The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-01

respective locations cof the reservoir at
Johnstown. The reservoir lies about two
and one-half miles northeast of JOhnStown
and the site of the old reservoir which
is one of the feeders of the Pennsylvania
canal. This sheet of water was formerly
known as Connemaugh lake. 1t is from
two hundred to three hundred feet above
the level of JohnstoWn, being in the noun
tains. 1t is about three and half miles
long and from mile to mile and quar-
ter wide, and in some places it IS hundred
feet in depth. 1t hold more water than
any other reservoir, natural or artlnclal,
in the United States. The lake has been
quadrupled in size by artificial means. and
was held in check by a dam OF from
seven hundred to one thousand feet wide.
1t was ninety feet in thickness at the base,
and in height 10 feet. The top has a
breadth of over twenty feet Recognizing
the menace which the lake presented to the
region below, the South Fork club, which
owned the reservoir, had the dam inspected
by the PENNSYLVANIA railroad engineers
once a month, and their investigation
showed that nothing less than some con
vulsion of nature would tear the barrier
away. The steady rains OF the past forty
eight hours have increased the volume of
which were already swelled by the lesser
rains earlier in the week.
The conductor of the eastbound New
Y ork limited express who reported the
safety Of his train said the report had
reached him of the breaking of the dam.
General Manager Pugh said he could not
understand what was meant when he re-
ceived the dispatches announcing the
damages to the track at Lillys. Such
things have never happened before, said he
tonight. and nothing short of a water
spout could have caused such damage.
Iillys is d small mining town of about
three or four hundred inhabitants. For
the water to be enough to Obstruct the
passage of trains is unprecedented.
A dispatch has just been received by me
saying the water is just rushing over the
tracks at least five feet above the road bed,
and this, it is said, could be brought about
by nothing short of a water spout I have
a message from our operator at Sang Hallow
in which he says ne saw bodies from Johns
town floating down the river as is reported
by the Associated Press
Dispatches received up to midnight at
the offices of the Pennsylvania railroad in
dictate that the situation is hourly growing
worse, and the effects of the storm are now
being felt in the middle division of that
road, extending between Harrisburg and
Altsoona. Landsides and washouts are re
ported all along the line between these
places. No trains will be sent out west of
Harrisburg until the storm abates and the
extent of the damage can be ascertainee.
The New York limited east-bound which
is now at Welmore had narrow escape
from destruction. The conductor reports
that Immediately after his train had passed
over the bridge which spans the river at
South Fork that that structure was swept
away by the rushing water.
Later-The tracks west of JOhnstown
are at some OOintS entirely gone and the
road bed also The river for some dis
tance above the bridge is filed with build
ings and driftwood forty feet high, which
is on fire and is likely to damage the bridge,
which is of stone. The fire is beyond con
troll at JohnstoWn.
From this information obtained at this
time it is evident that something in the
nature Of a cloud burst must have been the
elimination of the struggle of the water
against the bank. The difficulty of obtain
ing definite information added tremendously
to the excitement and the apprehension of
the people VINO had relatives and friends at
the scene of disaster.