Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-05
THE TOPICAL TALKER.
Newsies Mean to Patronize CnrneRie's
Library-The New Theatrical District
How TO Keep Disasters in Prop6rtion-A


Newsies Mean to Patronize Carnegie's
Library-The New Theatrical District
How to Keep Disasters in Proportion-A
Memory of fJohnstown.
THE interest taken in the Carnegie Library in
Allegheny is undoubtedly wide and strong
among all sorts and conditions of men.
Even the newsies are discussing the library.
Said a.bright-eyed little fellow, who hung on to
the rear platform Of the car crossing the Sixth
street bridge: Say, Jim, when they get the
libery a-goin'. will they let us inT'
"You bet they will." said the sturdy chunk Of
boyhood called Jim. AN if they don't I'll write
to Mr.. Carnegie meself-he was a boy hisself
onct"
Mr.. Carnegie. believe, will be glad to know
that the newsies are looking forward to his
library as boon to them with their elders.
THE little district of which the Hotel Ander-
son may be termed the center is destined to be
the home of nearly all Pttsburg's theaters. 1t
is convenient thing for theatergoers. The
Bijou Theater has changed the superstitions
about the locality as a theater site. The old
Library Hall was never success, and five years
ago remember a theatrical authority told me
that no theater would prosper unless built on
or near Fifth avenue Under its present man.
PEELED these supersttions 1t has prospered
amazingly, and now everybody sees that its
situation contributed not little to its success.
The fact is that a more convenient site for
theater could not be found than the territory
bounded by Sixth street and Penn avenne af-
fords. Street cars from all parts of Allegheny
bring in the population from one side. the cable
lines of Pitts5urg bring the East End, Oak
land, Lawrenceville and all the intervening
territory within easy reach. And the proba-
bilities are that rapid transit lines concentrat-
ing on this part of the city will be multiplied
considerably in year or two.
THE finding of a single body in the river
have known to convulse a country town.
For years afterward the piece of backwater
which gave up the dead is pointed out to
strangers as place of interest and horror, and
the little boys stop bathing there. But the
Johnstown food made the farmers who live
along the Conemaugh familiar with drowned
men and women by the score and century. 1t
must have changed human nature in that
region great deal.
Take the case of Mr.. ]. G. Hill, who owns a
farm close to the river near Nineveh, for in
stance. His experience was not extraordinary
for those awful hours. 1t may serve to keep
disasters in proper proportion, if we recall how
death rode upon the waters less than year
ago.
II ERE is what Farmer Hill says: ''The large
wooden bridge across the Conemaugh at
Nineveh, built 25 years ago, was taken away
about o'clock in the afternoon of May 81. The
water was then higher than it had ever been
before. to our knowledge at least. 1 witnessed
the whole affair during the day and night NY
farm was mostly in sod, and lies along the river
at the bend in the channel. About o'clock
the flood struck the place. 1t came all at once
and overfowed my farm to the depth of II feet,
in some places leaving deposit of trees lum-
Der and broken remains of all kinds well as
81 dead human bodies The sod protected the
SOIL which was not washed away as was the
case with some Of my neighbors. The water
came within few rods of my house. which
stands so rods from the river bed.
"Shortly after the first rush of water was over
the bodies began to come apparently in crowds,
and after awhile they came only struggling. l
believe there were % rescued alive at our place.
The rush of water lasted about two hours, and
about II o'clock the water was back in the regu-
lar channel of the river"