. The hou
was three stories, and we were at la
forced to the top floor. In my fright
jumDcl on n he'd Tt WAS an old fAShiO