Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-02
A DELUGE OF DEATH
Towns Wiped Out of Existence BY
Raging Torrentf.
FEARFUL WORK OF DESTRUCTION
Eight Thousann Lives Estimated to
be Lost.
HUNDREDS OF BODIES FOUND.
Scenes of Desolation Which Com
pletely Bsggar Description.
FLAMES ADD TO THE HORROR.
Wrecked Houses Cons umed BY Fire
and Their Human Occupants
Roasted Alive in the Sight OF
Powerlcss Spectators.
FLAMES ADD TO THE HORROR.
Eight Thousand Lives Lost.

Eight Thousand Lives Lost
SANG Hollow, q a. n.y. June 2.-The first
accounts sent out of the Johnstown disaster
arc far below the widest estimates placed
upon the extent of the extent Of the calam
ity, and instead of 1000 or 3000 II is probable
that the death list will reach S,000-many
say 10000. 1t is now known that two passen
ger trains, two sections of day
express on the Pennsylvania railroad,
have been thrown into the mad
dened torrent and the passengers drowned.
These trains were held at Johnstown from
Friday at IL a. m, and were on siding be-
tween Johnstown and Conemaugh station.
The awful torrent came down a narrow de-
file between the mountains, distance of
nine miles, and with u fall of 800 feet in that
distance, sweeping away the villages of
South Fork, Mineral Point, Woodale aud
Conemaugh leaving but one building stand.
ing wooden mill, where but an hour
before had stood hundreds, and dashing on
with the roar of cataract and the speed of
the wind upon the fair city at the foot of the
hills.
The plain in which but yesterday sat
Johustown sits in the mountain like jewel
of the queens diadem. The great Gauter
Steel works sat in this plain, and the city
below it, railroad tracks bounding it at the
base of the mountains on the north. Here is
where the trains were standing when the
tide water like q catapult, came down upon
them with such reslstless force that heavy
trains, locomotives, Pullmans and all were
overturned and swept down the torrent and
were lodged against the great stone viaduct,
along with forty-one locomotives from the
Johnstown round-house, the heavy machinery
Ind ponderous framework of the Guuter
A. ,lntn N-;, nF, tk.,,
thousand houses, furniture, bridges, lumber,
and human beings.
The low arches of the stone via
duct choked up Immediately and the
water backed back over the entire
level of the valley upon which the city stood
TO depth of what, from the waterworlis,
Indicate about thrty-eight feet In the great
sea thus formed, thousands of people were
struggling for life.
The scene to-day was one of the most har
rowing possible to the imagination of man to
conceive. The accumulated drift gorged up
at the viaduct to a height of forty
feet and then took fire from
the upsettlng of stoves or lamps. Then
were strong men made sick at the sight. AS
the flames cracked and roared among the
dry timber of the floating houses, human
bodies were seen pinioned between house
roofs locomotives, freight, passenger, Pull
man and baggage cars. The flames licked
with haste thei diet of human flesh. The
Gene was horrible beyond description. From
infancy a few days old to the wasted figures
of age, all were burned before the eyes of the
beholders. and no rescue from such fate was
possioli.
Strong men turned away with agonized eX-
pressions and women shreked at the horror
of the scene The dead have been computed
at not less than 5000. and the number may
even exceed this estimate This seems in
credible but until the waters will have
, aDated and the work of removing the dead
from this tremendous mass begins, it will be
impossible to tell how many lives have been
lost.
The Associated Press correspondent was
the first to cross to Johustown proper by
means of a basket suspended from coble,
as passengers are removed from wrecked
I ships. Here the scenes were magniied in
their horror. Here were residences
of the little city's most wealthy
and intelligent people, Here were
found the bodies of some of the most promi-
nent citizens, with all the members of their
families. Cinder, Market, Main. Locust,
and Washington streets have been swept
clean and bare of all buildings of whatever
character and the Inhabitants seem to have
fled into the streets at the first warning of
danger and rushed TO their deaths. Fsr those
who remained in their houses had an oppor-
tunty to flee to the upper stories. When
houses were frame they were fioated from
their foundations and many were saved,
The Hotel Hubert, bnck structure, had
siXty-ive guests, and siXtythree, of these
were killed by tue falling in Of the floors
and walls. The Moreil library, the school
house, the Alma hall, the general stores and
offices of the iron company, ana one
other hrick building are all of probably
, two Thousand buildings that have not
been loated from their foundations caved in.
The stone yiaduct is forty feet nigh from the
riven bed at low water and over this the
water rused in q resstless flood. On the
west side Is the Bessemer rail mills of the
Cambria Iron company. Although waaned
70 flee to the hill sides many of the men, rest
lug in fancied security, loitcred about the
mills and were engulfed in an instant.
To-day their bodies are strewn along the
Conemaugh, Riskimetas and Allegheny
rivers, and are being caught as far down as
the Ohio river as Rochester. Below the mills
is Cambria, a sub-borough, in which distrc,
reside probably 1000 people. The scenes
here are but repetition of the other parts
of the aood-wasted city. In st. Columbus
church. new structures which had beeu
flooded to depth OF six feet in the audito
rum, 10 water had receded and the floor was
covered with Shiny ooze TO depth Of seven OF
eight inches. On boards stretched along tho
top OF the pews were thirty bodies which had
been snatched from the steam by Father
Thomas Darlin and some of his parisher:
whom he had pressed into service. Will,
In the awful presence of the dead and amid
the solemn surroundings Of the desolatet
- fame the representative saw Joseph Smith,
man Of extraordinary size and strength
enter. He said not word, ou, went from
coryss 70 corpse. Al last he cam'