The Atlanta constitution., 1894-05-21
,JOHNSTOWN AGAIN.
HEAVY RAINS SWEEP EVERYTHING
IN PENNSYLVANIA VALLEY.
COnemagh River Leaxes Its Banks aud Soon
the Water is Three -Four Feet Deep
in JohnstOwn's Streets.

w A'iiS Io-- w ieii eHS AA0A
rors of the disastrous food of 1Ss9-that
which spread death and destruction
throughout this valley-brought back to
memory by the threatened danger OF a
sweep of water that promises to be as
great that of five years ago. The people
of this city and all through the West
branch valley are in a state of panic that
has turned the usually quiet Sunday into
one of remarkable excitement.
Since Friday night a steady and almost
continuous downpour of rain has been
swelling all of the streams and late last
night numerous cloudbursts along the Pine
creek and other tributaries of the West
branch of the Susquehanna have made 1t
impossible to confine the water within the
banks of the streams. 1t has, therefore,
spread out over the country and with every
point is pouring into the main river
Throughout the day the rain has 1alleh
here and continues to fall tonSht- AL
vices from all points up the river say the
same conditions exist. n cloudburst at
keating, twenty miles above RenoVo' carry
this morning, raised the river there twenty
feet and the rivew at Remove Is reporteu
higher than in the flood of 1882 wneh nan
the town under water
Above there and extending 20 the head
waters at CIearfieId every town and
hamlet has been reduced by water 10 'he
conditions that prevailed in 1889. Along the
Philadelphia and Erie railroad. between TINS
point and Emporium, traffic has been prac-
tically suspended since last night. trains
are running between WilllamSport anu
I.ockhaven but above the latter point
landsides and track washouts have pracu-
lis
will be very heavy.
Rarid Rise of the Rivers.
The Susquehanna here flows to the south
Of the cily and while it has not reached
The. point of danger, it is crawling up at
3 the rate OF a foot an hour. Graffus Kun a
tributary which enpties into the river De-
NV the city. flows north of Willlamsport.
overfYowed it's banks and spread over a
siderable portion of the city at about
TODAY. flooding many houses and driv-
ne occupants frcm their homes. All
houses were occupied by poor people
oa rise was so sudden that the suf-
frs lost much of their personal property
The full strength of the flood is expected
here at about y o'clock tonight, when the
great body of water from up the river is
due.
The fact that the water will rush down
upon the city in the dark hours OF the
night adds an additional element of horror
70 the situation The rush Of water that
swept 50 much away in 1889 came at day
light and the work OF rescuinS the people
could be better prepared than after dark
In anticipation, however, of what is eX-
pected the fire and church bells of the city
we're rlug at 10 o'clock this r1OrninG to
notify the people of the impending danger,
s'rs -'nca that hour the work of preparing
for the worst has been III ,-.-er--~ In the
hundreds of homes that were submerged
five years ago the people are moving out
and storing their goods in the houses Of
those living on the highlands. The business
part of the city was a complete wreck five
years ago and hundreds of merchants are
moving their stock to places of safety.
Moving Their Goods.
Conveyances Of every description are
hurryins through the streets of the city
j with household goods and merchan-
and the scene beggars description
lie regular church services were all
pended today and in all of the houses of
,rship those who attended confined their
.voton to the offering up of prayer for
ne assistance of providence in the present
grave emergency.
Darkness has settled over the city and the
rain, which has been falling all day, is still
coming down in torrents. The liver is
coming up rapidly and is now twclty-one
feet above the low water mark. 1t will
overflow its banks within an hour, and as
the certainty of great destruction of prop
erty grows more apparent the general in
terest Increases. The banks Oh the river
and the bridges are lined with thousands
Of people watching the rise Of the water
and those who did not move during the day
are now hurrying their belongings and
families TO places of safety.
Lumber Eoun,s Break.
Four miles Of the track Of the Glen Union
Lumber Company have been swept away.
The boom" at Lockhaven has broken and
I50Gl000 feec Of logs have been lost. The
upper Linden boom also broke at $3.50
O'Clock this afternoon. 1t contained 19,000,
0o5 feet of logs and they have gone down.
There are about 15,00O000 feet OF logs in the
main boom ana half many more in the
city millponds that may go twenty-five
foot flood President L. r. Payne and
Boom Boss Rnehart have made the boom
here as secure as possible. President Payne
states that all indications point to a
iwenty-tive-foot flood here, which VIII.
reach it's height about Il or y o'clock to-
night. Elias Deemer and other experienced
Iumuernen agree with this forecast. In
this event the city, far north as Market
square. embracing the main business sec
ton, Will be flooded.
Williamsport, Pa, May 21-At / o'clock
this morning the great boom, with its mill
lions OF dollars worth of uncut lumber gave
way and Williamsport VIII awaken at
daybreak TO a sense Of great financial dis
aster. The river is twenty-five feet high.
Fleeing for Their Lives.
2:S1 a m.-The mountain streams have
sweIled the little Conemaugh river out of
all proportion. ~ this hour the whistles
are blowing to warn the people that they
should look to their safety. Women and
children led half-drcssed to the high
ground. The water is rising rapidly and is
now two and q half feet deep in front of
the Western Union office, and rising rap
idly. Fears are entertained that the Lincoln
bridge will so as the rushing water batters
passing logs and debris against it with
awful force.
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