davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07

BRADFORD, PA. June 3.-Nof a train
has passed over the Western division of
the New York. Lake Erie and Western
railroad Yesterday FromWellsvillc to Al
mond, a distance of twenty-three miles,
the road winds along tine bank of the
Gencssee river. Big washout occurred
at Elm Valley, Tiptop Alfred and Al
mond. The big iron fridge at Bellive-
dere is reported 10 have collapsed.
About thirty culverts and small bridges
have also gone out. No trains viii pass
over the road until Monday or Tuesday.
On the Bradford division three miles of
track between IrviDg's Mills and Carroll
ton is all under water. and a big iron
bridge spanning the Allegheny is weak
ened. and may give out Not in TWEEN
ty-one years has the Allegheny river run
so high. The towns of Limestone, Tuna
and Carrollton are submerged. The
Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg, the
Philadelphia and Erie and the New
York and Western suffered heavy wash
outs, and lost miles of track at Marion
Junction and Johnsonburg. No trains
are running on the Rochester division of
theWestern New York and Pennsylvania.
Nearly all the trains out of Bradford
have been abandoned.
About 1900. 900 feet of logs went out
at Weston's Mills, ON the Allegheny. and
other big booms also broke loose. AT
Portage the food is unprecedented.
At Friendship a large brick house top
pied over into the flood.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07

- poSsiDie, ana nom as many social
,lasses. They We're asked to estimate
The percentage of loss TO the total popu-
latlon. TO tell how many people of their
acquaintances have disappeared. how the
gatherings of residents ON the streets and
n public places compare with the same
n former times. Their statements of
'acts and estimates were proved as far as
,olIld be, and the pendulum of calcula-
ion seems 20 be beating time when they
swing from Il, 900 10 i5,0O0.
1t must he remembered that a very
arge proportion of this loss is made up
)f children. How strikingly frequent is
lhe reference in the death list to Mrs.
Jones and six children" Mrs. Smith
and five children" In the morgue the
little 1nes lie in dozens where the adults
are in half dozens. but there is and has
Oaen much greater difficulty in re-
covering the bodies of the children.
Being lighter and smaller they have
Jften been swept into out-of-the-way re-
sesses that are almost inaccessible, and
hey are more easily carried away. A
very great proportion of the children
have been swept down the river and their
bodies driven in under overhanging
banks, under thickets and in other
places where there IS only a sparse popu-
iation and where the search is not car
ried on in careful and organized
manner. As an illustration of this. just
above New Florence some fragments of
were in full view of the path on
The river bank. Hundreds OF people
passed the place for three days, looking
for bodies, lnt thought it was only
;nreds of worthless cloth they were
looking at. Finally somebody poked at
The rags with stick, aud a swirl in the
current brought 2-year-old babe to the
surface. The drift of opinion among in
telligent men, physicians, engineers and
railroad men. IS that from 900 to 500
Of the bodies will never be found.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07
At Mineral Point.

JoBNsTowN, June 6.-Mineral Point
containing about 225 residents. is
situated about seven miles east Of Johns
town. 1t has since last Friday been com
pletely cut off from the rest of the
world. The loss of life here was moi
nearly so lBrge as il would otherwise
have been had not the most of the peo-
pie left their homes some time before,
owing to the reports of the dam being
liable 10 break at any moment. Out OF
a total of thirty-four houses in the place
only seven are left, and the reason they
were not taken was that they were
situated at some distance up the noun
tain side out of reach of the food. Not a
single vestige of the houses swept
away can be seen. There was only one
church, in the place (Methodist) and il
was swept nway. The number of per-
SONS up to the present time known to be
drowned is 16. The town is almost com
pletely obliterated. What was formerly
the main street is now the bed of the
river. Many responsible people here who
saw the flood coming affirm that it was
at least 20 feet higher in the center than
it was at the sides; and as one person
graphically expressed it, " looked just
like sliding forest rushing on us"
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07
THAT AWFUL DAM.


