Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-15
rormer Chief Of Police Who Lost
His Family in Disaster a
Visitor Here.
CALLS UPON CHIEF T. D. PITT
c.ov Haired Veteran Tells WIN Tears
In His Eyes of Incidents Oh
Awful Calamity.

r. ~ the most interesting visitors
o,,ca department of Salt Lake city
~, had in decade was In the person
H ov-Chief of Police John 7. Harris
Iobnstown, Penn, who called upon
- Of Police Tom ID. Pitt Thursday,
d "a ,rent that day and yesterday look
Il ,,s over the city. He left last even
.9 for Los Angeles. The ex-chiei
n pleasure trip and declared
A., his brief stay in this city was a
n ost nleasant one, and one he will
n cherish as long as he lives.
81 Az Harris Is n veteran and his gray
4 hair mutely testifies to a long and
..,,va life. and some narrowing or
s.aIs most notable of which was his
,eyrible experience during the great
Jamestown flood 10 years ago last May,
when between 5000 and 5000 lives were
IN this flood Chief Harris lost his wife
and five children, and by the merest
chance managed to save himself and
one son. His home was swept away
and when the flood waters rushed down
upon the inhabitants, lives were
snlIfted out in the twinkling of an eye.
Ne never saw his loved ones again.
For hours he was in the water, one of
his hands caught in wreckage, but he
finally escaped with his life and saved
NE life of his son after many hours
IN the water and near the flames.
Yesterday afternoon he told Chief
Pitt. and a few friends, of some OF his
experiences before and during the flood.
While recounting his pathetic story, at
times his hands shook and his eyes
were dimmed with tears at the rec
election of wife and children who had
been carried away in that awful flood.
When he did not think of them, for a
moment, the faces and voices Of dear
friends would harken back from the
long ago. and more than once he
choked back the something that arose
In his throat.
"As long as 1 live L shall never for
get the frightful scenes j was forced
TO witness during the food" said he.
STORY OF THE FLOOD.
Festivities were going on at the
time in Johnstown and people had
come from all over the surrounding
country to participate In the same. For
days It r5lined persistently and the
river became choked. But few of the
people made an effort to get away I'M
I'll after 1t was too late. The trains
were stopped because of the water
soaked roadbeds. | remember one
train trying to get out but failed.
Some of the passengers, about 300
was told at the time, remained on the
train, while others made their way to
the hills The latter escaped but the
Unfortunate people on the train were
Kept away. Scores of engines and
nD We're lost and some of them were
Fhrer found.
Houses and their occupants were
swept away and much of the debris
damned against the bridge. This
caught FIRE probably from gas and
hundreds were hurled into this hor-
-ihle lake of fire.
DEATH OF HERO.
In speaking briefly of his own fer
flhle loss. Chief Harris said he does
not know how he got out alive. He
sald that after portion OF the town
mad been flooded he was down AT
per ana saw a man trying to ride a
mule 10 point where number of
people We're floating on the wreck
age Chief Harris called to the man
70 come back, but the heroic stranger
lance and then attempted to return.
inc mule got out all right, but the
man was never seen again. This was
Just before the bridge was torn loose
and everything swept before the rush
ing waters.
Just at this time. Chief Harris made
his way to his home. His family.
OF a wife and six children.
we're all in the house, a frame struc-
lure' Chief Harris. cold and wet from
hours of labor in the water. went into
room in the upstairs of the house
10 change his underwear. He had
scarcely put on dry clothing when the
mouse was torn from its foundation
and dashed, with others. down with
\ ne mad waters. Articles in the room
were thrown hither and thither, and
',lr Harris found himself held fast
10y one arm which had caught under
the Wreckage. In vain he tried to
pree himself, and finally he tore des-
perately with the other hand at the
1 nlhgles on the roof. He managed 10
loosen some Of them. and crawled to
'He roof OF the house. Then no heard
iaint cry coming from the room he
PAD Just left. Creeping 10 the hole
ne had torn In the roof. he saw his
8lh, the only member of the family
rh9 WAS not killed. He managed to
tsslst me youth to the roof of the
Iplse and they spent hours drifting
,rough tho black waters in darkness.
:lr' Harris said he was unconscious
'oF long time, but II seems that 9TH