The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-07-27
8H THE PATIENT HEROINE"
lH OF THE J0HNSTOWN FLOOD.
BY ETHEL NJ. COLs6N. MMSz:zzz


nal terrible, death.dealing, de-
ClL lIJ vastatlng food of May 81,
AOyy, nome could be more inspiring
than that Of Mrs. Hetty Ogle-the
"pa,iont heroine" OF that awful occur
reace, the quietly faithful woman tele-
~rapA operator, who. doing her duty
with heroic fOrtitude and calmness.
stGyed at her post in the face of GER
tain death, seniing the messages that
were to save the lives of others. 1t
IS doubtful, indeed if history records
a brayer action.
The JohnstOwn food was the great
est, most awful water calamity ever
known to humanity. 1t came after
mary and grave warnings. Because
the Gam Of the South Fork Lake had
never yielded, the people of Johnstown
believed that it never would yield.
And yet when a thriving, prosperous
city OF thirty thousand inhabitants had
been reduced 10 horrible. tumbled
heap of evil, !ll.smelling refuse, with
over three Thousand helpless human
creatures hurried into eternity in the
short space of FIVE minutes. there was
scarcely survivor who could not re-
member serious and frequent indica-
tions of danger that duly needed might
have ayert,d this catastrophe. For
several days previous to the breaking
of the dam the low-lying portions of
the city had been submerged beneath
water-eyel fully four feet higher
than had ever before been known so
largely had the steady pouring rain
of an entire week augmented the not
unusual floods.
The city of Johnstown Ito refresh
memories burdened with the varied
accumulatons of fifteen years. was
situated in the narrow, pointed valley
at the foot of the Allegheny Noun
tains. framed in by Stony Creek on
the one hand and the Connemaugh
River on the other. A steep hill and
gentle slope respectively edged the
framing streams South Fork Lake
originally a reservoir constructed by
the State Of Pennsylvania as a feeder
for the old Pennsylvania Canal but
later purchased and enlarged by the
South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club
was between three hundred and four
hundred feet above the highest part
of JohnstOwn, and several miles back
of the city. This lake was three
miles long. from three thousand to
four thousand feet wide, and seventy
feet deep near the dam, that alone
held 1t back from the underlying val
ley. This dam, three hundred feet
wide at the bottom, twenty feet wide
at the top and eight i've feet in
height, had been most sOlidly con-
structed and pronounced absolutely
impregaable by competent engineers.
Generous and seemingly adequate
weirs and slulces had always con-
trolled and relieved the flow and over
flow of water previous to the unwont-
ed aud Irresistible rain torrents of that
awful weeE-
Late in tie afternoon of Friday. May
81. however. Mr.. John G.. Parke, a
young civil engineer OF Plttsburg, who
happened TO be visiting friends at
South Fork Lake, bestowed upon the
dam a casual inspection. and saw with
hortor that it could not long withstand
the force OF the great waves already
dashing over II at intervals, and mo-
nentarlly Increased In number and
volume by the dOwn-rushlng. swollen,
tempestuOus mountain streams that
fed and n!led the basin. When the
arduOus efforts OF n large body OF
hastily summoned workers proved In
adequate to relieve the overtaxed
sluices. Mr.. Parke leaped to the saddle
and dashed away 10 the South Fork
Railway Station. there to telegraph
the terrible news to JOhnstown-help.
less. unsuspectlng, inevitably doomed.
Only by instant flight could It's un-
happy residents hope to escape with
their lives.
To Mrs. Ogle, as manager of the
Western Union Telegraph Office at
JOhnstown, came the dread message.
She must choose-and on the instant
between heroism and desertIon. be.
tween cowardlce and death.
To leave her station at once, to fee
TO the hills for safety-this would
mean her own personal salvation, tbs
salvation OF the beloved daughter
who, always frail and delicate woult
never be able to attain safety unat
tended. even did she consent TO at
tempt flight without her mother. 1
would mean the warning OF the equal
ly beloved sons unsuspectingly at worl
IN the city quite near. But 1t woulC
mean. no less. the desertlon OF hel
post at the time Of most paramount
need and duty; the death OF many
others, who unwarned could have no
slightest chance of escape or prolonged
existence. and who might through hel
own efforts be saved.
That the struggle was as severe al
It was brief can scarcely be doubted
Lfe Is sweet to all. and II must hay'
sesmed especially sweet just then 4
Mrs. ogle. BY no easy path had sh'
won her way to the serene tablelan,
OF comfortable. well-provIded middle
sge that she then confronted. Keer
poverty, early widowhood. the grow
ing cares and responsibilities of tn,
young family that must be supported
delicate health but recently conquere,
--siI these steps had been necessar,