The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-06-05
HORROR OF HORRORS !
Whole Cities and Towns
Swept Away i'm a Flood.
The Awful Calamity at Johns
town, Pa.
Loss of Life Estimated at 5000
to 10000.

Friday, May 81, of the year of our
Lord 1889 will hereafter be associated
with the most appalling disaster that
the history of the North American
continent has yet recorded. So sudden,
so awful, so great in its fatality the
tragedy in the COnemaugh valley over.
shadows any horror of similar char.
acter ever recorded so as to render one
and all insignificant in comparison.
The city of Johnstown is the central
figure of an awful panorama of death
witnessed in The Conemaugh valley.
The Conemaugh Creek rises in the
western part of Cambria county south
of the center, flows southwesterly until
it uuites with Stony Creek when the
two form the Conemaugh River. 1t
then flows northwesterly until it cross
es the county line, then westerly form.
ing the boundary between Indiana and
Westmoreland counties. Meeting the
Loyalhanna at Salisbury the two form
the Kiskiminetas which empties into
the Allegheny at Freeport 80 miles
above Pittsburgh.
Johnstown is situated in the S. w.
part of Cambria county, at the juno.
tion of Conemaugh Creek and Stony
Creek, at the head of Conemaugh
River. Part of the city lies, or did
lie, on the west side of Conemaugh
creek, part of it in the triangle be.
tween the two creeks, and part of il
on the east side of Stony creek little
above its mouth. North of Johns.
town (and really forming part of it,
west of Conemaugh creek is Cone.
maugh boro. North of Conemaugh
.horo, and adjacent TO it on the oppo.
site side of Conemaugh creek is Wood.
vale boro. South of Johnstown proper
and on the south side of Conemaugh
River is Cambria City. Southwest of
Cambria City on the same side of the
river is the village of Morrellville
West of this on the opposite side of
the river is Cooper Dale boro.
The Pennsylvania r. r. crosses
COnemaugh River a short distance
below the junction of COnemaugh
creek and Stony creek ON a stone
bridge that will be historic from the
part it played in the fearful harvest of
death.
On COnemaugh creek, 9 miles from
Johnstown by rail and 16 miles above
by the winding course of the stream,
was Conemaugh Lake, an artificial
pond, q miles long, mile to l raile
wide, and 70 feet deep. The dam that
held this body of water was 1000 feet
long, 100 feet high, and so feet wide
at the top. The pond was formerly
used as feeder to the Pennsylvania
Canal; it was afterward purchased by
the South Fork Fishing Club of Pitts.
burgh, who used it as q fishing and
hunting ground and summer resort.
The dam had been examined every
month by the civil engineers of the
Penn'a Il. r. aud pronounced safe.
Tremendous rains had fallen and
swollen the Conemaugh and Stony
creek until they ran far over their
banks, and considerable damage had
been done to roads and property
Whether it was the immense volume
of water that poured into the lake
subjecting it to an anusual strain, OF
whether there was some flaw or break
in the dam that had escaped notice i;
not known; but at half past two
o'clock on Friday afternoon the dan
gave way and the vast body of water
behind it went roaring down the val
ley, The Conemaugh valley as far
down as JOhnstown is narrow. The
waters could not spread, aud moved
in a compact mass, with the speed of a
race horse, o grandeur that was awful,