Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-06-04

TO the scene to search for loved ones, and
furnish innumersble hesrtrending
stories.
HOW THE BAN BROKE.
YOUNGSTOWN, Pa, June 3, IL 20 A. M
Four gentlemen, relatives Of members
OF the South Fork Fishing Club, who
went to learn the fate of their friends at
the lake, have just returned. They report
that no one was at the lake except the
custodians and some woIkmen. The
dam broke in the center at O'Clock
Friday afternoon. AT 4 the lake was
dry. That great body of water passed
out i'll an hour. An effort was made to
avert the disaster by digging q sluiceway
on one side to ease the pressure on the
dam, but without avail. The water passed
over the dam about foot above its top,
beginning at 80.
THE NOCTURNAL CLoUDBURsT.
Whatever happened in the way of a
cloudburst took place during the night.
There had been but little rain up to
dark, and in the morning, when the
workmen awoke, the lake was full and
kept on rising rapidly until at 2 O'Clock
it began pouring over the dam and under
mining it. Men were sent three or four
times during the day to warn the people
below. When the final break came
there was sound like tremendous con-
tinued peals of thunder. Trees, rocks
and earth shot into mid-air inlgreat col
umns. Their the wave swept down the
ravine. The whole South Fork was
swept, with not tree standing.
WIDOWED AND CHILDLEss.
Mrs. Sem, wife of an engineer, tells a
pitiful story. Her husband went out
and was swept away with her seven
children. She climbed to the second
story, then to the attic. She cheered
the frightened little ones, saying God
would care for tEem. AS the waters
rose higher, she was forced to fasten
them one by one to pieces Of floating
timber and trust them to the pitiless
waves, all the time speaking words OF
hope and announcement, and kissing
them goodbye. After all were gone the
roof of the house was torn off and the
frail mother foated off with it, and was
rescued sixteen miles below. Only two
of her little brood of seven have been
heard from, and they are drowned. She
is only one mother of hundreds similarly
Satisfactorily one of multitude.
DRIFT FROM THE WATERS.
Three hundred bodies have been dis
covered in the sand at Kernville, near
the mouth of Sandy Creek.
Forty-eight dead bodies are now at
Johnstown station, and will be buried as
fast as possible. Very few have been
identified. Fifty men are digging graves
on Prospect Hill.
The latest from Conemaugh says but
four were lost of those on the unfortunate
train caught in the food at the bottom Of
the hill. These were in Pullman
sleeper.
YOUNGSTOWN, June 3.-One hundred
bodies are lying on the sand at Kernville
this afternoon. A crowd of 500 is gath
cred around endeavoriDg to find the
bodies of friends or relatives. No collins
are there, but 500 collins are on the way
here. The undertakes have sent for SOC
additional. Kernville from now on will
be the place where most of the bodies
will be found. 1t is thought that most OF
the bodies will be found under the pile OF
debris, about an acre in length.
Rain is now falling. but does not inter-
fere with the work. Most Of the rescuing
party have been up for days. The fire al
the bridge is almost extinguished,. and
the task of getting at the bodies under
the burning debris will be commenced in
eranest.
ESTIMATE OF THE PERIsHED.
YOUNGSTOWN, JuLe 3.-Ten bedies have
teen taken out OF the wreck near Cam
bria Library, so bruised and mangled
that it was impossible to identify them
Z - hot oto
the Hulburt House, which was com
pletely demolished. Eight bodies were
recovered near the Methodist church.
Captain Kuhn, Sheriff of Cambris
county, claims that the entire population
which the flood struck in YOUNGSTOWN anC
surrounding towns number rs, 900, which
will entail loss of about 5000.
CARING FOR THE LITTLE ONES.
Mrs. J. G. Campbell, of Allegheny
City and Mrs. w. o. Hughes, of Pitts
burg, have reported at the scene of thu
disaster for the relief of homeless chill
dren.
THE NUMBER OF THE DEAD UNKNOWN.
Developments every hour make it more
Der of lives lost in the Johnstown horror
that have been made, up to this time
are conservative and, when all is known
will doubtless be found to have been toe
small. Over 1,000 bodies have beer
found since sunrise to-day, and the most
skeptical concede that the remains Of
thousands more rest beneath the debris
above the Johnstown bridge. The popu.
lation Of Johnstown and surrounding
towns and of the portion of the valley
affected by the food is, or was, from
sc, 900 to So 900. Associated Press repre-.
sentatives to-day interviewed numerous
leading citizens of Johnstown who sur.
vived the food, and the consensus Of
opinion was that fully 80 per cent. of the
residents of Johnstown and Cambria had
been victims of the combined disasters
of fire and water. II this be true, the
total loss of life in the entire valley can.
not be less than 7 900 or 5000, and pos
sibly much greater.
THE VICTIMS OF THE FLAMES.
OF the thousands who were devoured
by the flames and whose ashes rest be-
meath the smoking debris above Johns
town bridge, no definite information can
ever be obtained. As little will be
learned of the hundreds that eank be-
meath the current and were borne
swiftly down the Conemaugh, only to be
deposited hundreds of miles below on
the banks and in the driftwood of the
raging Ohio. Probably one.third of the
dead will never be recovered and it will
take a list of the missing weeks hence to