Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-14

shrieks, sobs and means pierced the
gloomy darkness, and the incesssnt cry
ing of children went up, mingling with
the suppressed sobs OF women under the
| guardianship of men, all cast down into
the lowest slough of despair.
Not one of all the ten score slept, and
many knelt for hours in prayer, their
supplications blending with the roaring
! of the flood. And far away up the val
ley, the red glare of the burning pile oil
| wreckags was mirrored on the sky.
In the midst of all this misery two
women gave premature birth TO chill
dren. Yet, no one died that terrible
| night, but many of the imprisoned
| women and children surrendered their
| lives on the succeeding day Is q result of
the indescribable fatigue and terror they
| had undergone.
| CHAPTER XXXI.-PLUNDERING THE DEAD &.
AT last the tired watchers saw dawn
break and shoot up the sky in the east;
the long narrow shafts of gray widened
and grew rosy red, the sun pushed his
face above the dark horizon, and it was
day. Never before had those 200 people
longed so eagerly for the coming of the
daybreak.
Then it was seen that the flood had
spent its force, and was rapidly falling.
Already another story of the great build
ing had been disentombed by the reoed-
ing waves, and in another hour or so the
waters had fallen SO far, that Mark and
the rest of those IN the hotel, were able
to escape dryshod from the dwelling
which for so many hours had been to
them both prison and an ark of refuge.
On quitting the hotel, Mark and Char
lie prepared TO strike out for the ridge of
the valley, northwest of Ninevah, with
view of obtaining "good square meal, -
as Hesketh phrased it, for they were vo-
raciously hungry after their long fast.
They were just leaving the house with
this intention, when Mr.. Paul Lin
wood came to them, saying:
"Good morning, Mr.. Eliot; may 1 ask
IL you live In the town here?'
Mark Informed him that he and his
friend resided at Jamestown prior to the
flood, and that they intended to return
tbither as soon as possible.
"You must pardon my apparent curl
osity, the old gentleman continued,
"but should like t. have an interview
with you when you are at liberty. Can
you say where l shall be able to find you
say IN DAY or JW0E
"At Johnstown somewhere. 1 sup
pose the place will be utterly destroyed,
SO L am afraid 1 cannot say exactly
where you will find me-.
"You will promise not to leave the
neighborhood without seeing me, or, at
least, apprlsing me of your destination. -
"Certainly, sir, if you wish it,,
Mark responded, wondering what Mr..
Linwood could want with him.
"Thank you; good morning!" He
shook hands with them both, and then
bowIng curtly left them to follow their
devices.
"Didn 4 tell you, Mark, - Charlie
cried, "thst the old chap means bust
ness. He's taken a fancy to you, and
intends to make your fortune.''
In little while the two chums found a
group Of cottages which the waters had
not reached, and in one of them they
were treated TO a hearty breakfast. Then
they set their faces toward Johnstown,
tramping along the ridge of the valley,
for all railway communication between
Nineveh and their late home was broken.
As they trudged along many painful
sights met them. Here and there the
dead bodies of human beings and ami
mails lay half buried by the thick, Shiny
ooze, which covered everything the tor
rent had overfiowed.
The river was still greatly swollen,
and as they journeyed on they were met |
by thousands of sorrowing people, most |
of whom had one or more relatives lying |
dead either in the wreckRge above Johns |
town bridge, in the river below that |
point, or in the still burning pile of |
debris which had choked up the great |
stone arches.
On approaching Johnstown the wreck
age became awfully grand, and had |
fearfully massive proportions. AS an |
evidence of the force OF the late torrent, |
they came upon q grand piano lying upon |
the muddy slope with not board or a
key broken. 1t must have been lifted on
the crest Of wave and deposited gently
on the bank.
In another spot they saw two immense
iron boilers. They had been hurled
miles away from their original location, I
and cast upon the shore as if they had
been but straws.
Two miles below Johnstown they came
upon what remained of the waterworks
Of the Cambria iron company, struot-
Ire that had been built of massive stones.
It was literally filed with every kind of
leUTlsI Auu one immense aDuIIu6uI OF !
wreckage was piled up nearly twenty
Yards high.
a little above could be seen the rem
lauts of the famous ironworks, which
lad but yesterday possessed one of the.
inest plants in the world. Some of the
walls were still standing, but every atom
If the valuable machinery had been
wept away. The upper portions of the
works had vanished entirely, and under
he great beams of wood and iron were
buried the bodies of scores of workmen.
But it was in Johnstown Itself that the
havoc was most appalling. Not house
vas left standing there, or at least, not
me that was plumb. Hundreds of them
we're canted on their sides, many vacant
PAGES showed where dwellings had dis
appeared, and in some cases three or
our houses were piled one on top of the
,ther.
As Mark and Charlie went round the
liver bend little below the town, the
iery furnace blazing below Johnston
fridge came into view. Near the arches
he terrible pile of ruin had burnt itself
ut, or was only smouldering, but
urther up the pyramids of ruined homes
Tere still sfiame, aud in numberless
asses cremating their dead occupants.
They made their way upon the bridge,
-hinb bod en- 1roD1Iv rffhsfood ,ha -