Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 18??-????, 1889-06-03
> 10 a hOrse, whieh SWAN 70 a place q


Jack Cofroth went over to the Hubert
House this morning, and assisted in re-
moving seven bodies. He saw two wo
men taken from a lot of wreckage, still
alive.
Telegrams received from Hooversville
at o'clock this evening, announce the
escape of Frank Mcdonald, Tip Parks
and Charley Ridinger. NJ. II. Hartzell,
Of lockwood, when last seen, was with
Mcdonald, in Johnstown. He has not
yet been heard from.
Mr.. w w. Knable the postal agent on
the S. < C. r. r., gives a graphic descrip-
ton of the flood and its attendant horrors.
He says: The waters were higher in
Johnstown yesterday morning than ever
known before; the filling up of the banks
Of the river make a spring flood an an
nual occurrence ;skiifs were going.about
the streets and extemporized RATS and
floats were to be seen on every side /;
every one took it good naturedly and
made sport of it, Finding that the rail-
road was blocked and that there was no
chance of my getting out that day /
started up toward my rooms on upper
Main street Stopping at Curt Camp
BELLS drug store, | stepped in for few
minutes chat. At dinner time Friday
the water had risen so that could not
60 TO my hotel without soaking so con-
eluded to spend the afternoon with Mr.
Campbell. Shortly before 1 o'clock was
at the door and saw the water come down
the cross street in an almost Perpendicu-
lar wall twenty feet in highth buildings
were crushed like egg shells; frame and
brick alike going down inthe mad rush
of the torrent. The building in which
Charles Gritlith's Drug Store, the old
Frazier stand, was one Of the first on
Main street to go down; building after
building on that side of Main street went
down until the ones left standing were
the front part of the Merchants Hotel,
Ben's saloon and John Stenger's dry
goods store on the other side Of the street,
the upper end of the Fem Block was
knocked out from there to, and inelud-
ing, John Thomas store building every
thing, with the exception ofa part of the
building is still standing from Thomas
to Alma Hall not building is standing,
and from Alma Hall to the river the on
ly buildings standing aIe the Club House,
On Clinton Street the Hubert House,
Gels, Foster& Qlinn's, and nearly every
other building went down. The B. & 0.
station is left stand as lone monument
on Washington Street
The Post Office is.still standing but is
badly wrecked; neerly all houses on the
river in Kernyille were washed away it
was said that not house was left stand
ing in Woodvale, and hardly a sign OF
one in Conemaugh; South Fork, Cone
nlaugh, and Mineral Point, towns on the
bank of the stream bstween the dam
and Johnstown have not been heard
from and are thought to be totally de-
stoyed the destruction of human life
was terrible, there being probably sew
eral thousand people lost the streets
were full of dead this morning | saw
seven at one point. Among the people
known here at home who are supposed
TO be lost are Mrs II. NJ. Ogle and daugh-
ter, Mrs. NJ. L. Hurst and grand-chil.
dren Cyrus Elders family, Virg. Elder
John Shaffer, Charles Griffith, the Recks
John Dibert and family, Scott Dibert
jacob Swank, Abel Young, Mrs james
Benlord, her daughters Maria and May
and son Lou, Mrs. DeFrantz, FL. Hef.
fey, from Stoyestown, Messrs. Eldridge
& Young, Harry Rosensteel, Henry Wor.
den and family.
The residence of Mr.. F. w. Hay is
down, and his family unbeard Of Only
five people escaped from the Hubert
House did not hear anything of Ferg
Parker, but suppose he escaped, together
with Capt Kuhn and wife, as they al
boarded at the Club House. Forty-two
persons were saved at Gen. CImpbell's
residence, but ! did not hear their names
The Mansion House was picked up and
carried by the back water out to tht
Sandyyale Cemetery.
i The Catholic church and parsonage anc
Mr.. Fosters house took fire last night
and fire either was started or occurred
10y accident in the debris gathered at the
railroad bridge lighting up the heavens
and adding additional ghastIiness to the
horrible scene Hundreds of peopl,
were compelled to stay on the housetopl
all night.
i TWe are unable, owing 10 the latenesl
Of the hour, to publish the entire inter
view. ED.l
Mr.. Jacob Zeigler, who came from
Johnstown this afternoon, says that it j.
heyond the power of man TO describe
the awfnl devastation. Whole sections
cf the town arc totally obliterafed. Th'
!. streets in the upper part Of the city an
filed with frantic people searching fol
loved ones; strong men weep and arr
utterly prostrated by the gigantic calam
! itv. Il was impossible at the time hs
. ! i-,f. q, - into tha lower mart nj fha citv