Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-06-07


story. There were beds, bureaus, mattress
eS, chairs, tables, pictures, dead horses and
mules, overcoats, remnants of dresses stick
ing on the branches of trees, and thou
sand other odd pieces of flOtsam and jetsam
from ruined homes. | saw a man get off
the train and pick up an insurance policy
for $50, 600. Another took away as a relic
a baby's chair and q confirmation card in
a battered-in frame. On the banks of the
Little Conemaugh Greek people were dely-
ing in the driftWood, which was piled to a
depth of six OF seven feet, unearthing and
carrying off whatever could be turned to
account. Under those piles, it is thought
numbers of bodies are buried, not to be re-
covered except by the labor Of many days.
A woman and a little girl were brought
from JohnstoWn by some means which [
could not ascertain. The woman was in
confinement and was carried on a lounge,
her sole remaining piece Of property. She
was taken to Latrobe for hospital treat
ment. | cannot understand how it is that
people are unable to make their way from
Sang Hollow to Johnstown. The distance
is short, and it should certainly be q com
paratively easy task to get over it on foot
OF horseback. However, there seems to be
some unsurmountable obstacle. All those
who made the trip on the train with me in
order to obtain tidings of their friends in
Jamestown were forced to return, as did.
The railroad is in a terrible condition
Tremendous efforts are being eXerted to
repair the injury sustained by the railroad
and it is only question OF a couple of
days until through communication is re-
established. Our homeWard trip was mark
ed by succession Of sad spectacles. AT
Blairsyille Intersection two little girls lay
dead, and in Il house taken from the river
there was the corpse of Il woman. I think
that the loss of life is altogether underesti-
timated. It's my opinion that when the
number of dead is finally ascertained it will
be found not to fall short of 5000.
PITIFUL SCENES ON THE RELIEF TRAINS
THAT ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE
SUBMERGED CITY.
Two of the passengers on the train were
a man and wife from Jamestown. He was
quite dignified and more OF less self-pos-
sessed She was petite, anxious, and tried
hard to control her feelings. From every
newcomer and possible source of informa
tien she sought news.
ssOurs is a new brick house." said she
with a brave effort, but with loving brown
eyes moist and red lips trembling. cit is {
three-story house, and [ don't think there
is ahy trouble do your" she said to me, ant
without waiting for my answer, she con
tinued with a sob: s'There are my fou
children in the house and their nurse, an(
[ guess father and mother will go over tt
the house, don't your"
In a few moments all those in the cal
knew the story Of the pair and manya, pity
ing glance was cast at them. Their house
was one Of the first to go.
Gopo Hollow 1Oo0 StOn Wac made
and some men from across the river called
out: ''Conemaugh is laid low, Cambria
City, gone, Johnstown utterly demolished
and not house stands in Colville."
AS this dreadful news came from the OPP
posite bank. one poor woman yelled: IN!
God, my babies are gone" and fell in ;
faint. Then the cries and shrieks from the
passengers became more terrible; and WheI
the train stopped at it's destination it was ;
Sorry sight to see the mourning humanity
that left the ears. Death was strewn all along
the railroad from New Florence to Sang
Hollow. Not less than dozen bodies Wer'
picked up, while many others were seen IL
the wreck and river, streWn along the rive
banks. AS the train reached Sang Hollow
huge black crow sailed out into the ver,
middle Of the boisterous stream and dart
ing down perched into the swift waters
The crow then flew away and disappeared
but on the next wave the body of small
child appeared. A wild shrek went VI
from the Mortified passengers and fully
hundred voices shouted to anumber OF mel
who were standing on the river bank, ant
before the dead body tioated down 100 fee
further it was overtaken and taken iron
the water.
AN AWFUL DEATH WATCH.
A telegram from New Florence, Pa.
says: 1.-The banks on both sides of the rive
at this place are crowded with anXiou
watchers, and with horrifying frequenc
of a dead body. Within the last half hou
three floating bodies have been recovered a
this point, and hundreds ofpeople from nea
Johnstown and up-river towns are hurryin
here in search of their friends and relatives
who were swept away in last night S flood
! The most intense excitement prevails here
The street corners are crowded with pal
and anxious people, who tell of the awfr
calamity with stilled breath. Squire Bel
nett has charge Of the dead bodies. He
having them properly cared for. They al
being prepared for burial, but will be hel
here for Identification. -Four boys hay
Just come from the river bank above here
They say that on the opposite side a numbe
of bodies can be seen lying in the mut
They found the body of woman on TIL
side. She was covered with debris, but the
hauled her out She had only a few tattel
of clothes ON her and the body was badl
bruised No news can be received frOl
Johnstown, and it may be hours before "
can get any. r. B. Rogers, Justice of til
Peace at Nineveh, has wired the Coroner {
Greensburg that one hundred dead bodit
have been found at that place, and he ask
what to do with..them From this, one ca
estimate that the loss OF life will reach ov'
| 900. perhaps more. No one knows, no Oh
can guess, the sickening sight that is e,
pected to be met by the correspondents Whe
they arrive at the scene above. A repo
just received states that twenty persons a,
on an island near n Uneven, and that me-
and woman are on a partly submerged tree
BODIES PASSING PITTsBURG.
A Pittsburg, Pa, telegram Of Saturd;
, evening says: "The body of a Welsh WOMB
60 years Of age was taken from the riv
near the suspension bridge, i'll this city,
10 clock this morning. -Four other bodi
, were seen, but, owing to the mass Of Wrec
age which is coming down the river, TIN
: could not be rescued and passed down Il
! Ohio River.
! At O'Clock yesterday, a woman and tv
. children were seen floating down the kisn
= nitas river on a part of q house roof.
gallant effort was made to rescue them b
it could not be accomplished. They mu
: have drowned as they were not seen to pa
: out into the Allegheny river at this place.
: number of dead bodies were also seen fiof
t ing past Leechburg this morning, but tn
must have sunk as they were not seen hel
The Pittsburg joined this NOR
+ ing in loading two cars with provisions f
y the sufferers at Johnstown. They were fl
:. warded at once and will be rushed to thu
;, destination with all possible speed, 7
2 Pennsylvania Railroad has side tracked
=, 1 number of cars on Liberty street to
loaded with contributions from either
+ At II o'clock the Times publication flu.
. . had swelled to 1862. Kaufman & Bro