New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-02
SAVED BY CLINGING TO a ROPE.
WORK OF REsCUING PARTIES AT BOLIVAR
ONE LITTLE BOY LIFTED OUT OF THE FLOOD
OTHERS DROWNED BEFORE THE EYES
OF PEOPLE ON THE BANKS.


to-day, and almost every piece Of movable timber
carried corpse. Cliugng TO improvised rattS,
constructed from boating boards and timbers were
agonized men, women and children, their heart
re nderng shrieSs for help striking horror to the
breasts OF the onlookers. Their cries were OF no
avail. Carried along at q railway speed on the
breast OF this rushing torrent no human IN
genuity could devise n means of rescue. with
paliid cheek and hair clinGng wet and damp 10
her cheek, q mOthernYpS seen grasping floating
timber, while in her. other arm she held hcr babe,
already drowned With death grip on plank, q
strong man just giving up hope cast an imploring
look 10 those on the bank, an instant later
sank into the waves.
The delugc reached Bolivar Just after dark and
in five minutes the Conemaugh River rose from
six TO forty feet, and the waters spread out over
the whole country. Soon houses began floating
down and clinging TO the drift were men, women
and children, shrieking for aid. A large number
OF citizens at once gathered on the County bridge
and they were reinforced by number from Gar
field a town OF the opposite side OF the riNer.
They brought a number OF ropes and these were
thrown into the boiling waters as persons drlfted
by in efforts 10 save some poor beings For hall
on hour all efforts were fTutleSs until ut last, when
the rescuers were about giving up all hoT, HUE
boy, astridc u shingle roof, managed 70 catch hold
OF one OF the ropes lie caught r under his left
arm and was thrown violently against an abgt-
ment, but managed TO keep hold and was success
fully pulled onto the bridge amid the cheers OF
the onIookers. His name wns Hessler. and his
rescued wns . trainhand named Carney. The Ind
was taken 10 the town Of Garfield and wns cared
for in the home of J. T. Robinson. The boy was
about sixteen years Old. lie said
With my father WAS spending the day at my
grandfather's house, in Cambria City. In The
house ut the time Theodore, Edward AMI
John kintz and John Kntz, jr.; Miss Mary KNIT.
Mrs Mary KNIT. wife OF John kintz, IT,; Miss
Treacy KNIT, Mrs Rca Smith, John lIirsrh and
four children, my father and myself shortly alt'r
5p m. there was NOISE Of roaring waters and
screams OF people We looked out and saw per-
sons running. Ny father tod US the waters would
not rise further But soon we saw houses swcpl
away. and then we ran up to the floor above. TIN
house was three stories high, and we were AZ last
forced 20 The TOP one In my fright junp'd on
The bod II WIS m old.fashiOned one, with heavy
posts. The wutct kept rising. and my bed was
soon afoat Gradually IL WAS lifted up. The ar
in the room grew close and the house was moving
Still the bel kept rising and pressed the ceiling
AZ last the posts pushed the plaster 1t yi"h"d
and n section OF the roof gave way. Then SUD
denly found myself the roof, boating down
stream. After little this roof began 20 phr', ana
I was afraid ] WIS going 10 he drowned, hut Just
then another honsr with n single roof uoated
bf. and l managed TO crawl on IT, and h"atcd
down until nearly dead with cold. when was
saved After was free from the house ala not
see nv father Ny grandfather WINS on n tree
hut lie must have been drowned, Ms the waters
were rising fast John KNIT, IT,, was also Oh a
tree. Miss Mary KNIT and Mrs. Mary kntz l
saw drown Miss Smith was also drowned
The relief party on the bridge saw a Young man
with two women. As they swept under the orldge
Inc reached up and seized the rope. lie was lerked
violently away from his companions, who iAiled 70
Get o hold on the rope. Seeing that they WOMB
not be rescued. he dropped the rope ana Tell oack
ON the raft which hoated down the river The
current washed the frail cmit In toward the bahN
! The young man was enabled TO seize holu Oh
| branch of a tree. The young man aided the two
| women IN got mn into the tree lie held with
his hands and rested his feet on pile tf dntt"ood
4 niece of floating wreck struck the driiS. sweep
| inc II away The man hung with his body i'm
ue,scd in tie water pile OF drift soon collected
and bc WAS enabled 10 get another insecure 1901
| ing. Up the river there was sudden crash ana
| part OF the bridge was swept away u hoH'eu
! down the stream. striking the tree ANA wahhlhg u
| nway. All three persons were thrown into the
,yater and drowned before the eyes Of the Mortified
spectators.
! Early IN the evening woman with her two
! children was seen ~ pass under the bridge, chnS
! ing 10 the roof Of coal house. a rope was
| lowered 10 her. hut she refused Z" desert tho
| children II was ri.morei that all three were
saved at Cokevile, a few mics below Bolivar
! A report from Lockport states that the resi-
dents succeeded in rescuing FIVE people from tht
! food two women and three men. One man sue
ceeded in getting out Of the water unaidcd. They
were kindly taken care OF by the people Of the
| town.
| little girl passed under the bridge just before
| dark She was kneeling on Il part Of hoo'
and had her hands clnsped rs II In prayer
Every effort wns made TO save her, but they al
proved futile.
All night long the crowd stood about the ruin
! OF the bridge which had been swept away Th'
water rushed past with rom, carrying with Il
parts OF houses furniture and trees. The foof
had evidently spent its force up the valley. NJ
more living persons WIRE being carried past
| Watchers with lanterns remained along the banc
until daybrehk, when the first view of the awfu
devastation Of the food was Witnessed Alonl
the bank lay the remnants OF what hat
once been dwelling houses and stores, her,
and there was an uprooted tree. Pile
Of drift my about, In some OF which bodies o
the victims OF the flood will be found. RescunI
parties were formed in all towns along the railroad
Houses werc thrown open 10 refugees, and ever!
possible means was used 70 protect the homeless
The wreclSing train OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
slowly made in way east 10 the unfortunate city
At 2 q. m. IL was held at Bolivar. No effort wa
then made to repair the wrecks, and the crews o
the trains were organized into rescuing parties
Harry Fisher, u young telegraph operator, VIII
was Mt Bolivar when the first rush began says
"We knew nothing OF the disaster until W
noticed the river slowly rising, and then more RAP
idly. News then reached us from Jamestown tina
the dam OF South Fork had burst Within tire
hours the water In the river rose NJ least invent