Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-05-17

tragedleS-the most Famous the cFup-
ton which destroyed the cities of
Pompeii n H"erculaneum. Vesuvius has
had many eruptions since. For several
centuries there were no disturbances.
The natives forgot that a volcano ex-
listed. Vesuvius to them was little more
h a a tradition. once more the vines
covered the crater and the sides OF the
hills were covered with vineyards.
But December 16, 1881, the volcano
burst forth suddenly n unexpectedly.
1t continued until February, 1882. There
was a tremendous flow OF lave, mingled
with water, resulting from the melt
ing Of the snow and mud. Tore An
nunziata, Tore del Greco, Resina and
Portia were almost wholly destroyed,
and it is estimated that Is, 900 persons
lost their lives. There was another
eruption in 1900, but only ashes and
steam, which formed mud torrents
came forth.
There have been half dozen eruptions
since, but no great loss Of life.
Threo Great Disasters.
The Johnston flood, the St. Louis
cyclone n the Galveston disaster
have thus far stood as the three great
est tragedies wrought in this country
by the elements during the last twenty
five years. Not even the Chicago fire,
with all it's vast losses and prolonged
agonies of fear, suffering and death,
WAS comparable to the devastation
wrought In Galveston on September s,
1900, when a tidal wave, driven by a
hurricane from the Gulf Of Mexico and
dashed into incredible fury by a tor
nado racing at the speed of eighty miles
an hour. first obliterated the city Of
Galveston and then drowned more
than 5000 Of its people.
1t was $40 in the afternoon az that
fateful Saturday when the last hint of
an impending catastrophe was sent to
the outside from threatened Galveston.
The wind was then blowing off the gulf
at the rate Of forty miles an hour. A
cloudburst had prevailed for nearly we
hours. The streets were hip high with
water, the sea was laundering shore
ward. and the sky was a livid green.
Next came the story OF a hurricane,
the IKE of which has never been
equaled In the worlds history of hor-
rors. 1t was nearly 5 o'clock in the
evening when the storm rose to its SUI
preme fury. Mountainous waves rose
in the otiing, and, hurled forward by
the fierce rushes OF wind, swept down
upon the low-lying city till stanCh
buildings Of steel and stone were
leveled and the inhabitants, driven
from their frail homes, went adrift in
the dark, clinging to floating debris,
fa!nting with fright, drowning like rats.
Ships Driven Inland Ter MiIes.
Proud ships that had ridden many a
storm at anchor We're driven inland for
more than three miles on the crests of
tremendous pillows. Trains loaded with
heavy freight were swept miles from
their stations, and for a radius Of 100
miles, north, south and west of the
doomed city, the driving sea and the
Irresistible wind had leycled or drowned
everything.
1t was days before the full details Of
this calamity reached the outside
world. Relief trains that started for
Galveston from the interior were met
in the plains by waves from the sea
and driven back we days after the tor
made a spent It's greatest fury. Day
by day, as newspaper correspondents
reached the scene Of the disaster, and
TIE wretched survivors regained cour-
age, the list Of dead and the count of
losses increased. 1t was one of the few
instances in which the first gucsses Of
death and devastation had not been ex-
~aggerated. From first estimates Of
/, 900 dead the death roll grew to 1000,
5000, 1900, 5000, and the estimates of
IL ASSN y INV IN 4 VI
millions.
Johnstown Horror.
The great flood which swept away
~Johnstown, Pa, May 81, 1889, was the
most disastrous to life that ever oC-
Cured in the United States up to that
time. In the rush OF waters 2,1I2 lives
were lost of these Ills were found and
identified, but 636 bodies that were
found went to the grave unidentified.
Added TO the agony of the disaster no
traces were ever found by relatives and
friends of $40 persons that were known
to have beer In the track of the waters
and are supposed to have been carried
down the valley and buried under the
debris or to have persisted In the fear
full fire which broke out.
Ninety-nine entire families were lost,
124 women were made widows and 965
children orphans or half orphans. The
loss of property was estimated at So
c74,105.
The breaking of an immense dam
which held in check the waters OF
~ConcmaUgh Lake, two and a half miles
long by a mile and a half wide, en-
quilted the city without warning.
This enormous reservoir was eighteen
miles distant from Johnstown up the
Conemaugh river valley at an altitude
of 275 feet above the city. The river
had been rising for several days under
incessant rains. until the lake poured
over the dam, I'm threatening volume
and word had been repeatedly sent TO
the people in the valley below that the
dam might break at n moment and
they were warned TO seek safety in
flight.
Came Without Warning.
Disaster had passed them by often
before. however, when the waters had
been high, and the people had been
lulled into such sense of security that
they paid little heed to the warnings.