Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-01

ten persons beside myself, and feel sure
they were all lost.
Their names are John Stennelly and
wife, Mary, Kate, Joe, Annie and John
Stennelly, Reuben Benson and wife, Mary
Benson and badly. The house was
double one, and in one end the family of
N. c. Claren lived. There were five in
all and 1 have every reason to believe they
were all lost.
Cup to o'clock in the afternoon the
water in the streets remained stationary.
The company store and club house and at
the point, where it was at least to feet
deep before the rush came. It was about
o'clock In the afternoon when the great
rush came.
Scenes of Horror.
'I didn't know what it was, but since
then am told the South Fork reservoir
broke. In Is minutes the water rose 10 feet,
and in five minutes more 1 am sure
80 houses came floating down the
streets. There were people in every
one of them. and God only knows
how many were lost, as they were carried of.
The houses were jammed together and
against the houses still standing, and in
very few minutes they were all battered to
pieces before they had been carried
very far The house I was in was
soon smashed to pieces, and I
managed to jump on to cellar
door. In few seconds was rushed off
into the food, and when 1 looked back
where Cambria City stood there was nothing
but great lake of water. 1t looked to me
as if every house had been raised or covered
over. The vast sheet Of water was full Of
floating timber, roofs of houses, RATS, boards
and
Other Articles.
'The scene was indescribable. The cries
of the men, women and children we're fear
full, and suppose added my own yells to
the shrieks of the unfortunate. think not
less than 1900 people were lost in the food
This estimate may be too high, but am
afraid it is too low. passed Paddy Mad
den's wife, my sons wife and man cling
ing to the roof of house. called to
them and bade them goodby. In short
time was
Caught by the Water
and turned under every once in awhile.
got into whirlpool, and more than once
almost lost my grip on the cellar door.
saw people in the water ahead of me,
and all around me. Many of them we're
struck by the crashing timbers and killed
that they fell into the water and
drowned at once. Mrs. Boyle was also
rescued at Lockport. The poor woman was
moaning and crying. and would not be COM
forted. Her children and her husband
are supposed to be drowned. The un-
fortunate lady was rudely torn from
their side and some Of them saw
Joe Duffy, young mill hand, was pulled
out of the water at Lockport. The young
fellow was visiting in Johnstown when the
the waters, but was to be
saved. The kind people in the
little town were taking good care of Lima.
He also estimates that i, 500 people we're
drowned. He saw a number of. persons
about him sucked under the turbulent
water, and they never appeared again.
Johnstown Under Water.
About two-thirds of the city of Johns
town was submerged with water. He
looked over the vast lake when the water
was flowing through the streets with the
force of torrent. Joe Duffy said further
that the water rose up to the
third stories of the houses in
five minutes. He saw the houses
of one street washed away in a short time.
He hoated on the driftwood to Lockport
and then jumped into the food and swan
about 25 yards to the shore
The family of John Thomas, including
the wife and five children, were lost.
The hired girl and another man
named Harvey were also drowned |
Joe Duffy thinks that fully 1,500 people |
were swept out of the town alone, outside of |
the people that were lost in the city. He |
says he saw people carried off by the foods |
in crowds.
J. A. Irwin, a brakeman, was in Johns |
town about o'clock. At that |
time the greater part of the |
town was under water. A man was riding |
on mule in the neighborhood of the Com |
pany store, when he fell into cellar and |
was drowned. The water soon reached the |
tower at the bridge and covered the forges of |
the Cambria Iron Company to the extent of |
8 feet. The entire portion of the town lying |
at the Point was under water, and the loss |
of life in this part of the city is appalling. |!
One man was seen in the attic of his home
come Amusing Things.
The people cried to him that the dam had |
burst and he would be carried away. |
''Well. let her burst" he answered back, |
"we'n stay here" and few minutes after |
the house was washed away.
The scenes along the rising river were
most interesting, some of them quite |
amusing. just imagine pianos, organs, beds |
and other articles of household furniture |
floating together in promiscuous mass. A |
trunk with gold watch in it was pulled out |
of the river at Lockport. The river was full of
floating animals,-dogs, cats, chickens and |
horses in harness. A Newfoundland dog
was seen stsnding complacently on the roof |
of house evidently enjoying his rapid |
ride. Another one was noticed perched on
the top of his kennel, with a chain about |
his neck, where he was fastened.