The morning call., 1891-10-19
A Johnstown "scoop."

Talking about scoops said anOthe r,
reminds me of one Of the best beats of
which there is any record. 1t was during
the JohnstOwn food. The Cincinnati Eu-
quirer had detailed there as correspondent
1t hitherto almost untried reporter, at least
in the field of special work, but ne proved
himself equal to tile emergency. He
reached the devastated city thirty-six hours
after the flood, making remarkably quick
trip from Cincinnati to Pittsburg on the
Panhandle flyer" and thence by special
engine to Nneyah mine miles from
JOhnSt0wn. Tue balance of the way WAS
trudged on foot. The reporter flied his mat
ter that night, having leased u special wire
direct to his papers Office, and it filled
page of the Enquirer next day. That done,
and with no sleep for the past forty-eight
hours, he started with Pittsburg phoiog-
rapher for Conemaugh Lake. the scene Of
the dam breakage, which hal preciptated
the flood. 1t was twelve miles to the dam
and over the toughest kind of mountain
road, blocked in places with debris of the
flood, and in other places still almost impass-
able. The last half of the trip the horses
had to be abandoned and the journey pur.
sued on foot.
The scene of the disaster was reached,
photographs made and a graphic descrp-
ton taken, and the trip back made in time
to telegraph ten columns to tie paper for
the next morning. correspondent named
Chamberlain. for the New York Sun,
reached the lake the same day. and got to
Altoona in time that night to wire his paper
a very striking description Of the d m, the
causes of the flood and other new matter
These two papers, however, were the first
to give any accurate and definite idea of how
the flood occurred. The enterprise of the
Sun prevented the Enquirer man from get
ting scoop on this big item, but ne
got the greatest beat of the flood on
his return. Everybody was irving TO form
an estimate as to the probable i, s. of life
by the flood, and the guesses ranged all the
way from few hundreds up to 10000 aud
$4,000. Johnst0wn and It's suburbs in the
Hooded district had n joint population of
about $4,000, but In the confusion of the
time it was impossible to tell who had been
saved or who had been lost, nor could any
definite idea be formed as to the number of
business houses swept away. 1t was then
bright idea suggested itself to the reporter.
He had heard that a directory of Johnstown
food, and he started a search for
1t, but without success. Not yestge of
the printing-0ffice was left; not even a hole
to mark where it had been. 1t was learned,
though, that man named Clark, at Al
toOna, twenty miles distant, had compiled
the work, and to him the reporter went that
night after filing his description of the dam.
Clark was found just at daylight in bed and
routed out. BY streak of singular good
luck he had at home the proof-sheots of
tle ulrtctory' al tue copy and all the
other printed forms OF which had been de-
stroyed. For a cash payment of s25, with
the promise of S25 more, he was induced to
part with these proofs for twenty four
hours. The reporter then. with the as
sistance CT Clark, was able to determine
exactly the extent and names of the busi-
ness houses that were swept away, and
also form an estimate of the individual
and total losses. With the assistance
Of several attaches of Governor For
aker's and Adjutant- General Axline's
stalls, who were ut JuhnslOwn In the