Warnings Sent Down the Valley HouI Bc-
fore the caiamity-col Unger's story.
PTTTsBURG, June 6.-Col. Unger. who
is at the head OF the South Fork Hunt
ing and Fishing club. has the following
to say OF the bursting of the dam: the
reports that the weir or outlet for the
water in the embankment was closed or
clogged up is not true. 1t is about
twelve or fifteen feet high and very
wide-wide enough to allow all the
water to flow out under ordinary cir
cunstanceS. \ screen was placed in the
outlet, but that was a small concern
about two feet high with pier OF tim
Der ON each side. The remainder Of the
space was entirely clear, and the screen
was only heavy enough to keep the fish
back.
lit was raining hard on Friday. and
as live within a short distance of the
dam, put ON my gum coat and went
out 10 look at it. The lake was then
rising at the rate of four inches an hour,
which is quite fast fer body Of water
like that. When it got up to the weir
the water rushed through in a terrific
volume. | then ordered the iaborers,
ten or fifteen in all.
To Gu; New sIuiceway
at the west end OF the embankment.
They worked incessantly, and the water
kept coming up all the time. As | said,
much of it escaped through the weir,
and about II O'Clock the flood began to
assume such dangerous proportions that
/ ordered civil engineer. Mr. Parke. to
take horse and gallon through the val
ley and warn the people of the impend-
ing danger. He left in haste. and did
his duty. returning in time 10 help with
the digging of the new outlet. By the
time he returned the water was begin
ming to flow over the dam. The new
sluice was discharging n fearful volu-e
Of water, and | was advised by many OF
the people not To dig it or have it dug.
But am positive that by it being done
the dam was kept from bursting for
fully an hour. We also had portion of
the roadway on the top OF the embank-
ment ploughed up, which formed
breastwork. This was intended TO keep
the water back
And Divide the Current
toward the sluice way. We had piled
up the dirt to the height of several feet.
and this way held the water in check for
more than an hour. At about 3:15 the
dam burst while we were still at work
When we became fearful Of the dam we
sent warning down along the stream, but
they were apparently not needed. When
the heavy masonry gave way from the
immense pressure of the pent-up waters,
and had done all in my power to avert
the fearful disaster, | was thoroughly
exhausted. | returned to the house and
was completely prostrated. After Mr..
Park had given the warning along the
valley. he came back and assisted in the
effort to avert the disaster. The dam, as
is known, was built by the state. We
did not increase the height, but simply
repaired the wall.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07

JoHNsTowN, June 6.-Two hundred
and forty-six more bodies WEIR found, of
which the majority have been identified.
This swells the list to 3,11S bodies On
the corner of Main and market streets
to-day the workmen uncovered 30 bodies
lying Within an area of 80 feet square.
and they had evidently run out of their
houses in freight when the buildings fell
upon them from the force of the water
They were all badly crushed. most Of
them being unrecognizable. Up at the
Fourth street school house mo- que are
now 40 unidentified bodies.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07
A WAIF FROM HE WATERS.
A Live Baby FIshed from the River at Pine
Creek.

Creek.
PITTsBURG, June 3.-Iast evening a
pathetic sight presented itself to the ewes
of the yigilant watchers along the Ale
gheny river at Pine creek. on the West
Penn railroad. At nearly dark several
men who were catching and hauling in
drift and anything else that might be
made useful. They had been looking
for anything that would float. but were
hardly prepared for the little package OF
humanity that Law wet and almost
drowned among lot of debris which
had been drawn into the eddy formed by
the mouth of Pine creek. The little
thing. which is hardly over a year old.
was taken cut of the wet bed, which
might have been its watery grave Ii
was taken in charge by Mrs. James
Farmeic of the Rising Sun hotel. when
it was warmly clad and carefully cared
for. Sunday afternoon il was as lively
and as healthy looking as any child OF
the same age.
Ii is almost miracle how this mite of
humanity escaped death in raging tor
rent, after a journey seventy miles long.
while many thousands of sturdy men
and women met their death almost in the
twinkling of an eye.
A report comes from Freeport to the
effect that man who had been catching
and holding ON to anything that his
pike hook would reach, did not lose
his presence of mind when he pulled in
a piano with the corpse of man on it.
He got hold of the water logged musical
instrument. but left the body to the
mercy OF the food. He was watched by
many spectators. some of whom asked
him why he allowed the body get away.
He replied that the corpse was no good
TO him, but the piano might be.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07


