The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-06-28
REFLECTIONS ON THE JOHNS
TOWN CATASTROPHE.
BY REV. w. E. PRICHARD.


for thou knowest not what . day may
bring forth" Prov. 27:1.
Seldom has text received q more
frightful and alarming illustration
than has this one in the case of the
Johnstown disaster.
The rain had fallen steadily and
heavily for two or three days; the /
streams became swollen and rolled In
torrents down the mountains sides;
the pent up waters of the lake eight |
miles long by two and half miles
wide and in some places one hundred
feet deep burst the dam, and sweep
with awful fury over JohnstoWn ana
a number of smaller towns around IL.
The homes of the lahoring men, o.
the merchants, aud of the rich; the
manufactures and public buildings
are swept Unfortunately from the
face OF the earth. In an hour or two
prosperous towns in which dWelt
from so, 900 to $1,000 people enjoying
all the comforts of American citillza-
ton. are a mass of ruins. From TO-
900 to $4,000 people of every class ana
condition are hurled into eternity,
and thousands of people bereft of all
are left half-dazed and broken heart
ed.
Fire, as if it were afraid that the
furious waters would get ahead OF 1t
in the fearful work of destruction,
came and sprang savagely upon the
ruins of homes which had piled up
by the railway bridge, i'll which RUINS
were hundreds aud perhaps thous-
ands of humun beings, and thus yied
with the water in their horrible work.
Probably never i'll the history O.
America has there been such sweep
made of towns and such wholesale
'loss of life.
|. Aswe look upon this we see al
awful finishing up of life. In few
minutes thousands of people OF VI
ages from the babe up to the feebl
old man and woman, and people Q
all circumstances are III the grasp Q
shocking death.
People who had lived without Go
and without hope in the world. PEG
: pie who had been procrastinating i
, the matter of their souls salvatie
| who probably postponed this matte
till their death bed, and people VIII
; loved the Lord believing that he ha
I cleansed them from all sins and VIII
were glad to be engaged in his Sol
vice are without any respect hurle
3 into eternity. How vastly different
1 they died from what they probabl
supposed they would! 1t ia NOR
8 than likely that many of them VIII
L thought of the matter at all imagine
they would die peacefully in the
s homes surrounded by kind, symp'
Q thetic friends.
3 How do you expect to die? DO
|, will you die? Where will you die?
y Ii. The catastrophe affords thrill
= ing illustrations Of heroism. Your
= Daniel PeritCn has earned for himse
l, the title of "The Modern Paul r
q We" He sacrificed his life to sa'
l. the people. Does not the ride of tn
n Young man who dashed through Il
a streets of the town crying, Flee
" The Mountains" and was at last owe
m whelmed by the all deyouring foo
d even eclipse the ride of Paul Rever
re- Mrs. Ogle, the manageress Of I
E. Western Union, who died at her POI
= will 60 down in history as heroi
is of the highest order.
a Many other heroic deeds are reeor
=. ed, and many are uHrecorded.
We The past is not the only heroic af
IS there are many heroic souls in t
~ world who in the time of dang
lis think more of others than of the
ar selves, and who to deliver others "
1T risk or lay down their own lily
oy These are the choice fl bwers OF
We human race. They give dignity a
in glory to the name of man. They
lp- veal TO what sublime heights man
n; hr capable OF rising.
ak III. This catastrophe affords an
ny lustration of how shockingly degri
mt ed man may become.
to A number of men appear on
lde scene and act more like wild bea
cir than human beings. Now is a char
Of for them 20 enrich themselves! I'll
Y" we proceed to spelling the dead! In tn
rin haste they even mutilate the aires
vay disfigured bodies, cutting off tn
ose ears and fingers that they may sec
,re. the jewels on them. They begin