Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-17
FROM THE FLOOD.
A Well-KnOwn Gentleman's Exper-
fence at COnemaugh.
Graphic Description Of an Eye. Wit
ness OF the Await Destruction of
Life and Property.

in this city, as everywhere in
the Eleventh congressional district.
was an eye witness to the recent
recent awful food in the Conemaugh
valley, Pennsylvania. being upon the
scene at the time in the performance of
his duties.
Mr.. Spangler sent his wife at Macomb
graphic description of his experiences
which indeed includes his own narrow
escape. His letter Is dated Altoona,
Pa. June .. and it is published in the
Eagle. He says:
photographed you on Thursday that l
should leave for Washington on that
day. l left on the 3:15 train that after :
noon, going over the Pennsylvania rail-
road. Since then what an experience
have had
We got INTO Pittsburgh without any,
thing especial occurring. and left there
on time. AT Jamestown, eighty miles
east, we were delayed by high waters,
caused by the excessive rains. por-
ton of the city was under water, many
people being in the second stories of
houses, but this is usual ut this season
of the year and caused no especial UNI
easiness.
At Conemaugh, three miles east of
Johnstown, we were informed that the
track had been washed away few miles
east, near the famous Horseshoe
bend. and we side.tracked at East Cone.
maugh. The tracks here run alongside
OF stream, known as the Conemaugh
creek. This creek was much swollen be-
cause Of the rains, and steadily UNDER
mined the track. There are several
tracks here, as this is the end of n di-
vision, and there is quite large yard and
round house.
Some eight or ten miles above where
we were is a large reservoir, one mile
wide, three miles long and ninety feet at
the dam. AT 10 O'Clock noon. a report
came that this dam was likely to give
way, and
THIS MEANT DESTRUCTION
to all in the path of the waters. To have
you properly understand this, may ex-
plain that at this point the valley is
probably one>fourth of mile wide, and
the bills then rise quite abruptly. becom-
ing almost mountains, and such volume
of water suddenly let loose. would fill
the valley.
We were on the regular express train
which had left Pittsburgh in two see
tons. In the first section were the bag
gage cars. day coaches and parlor cars
in the second section were the mail, ex-
press and Pullman cars. | being on this
section. There was also in the yard here
an accommodation train from Johnstown
east. AL three passenger trains, carry
ing probably an aggregate of 500 people
For the purpose OF greater security, /
presume, the trains were all side tracked
on the outside tracks of the yards, near
the town and mountain on the north
side of the creek. The first section of Pull.
man cars occupied the outside track, the
second section of the express the second
track, and the accommodation train the
third track. all standing close together
and parallel to each other. There were
also many freight trains in the yard,
caused by the blockade ahead
While it was thought possible that
there might be some danger land it was
discussed in an informal manner) yet no
one could be found who gave the matter
serious consideration. No one left the
cars except to walk out along the tracks,
and then not far, as gentle cold rain
was falling and there was no Ger tainty as
to when we were to start out
THE DREADFUL MOMENT.
Suddenly at $3.50 p. m. the sharp
whistle OF an engine was heard. Then
all the engines in the yard joined in the
signal. | ran to the rear of the train and
saw people running to the hills. while
Run for the mountains The reservoir
has burstl" was the agonized cry of all
was at the rear of the train-one car
from my car. / ran through, giving the
alarm as went. grabbed my coat and
umbrella and rushed for the platform. In
the car were a number of ladies and it
was my only thought to assist them.
Among others were the wife and daugh-
ter of Mr.. f. W. Halford, secretary To the
president.
When / reached the ground, the peo-
pie were running in all directions. Along
side OF our car was deep ditch, and
others had to be crossed. assisted peo.
pile over and finally turned to run; but
lady with little child-a lovely girl five
or six years old-called to me: "Oh. God
DO not leave us to perishl' cast one
look up the valley. Oh. what slghtl
Bearing right down on us with the veloc.
ity OF race horse, was
THE AWFUL FLOOD.
stretching from mountain To mountain,
and reaching as high, almost, it seemed,
as heaven. 1t was an awful moment.
To stay was almost certain death: but nv
better nature conquered the cowardly
impulse, and / leaped back across that
fatal ditch. swung the child under my
arm grasped the lady with my other hand
then back across the ditch and away up
the street. Behind us, the awful waters;
ahead, the mountain of refugei There are
times when one seems endowed with su-
perhuman strength. Such a moment was
this. Half way up the street, passed Miss
Halford. She had given up. / called to
her to encourage her. but she only ap-
pealed TO me for aid. She Is subject to
heart disease and was helpless. / started
the little girl on ahead of me and caught
Miss Il. by the arm, and together we toiled
up that awful mountain, the flood up to
our shoe-tops. Fear and determination
conquered, and we reached place of
safety. Then. and only then,
HOOKED BACK.
MAY God spare me the opportunity of
ever witnessing another such sight
Everything in the path of that terrible
flood was swept away. Houses fell and
were torn to pieces as child would toss
paper box. The immense engines
weighing half-hundred tons were picked
up and carried awav. Great cars. heav-
lily loaded with freight, were thrown aside
as if they had been wooden boxes. Most
horrible of all. the passenger coaches,
some of them containing people who
could not escape. were overwhelmed or
carried down with the stream to where