The Cambria Iron company's pasture
field ON the hill, southeast Of Johnstown.
has teen turned into cemetery. A
number Of men are at work constantly
digging graves. and several hundred
boxes have been temporarily Inferred.
The Cambria hospital. on Prospect hill.
= ovorcrowded with persons who were
injured in the flood. There is only one
patient woman, whose condition is
considered serious. She is suffering
tTom nervous prostitution produced by
fright. The physicians in charge say
ipisac IS greatly needed at the hospital.
At the First ward school house morgue,
ca Prospect hill, there were nineteen
bodies awaiting interment. The re-
mains Of Georgiana and Julia Religion
were identified. There are ten bodies at
his morgue which have not been identi-
led, eight women and two men.
Rev. A. P. DIIer and Family Lost
The congregation of St. Marks
Protestant Episcopal church lost % out
If a membership OF $50. The rector,
Rev A. p. DilIer, wife and two children.
gere drowned and the bodies have not
get been fourJ. The church was large
brick building. with stone trimmings,
and was valued at 25.OG0. The entire
structure and part Of the foundation
we're swept away.
Doctors Doing Noble Work.
The prevalence of pneumonia, caused
by exposure, is assuming alarming pro-
portions. The large corps of physicians
have al they can do in attending to the
patients at Cambria City. Johnstown
proper. Woodvale and all the suburbs.
Not less than 300 surgical cases have
been treated at the Cambria hospital.
Five hundred patients in all were re-
ceived This is in charge of a corps of
doctors from Altoona. namely, Drs.
Buck. the first on the ground: Smith,
Jacob, Spanogle, Arney. w. 5. Ross,
Bruner and Sellers, the latter in charge
of the dispenSary. They have done and
are doing noble work
Measles are affecting the children Of
Prospect hill and Minersville in alarming
proportions There are few Eases of
real typhoid in Minersville.
All Business Suspended.
Stra ayers coming to this place fresh
from comparative comfort are first
struck by the utter absence OF business
Of all kinds and the absence of the minor
iuxuries Of life. There is absolutely
nothing for sale in the city but labor,
ard that Is AT a premium.
A Pittsburg man who had reason TO
write to his friends in the city was kept
hustling for an hour TO obtain the neces-
sary pen and ink and paper for which he
had to pay 81. He seized upon a barrel.
and taking a lean upon it used the head
for his purpose.
There is literally nothing 10 eat in the
city except what has been donated by
people from other places, aud the
wealthy. as well as the INDECENT. are
compelled to apply for food. In some
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07

The jackson City tAIich.) bank has forwarded
G check for 500
The employees of the Pittsburg postofiice
contributed S2DsJ0
Marietta. o., sent sl.O0O which was received
"Wednesday morning.
The total loss. as estimated by conservative
men. is placed at S45.oOodGe-
The National Brewers convention. in session
at Niagara Fails, contributed sin.00n.
The contributions keep pouring In. and now
almost million dollars has been received, In
cold cash.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07
Prompt Measures by the state Board OF
Health.

Prompt Measures by the State Board OF
Health.
JoHNsTOwN, June 6.-Dr. Benjamin
Lee, the secretary of the state board OF
health, has taken hold with grip upon
the handle. When he surveyed the
ground to-day he found that there vere
10 disinfcctants in the town, and nc
utensils in which to distribute them had
there been any disinfectants. So he sent
a squad across the river TO the suppls
train below the viaduct. and had all the
copperas and chlorate of lime to be car
ried across the bridges in buckets. He
sent another squad huniing the ruins foi
utensils. aid in the wreck of a general
store on Main street they discovered
pals, sprinkling pots and kettles. The
copperos and chlorate were promptly sci
heating in the kettles over the street fires
and in short time squad was out
sprinkling the debris. which chokes Main
street almost IL the house tops for three
squares.
The reason Of this was that brief in
spection had satisfied DIR. Lee that under
the wreckage we're piled the bodies OF
scores of dead horses. Meantime other
men were at work collecting the bodies
of other dead horses. which were hauled
to the fire, and, with the aid Of rosin,
burned TO the number Of sixty. A large
number of dead horses were buried yes
terday, but this course did not meet the
state boards approval, and DIR. Lee has
ordered their exhumation for burning
DIR. r. Bowrie Sibbett of Carlisle, was
made medical inspector and sent uI
through the boroughs up the river.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07

