Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-09-27
AN EoDO FROM THE FLOOD.

The Horrors OF That Awful Nigit-oraphIo
story Of The Experiences Of - Family
Mrs. Samuel ~. Hsnris's Thrilling Ae-
count.
Mrs. Samuel d. Henfie, who has charge
Of the Red Cross House on Locust street,
from an interview relates substantially
the following as her experience in the
flood
"Ouf homc was No. ia Market street,
near the markethouse. All the morning
we had been closely watching the water
a. IL approached our house, for many
houses on the level already had several
feet Of water in them. Before noon IL be.
gan to come in, so we took up our carpets
and set up our piano. My husband and
myself, with our widowed daughter, her
little son, and a Miss Green, comprised
the household. AS the water rose higher
and higher, we were forced TO go up
stairs. Expecting that the water would
soon lower, and with the excitement and
fatigue, we did not think to take with us
ans thing 10 eat. After a time we thought
Of this, and then my daughter waded In
waist deep and got loaf Of bread. This
proved a wise forethought, for il was all
we had until the next day, not being able
TO get downstairs again. We were watch
ing and waiting for the water TO lower.
when, about 3 o'clock, Miss Green walked
TO the window and said Mrs. Henrie,
come to the window think the water
is falling. 1 looked, and | thought
it had fallen about three inches
but, before had turned away
from the window, l heard
the roar and crash, and Miss Green said
My God, Mrs. Henrie, what is that7"
| cried "Close the window; it is the
reservoir" | knew instantly what it
was. Then we both fell on our knees
and asked God to tell US what to do.
This took only moment, when we
rushed to the sewing-room where we
found my husband, daughter Maggie and
grandson, standing. At that moment the
compressed air knocked the top off the
the market house, it falling on our house
and crushing it and everything down
around us and at that co:ner Of the street.
Then we ran for the hall, my daughter and
myself being much bruised. Miss Green
and Ma5gio sprang 70 a table which
stood near, and, with their fists and feet,
knocked out the window. BY that time
the debris was piled nearly to the second
story window, and they climbed out upon
it and pulled me through after them. My
daughter called TO her father to come,
but he said ne could not for he had his
little "a, 1son in his arms. Then tie
house tilted, and he was pushed and
crowded, and he hardly knows how, but
he got out and landed on the
wreckage around us. 1t was only
step to the roof of cur house
then, and | was almost helpless with
terror Maggie tried to help me on the
roof, but slipped and went down in the
water to my neck. Her courage and
strength seemed superhuman, and she
pulled me out and pushed ire on the roof
of the house. helping myself but little.
In her efforts to help me she sank in the
water to her arms; but she said there
seemed to be some force under her which
raised her to the surface again. | fear
that but for this brave girl we would all
have been drowned or killed, OF course
we were all greatly excited, scarcely
knowing what we were doing Only those
who saw that on.coming mountainous
terror can know what destruction and
death it meant; but no one had long to
dread it, so quickly was it upon us, grind
ing, crushing and crumbling everything
in its pat
"Whcn we were on the roof We looked
and saw that all Market street had gone
bat our house, a little out of the
current, slill stood on one side
crushed, but in its place. Directly the
w1ra-mill came dashing down toward us
When my husband said it was only par
of it | could not believe it, it looked SC
immense as it jammed in just above u'
and crowded US out into the currents anC
away we went almost to the arch bridge
Here the jam was so great that tho force
of the current was checked, and the back
water sent US out along the Kernyille hill.
In this short time the horrible scenes w
witnessed were unspeakable. At ont
moment we would sec maybe a mothe
and children clinging to each other on {
log, or roof or house, when something
would strike it, giving it a roll in th'
water which would send them under
| Possibly one might rise to the surface
but more probably the mass of wreckag,
would close over them all forever Tn,
next moment monstrous tree, driver
through the waters, would dash agains
another group, crushing them all. Ii
passing along through this death ant
destruction, we looked across Napoleon
street and saw our other daughter, Mrs
Kate Clawson, who lived in Kernville, sit
ting with her three children on
part OF the roof to their house, tn,