Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-01-03
AS HE SAW 1T.
HENRY GEORGE GIVES AN ACCOUNT
OF HIS VISIT TO JoHNsTo
How the Place Has Changed-The Land
More valunble Than Ever-Mr Mox-

noon, but as the train drew up at the
station l saw, waiting to meet me, the
slight figure of Tom L. Johnson's partner,
A. j. Moxham, the man whose nerve.
tact and leadership saved Johnstown from
horrors that might have followed the
food, Mr.. Moxham drove me rapidly
through the town-which, though being
fast rebuilt, still shows an awful contrast
to what it was when | was there last
and up on the hill to point where view
of the valley can be had. 1t is hard TO
describe the impression of awe which is
even now made ON the visitor by what he
sees and hears in Johnstown. Remains
of the victims are still being found. Only
few days before my visit the body of
Mr.. Moxham's secretary, whom | had
met in full strength and vigor when last
in Johnsto wn had been found. Another
body, supposed to be his, had been recov-
cred sometime before, and sent to his ma
tive place for interment, but that that
was a mistake was ccnclusivelY shown by
the watch and safGkeys in the clothing of
the body last found.
Only few weeks before the flood came
Mr.. Moxham had removed from part of
Johnstown that was swept absolutely
bare, to the higher ground of the town
named after him, about two miles dis
tant, where the new works of the johnson
Company are situated. All day he had
been working TO save "a bridge over Stony
creek from being carried away, and
had Just retired to his house to get some
rest when, with sudden burst, the back
water from the deluge which swept down
the Conemaugh rose five feet on the floor
of the Johnson rolling mill. They knew
town, for the floor of the roll
ing mill is on level with lie
highest part Of the Johnstown bridge,
but to reach the city was utterly impossi.
Bile. All night long the flames from the
burning wreckage at the bridge rolled up,
and screams of direst agony were heard.
But during the night Mr.. Moxam had
done what it was possible to do. He had
| organized the title neighboThood for the
works had just been erected, and there
were few people living there as yeti, and
with the morning light men were sent out
to gather W latever provisions could be
got, with instructions to promise that the
Johnson Company would be security for
payment, but to secure them anynow.
Others were sent to note and guard every
| eatable animal, and mounted on the
strongest horse man bearing dispatches
to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Philadelphia
and New York was sent out with direc-
| tions to ride across the hills and not to
return till he had found some telegraph
station where the wires were not all down.
Mr. Moxham himself started into Johns
town, and got there at last, but how is
now a mystery to himself. AS he looked
down the main street he saw the awful
wreck, with whisky barrels already
rolled cut here and there among the
debris and men and women getting crazy
drunk around them, and the pillaging of
the dead goirg on openly, his one thought
was TO get back to Moxham, get his wife
and children into his carriage and get
away somehow. But the imploring cry
of an old woman who threw herself be-
fore him, and asked what they were to do,
reused him. The minor food of the day
before had put out fires and destroyed
provisions, and many people had had
nothing to eat for thirty-six hours. With
the old woman's cry Mr.. Moxham saw in
flash the absolute necessity of inspiring
hope, and answered as confidently as If it
were true, II have a telegram in my
pocket that says train loaded with pro-
visions is on its way over the Baltimore &
Ohio Road and will be here at l
O'clock" Going little further lie met
group Of the leading survivors. How
they made him dictator, and how he ac-
cepted responsibility on the promise of
obedience, pledging himself and his part
ners to pay for all labor demanded and
all property taken, if there should be no
other provision how he organized COM
mittees, and swore IN police force, and
collected what provisions could be found,
and stopped plundering, and broke in the
heads of the whisky barrels. and began
to clear the debris, and collect and bury
the dead, and maintained order until five
days thereafter he turned over his rcspon.
sibiity to the head Of the Pittsburg re-
lief committee, are all Of the history of
lohnstown.
Johnstown to-day is more populous
than before the flood, though only re
building. And though Eldridge aud
Coffin and others of our best single tax
men are gone, the single tax club, of
which Mr.. MoXham is president. is in
strong vitality. And there is
most striking single tax object
lesson here, as was printed in
The Stdnddrd some weeks since. The
buildings were carried away by the rush
Of the waters, and thousands met horri-
BILE death, but land is more valuable than