A letter carrier named Patrick Hannah
states that on the day OF the disaster he
rushed around informing the people OF
their danger. but residents of the city
heard so much about floods for years
that they yelled ''chestnuts, rats and
other epithets at him and said ne was
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07

Fires light up the waste places round
about Johnstown. and waste places are
the most prominent features OF the land
scape. Some of the streets have been
uncovered. and large part Of Main
street has been cleared. Much. how
ever, remains to be done on it. and in the
parts remaining uncovered By debris it is
expected many bodies viii be recovered.
Many of the bodies recovered were in
very bad condition and had to be
buried at once. Others, ON the contrary,
are in a remarkable state of good preser-
vation. Three taken ont of the debris
at the Cambria works were as firm as
marble. They were Mrs. Downs and her
widowed and unmarried daughters.
Twisted Out of shape.
Yesterday morning while Superintend-
mt 1iiller's men We're raising a car at
Woodvaie the body of little baby was
found under it. There were two shawls
lying near by, and Mr.. Miller thinks the
mother is not far away. Her body has
not been recovered. A young girl of
about IL was found under the car also.
Her leg was smashed and twisted around
her neck.
THE people are dazed,r said Superin-
-ttiutA1 ~ iti.ihto liAt ittl STU
TO hear them talking about their friends.
without apparently showing any emo
lion.
II have been on many a bloody battle-
field, remarked one man. ''and laughed
at every one of them, but / can't smile
mere. This scene is too ghastly. The
sight of dead men, women and children
touches the stoutest hearts.
The Greatest Mystery.
The mystery to everybody who sees
the destruction wrought by the waters is
how did 50 many people escape. You
talk TO men who got out alive and they
ant tell how il was done. In some in
stances the water carried them to the
hillside and they were landed. A pas
senger from the day express was carry
ing cripple from the train TO place of
1ielter The water overlook them,
wher he dropped the poor fellow and
made FOR the hill Tie cripple was car
riet away and drowned. a lady
grabbed the mans coat, but she lost her
grip, and in an instant she was hit by
log and killed. Foreman Kelly thinks
that not more than five people were lost
i'll the trains at Conemaugh, but Mrs.
Schick of Reading, who was on the
train, says that one car was carried off
with twelve passengers or more in it.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07

was the discovery OF woman in pile
of drift on the hanks of the conemaugh.
not far from Cen. Hastings head
quarters. clasping her three children in
her arms, which had 10 he broken to
take them from her for preparation for
interlnent. Another mother with three
children in her arms was also found.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07
To-DAY's ESTIMATE

fnt.;lieept Men and Women Place the
Number AZ Be,,-een I2,00o and $4,000
Conservative men are of the opinion
hat The number of people destroyed VIII
each from 1900 70 l5.005. This view
n Il Is based on many fragments OF evi-
ienc,. obtained from over 100 citizens.
1eing careful TO select Is intelligent men
md women as could he found. They
acre chosen from as many occupations
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07
iCR0SS NURSES
ITVBIN J0HNST0WN AND
REPORT FOR WORK.
/ RELIEF PLAN.
Deserving Persons to be
Promptly Supplied.
AIRING THE WRECKAGE
Great Heaps Of Debris De-
stroyed by Burning.
ARCH FOR THE DEAD

steadily on-Many More Bodies
Iound aud gdentined-The Author
,~ Deny the Sensational Stories
,lrruiated-ReIief stin Coming In.
poeiors Doing Noble work-The Want
\ fCoal-Pnoumonia and Measles Pre-
I.ieui-Estimating the Total Missing.
he city 20 be Rebuilt
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07
4 Broken-Hearted woman.
Anemncrat Annninted.

