The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-06-05


banks about 5 o'clock this afternoon, and the
immense volume of water rushed down upon
the city carrying death and destruction with it.
The surrounding towns were also submerged,
and the latest estimates of the loss of life place
the number at between 100 and 1000.
\ special train, carrying railroad officials
and newspaper men, left over the Pennsyl-
vania road for the scene soon after the news
of the disaster reached the city. The greatest
excitement prevails. Reliable reports say that
in Johnstown and its suburbs. representing a
population OF nearly thirty thousand, scarcely
building is left standing.
DERRY, Pa, May s1-A food Of death swept
down the Allegheny mountains this afternoon
and tonight and almost the entire city Of
Johnstown is swimming about in the rushing
angry tide. Dead bodies are floating about in
every direction and almost every piece of NOV
able timber is carrying from the doomed city a
corpse OF humanity, drifting With the raging
waters God knows where.
The disaster overlook Johnstown about
o'clock this evening. As the train bearing the
special correspondents sped eastward, the re-
ports at each stop grew more appalling. At
Derry group OF railway officials were gathered
who had come from Bolivar, the end oil the
pasSabie portion OF the road westward. They
udu seen out Il small pOftlOn OF the dWlul uOOu,
but enough TO allow them TO imagine the rest
Down through the Pack-saddle" came the
rushing waters. The woOted heights of the
Alleghenies looked down in solemn wonder at
the scene OF the most terrible destruction that
ever struck the romantic valley OF the Cone
maugh. The water rising when the men
lett at 8 o'clock at the rate OF i've leet an hour.
CiingiDg to improvised rats, constructed in
the deaIh-battle from floating boards and tim
beTs, were agOniZed men, women and children
- IL IL.
horror TO the breasts OF the on-lookers. Their
cries were OF no avail. earned along at a rail-
way speed en- the breast Of this rushing torrent
no human ingenuity could devise means OF
rescue. With pallId cheek and hair clinging
wet aud damp TO her cheek, a mother was seen
grasping a floating timber, while with her
other arm she held her babe.
The special train pulled in at Bolver at
II 30, and train men were there notified that
further progress was impossible. The greatest
excitement prevailed at this place, and parties
OF citizens are out endeavoring 10 save the poor
nniortunates that are being hurled to eternity
on the rushing torrent.
The tidal wave struck Bolivar just after dark
and ~. a.hys-Iniautes the Gonemeugh rOSe IEOrn
SIX 20 forty ieet and the waters spread out over
the whole country. soon houses began floating
down, and. elingIng to the debris were men,
women and children shrieking for aid. A large
number of citizens at once gathered Oh the
county bridge and they we're reinforced by
side. They brought a number OF ropes,
and these were thrown over into the
boiling waters rs persons drifted by, in efforts
TO save some poor beings. For half hour all
efforts were fruitless, until at last, when the
reseuers were about giving up all hope, little
boy, asIride OF a shingle roof, managed 10 catch
hold OF one OF the ropes. lie caught II under
his LETT arm and was thrown violently against
an abutment, but managed to keep hold and
was pulled onto the bridge amid the cheers of
the On-lookers. The boys name is Edward
Hessier aged sixteen.
AT midnight your correspondent secured an
interview with him. His story OF the frghtiul
calamity is as follows: with my father | was
IN Cambria City. In the house at the time
we're Theodore Edward and John
kintz, and John kintz, IT., Miss
Mary Kintz, Mrs. Mary Kintz, wife
OF John, jr., Miss Tracy kiHR, Mrs. Rica Smith,
John Hirseh and four children, my father and
myself. Shortly after o'clock there was a
noise Of roaring waters and screams OF people.
We looked out the door and saw persons rom
ming Ny father told US to never mind, as the
waters would not rise further. But soon we
saw houses being swept away and then ran
up 70 the floors above, The house was three
stories and were at last forced to the top
one. In my fright jumped on the bed. 1t
was an old.fashioned one with heavy posts
The water kept rising and my bed was soon
a6oat- Gradually il was lifted up. The
air IN the room grew close and the house was
moving. Sull the bed kept rising and
pressed the ceiling. AT last the posts
pushed the plaster. Ii yielded, and a section
of the roof gave way Then suddenly found
myself on the roof and was being carried down
stream. After little the roof commenced to
part, and wss AFRAID l going to be
drowned, but just then another house with
Ehingle roof foated by and | managed 10 crawl
II, and hOated down until nearly dead with
cold. | was saved. After was freed from the
house | did not see my father. Ny grand
father was in tree, but he must have been
drowned as the water was rising. John KNIT
jr, was also in the tree. Miss Mary kintz and
Mrs. Mary kintz saw drown. Miss Smith also
drowned. John Hirsch was in tree, but the
four children were drowned. The scenes were
terrible. Live bodies and corpses were float
ing down with me and away from me. would
hear person shrek, and then they would dis
appear. All along the line were people who
were trying to save us, but they could do moth
ing. and only few more were caught"
This boys story is but one incident: ii shows
what happened 10 one family. God only knows
what has happened TO hundreds who were in
the path OF the rushing 1t is impos-
sible 70 get anything IN the way Of news, save
meagre details An eye witness at Oliver block
station tells story of unparalleled terrorism
which occurred at the lower bridge which
crosses the Conemaugh al this point.
man named Young with two women, was
seen coming down the river a part of floor.
At the upper bridge rope was thrown 20 them.
bridges he was noticed point toward the
elder woman, which il is supposed his
mother. He was then seen 10 instruct the
woman how TO catch the rope which was being
lowered from the other bridge. Down came
the raft with q rush. Young stood with his
arm around the two women.
As they swept under the bridge he reached
up and seized the rope. He was jerked vio-
lently away from the two women. who failed to
get q hold on the rope. Seeing that they
would not be rescued, be dropped the rope and
fell back on the raft, which foated down the
river. The current washed their trail craft in
toward the bank. The young man
was enabled TO seize hold OF q branch
of tree. The man aided the woman 70 get
ND into the tree. He held on with his hands.
and rested his feet on a pile OF drftwOOd. A
piece of floating debris struck the drift, sweep
ing il away. The man hung with his body i'm
meYsed IN the water. A pile OF DRIFT soon col
Iected. and he was enabled 10 get another
secure hold. Up the river there a sudden
crash, and a section of the bridge was swept
away and foated down the stream, striking the
tree and washing II away. All three were
thrown into the water and were drowned be-
fore the eyes Of the horri6ed spectators, just
opposite the town Of Bolivar.
Early in the evening woman with her two
children was seen TO pass under the bridge at
Bolivar clingidg 70 the roof OF cosl-house. A