The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-12-10

| ASS AaAiSo - SAAA NSA4AAo
town. The distance across the country
from the South Fork Dam station on the
| railroad to the dam is one and one-fourth
miles. Down here nearly q mile below
the dam the r;ilway people made deep
cut. Here is the viaduct. The creek
sweeps around here like O horse shoe
! the railway c::s of q GOOD deal. Mineral
Point lies further GOWN the creek. There
are seven houses standing there, I learn,
1t was good-sized village. Here is
another cut made by the railroad just be-
| low Mineral Point. This is known as
bridge number six. Below this is East
Conemaugh-say nine hundred and fifty
people here. Below East Conemaugh
we have WoodvllIe. at least twenty-five
hundred people. You see, We get thicker
as We near Johnstown below the point.
Here is Stony Creek running past Johns
town, harmless as any stream. All along
opposite Johnstown proper the valley is
thickly settled-this is Kernville. Below
the junction of the creeks here is the pow.
erfui railway bridge.
Now then. The entire valley is mar
row, like V. And bear in mind that the
grade is at least sixty feet to the mile
some places a great deal more. Say the
lake is five hundred feet higher than
Johnstown. The valley is partly covered
with verdure - trees, mountain under
growth, and large rocks. The vast body
| of water gathered in South Fork dam is
-"ddanlv greatly augmented by unDrece-
| dented rains N one night. This vast
body of water is suddenly freed. 1t rushes
down the valley. 1t bears along with
it every tree, every stick and stone, er.
cry blade of grass; it lifts the viaduct
here, picks up bridge number six there.
and tosses thom up like corks. All the
villages are swept as bare as your hand
| in one minute-less time. The only
houses standing are those built on the
sides of the V-shaped valley.
1T leaps straight through the cut at
the viaduct. Three friends are walking
here. The water reaches them-they
strive to save each other-one is swept
away The survivors say the water that
swept him away was no. as high as the
people sew overwhelming them below.
Why? Because the first wave represented
all the water that leaped through the rail.
way cut. Some was checked. 1t rushed
| around the bend, and when the waters
were united again, they seemed mountain
high to the people who saw it coming.
This happened twice-at the viaduct and
below bridge number six.
THE water worked its revenge upon the
railway people, then resumed it's old
channel, and rioted there until it wore
away all tho old landmarks.
Say Johnstown lies between the
thumb of my left hand and forefnger.
The railway bridge is below there, neal
The wrist. If the bridge had not checked
the water that leaped down from the dam,
with front almost thirty feet highs
wall of water-it would have rushed
straight down, and Johnstown would
have been little the worse. At least the
people carried away would have been
borne upon the surface-hundreds could
and would have been saved.
But the bridge checked it, and the
vast wal suddenly swirled around here
between my forehnger and thumb, until
water ran up Stony Creek at the rate OF
forty miles an hour. The contents OF
the lake We're thus heaped upon Johns
town, and rs they spread, they took in
Cambria City, everything above and
around and below Johnstown.
Il saw the water suck in eighteen peo-
pie in one spot. I beheld children torn
limb from limb. The water picked up
locomotives and bridges and tossed them
over like corks. The debris hurled down
the valley, consisting of beams, frag-
ments of houses and bridges, great logs
and trees were projected with force eI-
ceeding thousands Of tons.
The world never heard of such awful
battering rams as those that crashed
through whole blocks in Johnstown."
"Algernon," said Mrs. Somers, will
you 60 back aud ask that gentleman if
his name is Rutledge? think, am al
most sure know his voice. He is from
JohrstoTn."
Algernon walked back, and soon re-
turned. A minute later the gentleman
saluted Mrs. Somers. Mr.. Soners saw
disappointment in his wife's eyes.
Excuse me, sir, thought"
Pardon me, you thought | was my
brother. I am Alexander Rutledges
brother. I am going up to learn whether
he is dead or not. I have known so
many instances where people made mis-
takes that 1 will not be satisfied until
see for myself"
Il trust you discover an error has been
made" said Somers. But all his friends
we're positive, Mr.. Jcpson and Mr.. Jer-
rold especially"
And Mr.. Broadhurst?"
He, too, is now positive"
"Well-I will very soon know. He
may be living; living in some out of the
way place"
"Iil never give up again as long as
there is life" said Mrs. Somers, who
then related her own and Mrs. Vern's
experiences.
MIR. Rutledgc thought the survival OF
the babe that WAS carried seventy miles
on the breast of the river was the most
70 kob b1a n ci ,1ant of the flood
HIS own adventures were extraordinary.
He was visiting Johnstown to see his
brother. He had arrived in the city; had
been there but five or ten minutes when
the waters swept him half way across the
CITY, then back. He never could con-
ceive how he wns carried down the river,
but he remembered he was grasp
ing q log when he recovered con-
sciousness. He floated about twenty
miles before he was rescued by brave
ferryman, who risked his life in the at.
tempt.
Mr.. RutledGe manifested Il ely in.
terest in the couple. He seemed % be in
possession of knowledge about Johnstown
people that surprised Mrs. Somers, until
she reflected it was possible the brothers
corresponded frequently.
WAS Mr.. Peters at the wedding?"
"AIr. Peters, learned just at the last
moment-it was the last thing said to
me.-was i'll. Something very serious,
Mrs. Broadhurst intimated."
"Ah, Mr. Peters ill-seriously! If any
thing should happen him he would be
missed very much"
Very much, said Mrs. Somers. He
is snch n rood. noble man. I hope he will