WASHINGTON, June 6.-John Wig
neaux, who was yesterday appointed
United States marshal for Western
Louisiana. is Democrat. and was recon-
mended TO the presid ent by the Louisiana
Republicans for protecting negroes from
violence at the November election.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07

Portsmouth River ,. feet inches and ris-
ing.
Louisville River rising, with feet inches
In the falls and IL feet inches in the canal.
Cincinnati-River3 % feet inches and swell
ing al noon.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07
Baseball.

At Col1mbus-Morniag Philadelphia.
II: indianapolis 5. Afternoon-Ph Philadelphia,
ii: indianapolis, T.
AT Columbus-columbus, :; Louisville. :.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07

ineSe Illustrations recau story that
IL told of u mother who sat on a roof on
Saturday morning after the flood with
her nine children gathered around about
her. The father had been swept away
before their eyes. Devoted as only a
mother can be, she refused to leave her
place until every one of the children was
in safetv-
The twelve children that were found
in the debris of the opera house, the fifty
that were found near the PRESBYTERIAN
church, the twenty that were found in
the mountain drift in front of the
general offices of the Cambria works and
the 300 that were found in all Yesterday
give promise of an immense list of the
dead that will only be revealed in its
entirety when the list of the survivors
Is made up
Change of Diet Needed.
Burgess Evans of Woodvale is afraid
fever will break out among the 500
people at that place. They have been
living on bread and pork since Friday,
and unless this fare IS changed very soon
an epidemic is certain to break out. The
people are also bound together i'm Close
quarters. The burgess has ordered the
houses to be scrubbed from top to bot
tom.
What the people need is tents. There
are a number in the city, hut they have
not vet reached this place. The borough
has been cut off from the city until to-
day. 1t is to be hoped kind friends will
relieve these poor people at once. They
are suffering untold miseries.
Broken-Hearted Woman
a gray-haired woman was among the
applicants for clothing at the distribut-
ing depot at the Pennsylvania railroad
station in the morning. An outfit was
made up and given her, but after exam
ming the dress she reapproached
the agent in charge and asked if
he would exchange it for black
one. Il have lost all my family"
she added by way of apology, as the
tears streamed down her wrinkled face,
land would like to have a black dress if
can get one. My husband and four
children are in that awful pile by the
stone bridge. and l am alone now" A
black dress was found for her.
Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-07


woaAN's BODY FOUND IN A TREE TOP.
sases private supplies have been received
from the rural districts and paid for by
.he recipients, but only in isolated eases,
Is all the people seem TO vie with each
Dther in their hospitality. Somerset
;itizens. especially, have been very lib
raj, and it is reported that 100 OF the
sufferers have been fed there and housed
" the townspeople All along the route
Il the Baltimore and Ohio hotels and
private houses have been opened and
hundreds more of sufferers are being
aiken care of.
The Plans for Rebuilding.
In conversation Superintendent Dun
,An of the Johnstown street railway and
me of the leading citizens Of the place
declared that as soon as the people re-
covered in measure from the dazed
condition in which they have been since
he catastrophe. immediate measures
will be taken in the direction of rebuild
ne. This viii he a gigantic and costly
work. but Mr.. Duncan says he expects 10
,ee a new city spring from the ruins OF
tricken Johustown. Although the loss
# the Cambria Iron company viii foot
10 into the millions. the destruction OF
heir pl ant is not total, as apprehended
md reported at first. and officers Of the
company now say they expect to resume
operations within thirty days.
Gen. Hastings Report.
.JoHYsTowN. June 6.-Gen. Hastings
las lust made the following report 10
governor Beaver: Chief OF Police
-apt. Gagesby informs me the men re
,ort no lireaches Of the peace last night.
Fuily 1900 men are at work clearing oil
ieb,'is. Bodies are now being recovered
n large numbers. The citizens COM
nittee is organized and the work IS
.vstematic. A detachment OF twenty
nen of the Fourteenth regiment was
letailed last night TO guard supplies
Provisions are pouring in and IT Is diiii-
,ult 20 take care OF them. ihere : no
.,,tTer;ns- from want of food or shelter.
contributions OF money are more de-
,irabIe than anything else
fSigned. ID. II. HASTINGS, Gen !.