New-York tribune., 1889-12-23
time and it Is feared that she has permanent pui
monary trouble.
AFTER THE FLOOD.
THE WORK DONE BY THE STATE AT JOHNS
TOWN

world to reach Johnstown after the iatai hoou-aN"
anche and remained there most of the summer gives
the following resume Of the work accomplished Dy
the State:
On June Z, the eighth day after the great caG'S
trophe at Johnstown the condition of affairs was
such i'm the desOlaed valley OF the Conemaush 'ha'
the State Board of Health felt justified in declaring
Johnstown and vicinity in condition pre)udicai 10
the public health and in accordance with this vie"
the Governor of the state Oh the same day iSsueu
his proclamation declaring the whole devastated region
a public nuisance and in charge OF the state author
ties for the removal Of the causes producing the
nuisance. All the work done by the state ana all
the money expended in cleaning the place and In
preventing pestilence by authority of the above
declaration of the State Board of Health
The work of the State closed on October the 1"th'
at which time there were discharged about 500 men,
but during the summer the force OF laborers Varleo
from 500 to 5000, with several hundred teams The
total cost of the work done by the state was In round
numbers, about 100000. The work Of removing
the debris was under the direction Of the Adjutant
General of the state, who acted as the Goverhor
agent All sanitary work was under the drecl
charge of the State Board of Health. The money
necessary carry the work the Governor procured
on his own bond.
In the course of this work the State assumed the
expense Of the search for the of and the burial
of the bodies of the dead victims. In all, nearly
5000 bodies have been recovered For the first ten
days, or long practical, the bodies were care
fully embalmed. All this work was done decentD
and with care, the bodies being washed shrouued
and cofned and then carefully buried. after every
precauton had been taken to enable friends to Identity
them. The carcasses Of all domestic animals, esti-
mated at over 1000 burned as soon as possible
Transportation furnished 10 all who had suffered
in the flood and who desired to leave the place Tor
a time. This was done that the place might be in
measure depopulaed and thus the danger of pestcnce
be lessened hundreds of women and children availed
themselves of this aid Transportation to their homes
was also furnished to hundreds of men who came to
the relief of the place Immediately after the disaster.
Also TO hundreds Of laborers.
All the debris, consisting of trees, logs, broken
houses, bridges mud and filth of every description,
encumbering the streets (often TO the tops OF the
remaining houses was all removed The mud and
sand was often six to ten feet IN depth This mud
was also cleaned off the lots where numbers of bodies
were found to be lodged. The mud and filth removed
from lots and cellars by citizens was also removed
by the state from the streets where was deposited
Great quantities of disinfectants constantly
used wherever it thought they would be OF any
value. Ten depOts established at convenient
points for 'ne free distribution of disnfectants, and
the people were encouraged, with success, to make
liberal use of the same. over 10000 worth of dis
nectants ordered in one day. After the streets
we're opened, sprnklngcarts employed 10 scatter
dsnfectants in solution on the streets. This had an
excellent moral effect and did something 10 purly
the atmosphere. The large stock of disinfectants
stored in open sheds also had valuable moral effect
The whole devastated region divided into nine
districts and each of these a local physician was
appointed inspector. 1t was his duty to 20 over
his district carefully each day to and report what
work needed most TO be done. lie also reported each
day any need of food, clothing shelter of medical
aid in his district. These reports having been re-
ceved each night the orders for the next day were is
sued TO the inspectors There was also an inspector
of camps and of morgues and burial places These
too, reported daily.
The water supply of the whole district was kept
under careful surveillance and frequent analyses and
examinations were made. Dangerous wells and springs
as discovered were closed marked dangerous. This
matter constant source OF anxiety; ..-..,
About 1900 cellars were cleared ana dsln1ected
AT first il was thought possible to have the people do
the work themselves, but later the state assumed IT,
Quite number Of human bodies were found IN tne ce
lars of houses which remained standing, also in eel
lars from which the houses had been removed H.
Considerable work was done to open the river clan
nels The large of debris at the stone bridge
consisting of trees, logs. houses, bridges wre loco
motive tenders, etc. was at great expense removed
bv the State An effort made TO lower the beds Of
the streams that the sewers could be opened These
found to have i've S been tsa generally arcSs ed SHUT Ihey
careful sanitary survey made of each house
remaining and occupied in the whole devastael reg on
This survey showed the condition of every part OF the
house lot stable: the number of rooms, size and
condition of the same; number of families ana total
number Of persons in each house the sickness, II
any, in the house and condition OF water supply;
Health had complete history OF each remaining
house.
\ large number Of circulars of information and
health bulletins issued to keep the people posted
a, 10 the exact condition Of the public health. and
also to inform them to the best sanitary measures
to adopt from time to time in the face of the great
emergency. These were kindly received and the
directions carefully followed. n
The peace of the region was maintained by the
presence of fIOm 100 to 400 Of the state militia This
relieved the of the need Of local police force
30 long as the sale of lduor prohibited (which was
for one month"; the general order was perfect but
when these wise restrictions were removed there
was much drunkenness, though general disturbances
at any time. .,- A.
As 10 the success Of the state in preventing dis
ease il NAV be stated that there was at all times
during the summer "A remarkably small amount OF
sickness. much less than might have been expected
We Guoe from the report of Dr. George W. Waggoner,
a resident OF Kernville and inspector OF the state
Board of Health. What was true Of this village was
equally true of all others: 90
with the concentration OF $500 people into $50
houses all subjected intense mental strain by reason
of the calamity and the radical changes in their habits
Of life it is very gratifying to know that during the
continuance Of the Boards operations not a case Oi
infectious disease developed in the district when cOuld
he attributed to bad sanitary conditions. As tine
misforunes Of the community were sudden and over.
wheIming in character, was the sanitary rchet
prompt energetic and thoroughly efficient"
TO FTRNTSH 4 HOUSE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM