Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-06-10

people of the town were warned to
leave, as the South Fork dam was
likely to collapse. They had, how
| ever, received the same warning so
frequently in the last ten years that
no heed was paid to it, and instead
of fleeing to the mountains, they en-
tered their houses. At 4 :15 p. m.
the whistle blew and the bells rang.
1t was the last warning, and it meant
that the dam was broken. In mo-
ment the streets were black with peo-
pie fleeing to the mountains. Even
horses and COWS seemed to realize
the Impending calamity, mingling
with the fleeing multitude. When
those who reached the hills in safety
turned to look at the town, they saw
the waters Of the lake fifty feet high
rushing on like q whirlwind. Above
the II airing of the advancing waters
cou!:Etbe heard only family the shrieks
of the. poor people who stood on the
roofs of their homes weeping and
praying to God to save them. Sud-
denly there were crashes, houses
smashing into each other and sinking,
CARRYING their human burden out of
sight with them. When night came,
the town was in total darkness save
a Pickering light from the ruins of
hundreds of houses, which lodged
against the stone bridge of the Penn
sylvania Railroad.
The gray mists had scarcely arisen
from the hill on the morning of June
9Th before a thousand funerals were
coursing their green sides. There
were no hearses, few mourners and
as little solemnitv as formality. The
majority of the coffins were of rough
pine. The hearses were strong OK
teams, and instead of six pail bearers
to one coffin ther were generally six
coffins to one team. Silently the
professions moved, and silently
they unloaded their burdens in
the lap of mother earth. No minister
of God was there to pronounce last
blessing as the clods ratified down,
except few faithful priests who had
followed some mangled representa-
tives of their faith to the grave. Full
" one-third of the bodies recovered
have been so mangled, bruised OF
charred that identification was i'm
possible. All day long the corpses
were being hurried below ground.
The unidentified bodies were grouped
on a high hill west of the doomed
city, where the epitaph ''unknown'
must do for all. There are hundreds
of these graves already, and each
day will inereace the porpotion.
v4A,sor .sr,Iv,.,4s r-~r--tr
stroyed by the flood is as yet as much
matter of guess work as the exact
number of lives that were lost. From
all appearances the losses will amount
to not less than S30,000,000. This
seems n vast amount, but it must be
remembered that the valley was full
of valuable machines and factories
The Cambria Iron Works alone lost
no less than So, 100000 worth OF
property.
Among those believed to have been
swept away by the flood is "Blind
Tom" the we'll, known painist. He
with his manager, left on Friday
morning for Johnstown, and a:
they have not been heard of since
it is thought they are both drowned
Being strangers, and one of them
colored man, it is more than likely
that if their were recovered they
were unidentified.
The following despatch was re
ceived on the morning of June 9th by
Mayor Grant of New York from Gov
Beaver;
"HARRIsBURGH, June 6. Hon. Hugl
j. Grant, Mayor, New York; GooC
morning, Your Honor. Succeeded
in reaching Williamsport last evening
with seven carloads of provisions, b.
ferrying the river twice. This avert
present danger of lack of food. Th
area of the flooded district increases
: City of Lookhaven in distressin:
plight. Reservoirs and bridges des
troyed. City covered with water
and provisions and other supplies vi
terly ruined. Hope to reach ther
with provisions to-day, as we di
Williamsport yesterday. Both cite
4 need supplies of clothing of all kinds
and bedding. Johnstown is bein
: we'll supplied in these respects, bU
the work of clearing away the wrec
Ii and putting things in order will b
t one of weeks. We will need furthe
Il help of all kinds for few days
Our money will be husbanded 6
- possible for the future emergencit
u which will be quite as pressing ;
Ii present ones. Our charitable instl
/ tions are opening wide their doc
;. for orphans and those otherwise affli
II ted. Let me thank your again fl
g the large-hearted generosity whit
~ they have manifest to our people.
y hope there may never be an occasiC
" in New York to return in kind.
ie JAMES A. BEAVER"
in A Matter of Importance.