Evening star., 1939-05-28
Local Writer
Remembers
Disaster
Capital Horrifed
By Loss of Lives
50 Years Ago
By John Clagett Proctor.

enth streets and looking like
Venetian canal. is certainly an un-
usual sight to behold, and one that
at least half the people of WASH
ington have never seen. And yet,
such was its condition back in 1889,
just following the Johnstown flood,
when the effects of the deluge that
caused that horrible disaster reached
Washington.
Fifty yeas3 is quite a long while
to remember things that people
might even call worthwhile, and
yet, this Johnstown calamity was of
such national character that the
chances are that those who were
old enough to realize it at the time
still recall its heart-rending and
dreadful results, and will never for
get it as long as they live.
JohnstoWn, Pa, was good-Sized,
thriving manufacturing place at the
time of the disaster, yet it was then
scarcely known outside of the Key
stone State before the flood oc-
CURED, which was primarily due to
the heavy rains Of that year, par
ticularly Immediately preceding the
catastrophe. The direct cause of the
flood was due to the giving away of
the dam across the South Fork, a
branch of the Conemaugh River, p
miles directly east of the city, re-
sulting in the releasing of Cone
maugh Lake, situated about 300 feet
higher than Johnstown. The lake
was about 21a miles long, 11a miles
wide at its greatest width, and in
many places as much as 100 feet
deep. 1t had been quadrupled in
size by artificial means and held in
check by dam 700 to 1000 feet
wide, 80 feet thick at the base, 20
feet at the top and ITO feet in
height. Johnstown, being located in
the irregular and narrow valley
formed by the confluence Of Stony
Greek and the Conemaugh River,
was ideally situated for just such
a disaster as befell 1t on Friday, May
81, 1889.
Gigantic Deluge.
Indeed, it is impossible to COM
prehend what a gigantic bank of
water was suddenly let loose upon
Johnstown and nearby towns with
out taking into consideration the
enormous amount of impounded
water in Conemaugh Lake which it's
dimensions indicate. The sudden
ness allowed little chance for escape
and the roar was bewildering and
maddening. The water soon over
whelmed the town, carrying death
to hundreds and misery to thou
sands. In its write-up of June !,
1889, The Star says:
'It is impossible to describe the
suddenness with which the disaster
came.
"A warning sound was heard at
Conemaugh a few minutes before
the rush of water came, but it was
attributed to some meteorological dis
turbance and no trouble was bor-
roWed because of the thing unseen.
AS the low rumbling noise increased
in volume, however, and. came near
er, a suspicion of danger began to
force itself even upon the bravest,
which was increased to certainty a
few minutes later when with a rush
the mighty stream spread out in
width and when there was no time
to do anything to save themselves
Many of the unfortunates were
whirled into the midst of the stream
before they could turn around; men,
women and children we're strug-
Cling in the water, and it is thought
that many of them never reached
Johnstown, but only a mile or two
below.
Twilight of Terror.
"At JohnstoWn a similar scene
was enacted, only on a much larger
scale. The population is greater
and the sweeping whirlpool rushed
into a denser mass of humanity.
The imagination of the reader can
better depict the spectacle than the
writer can give it. 1t was twilight
of terror and the gathering shade
of evening closed in on a panorama
of horrors that have few parallels
in the history of casualties.
Even the thought of such thing
was madness and the agony of the
struggling, drowning victims found
its response in the bosoms of those
who stood ringing their hands in
helpless horror in view of their
friends. Now and then the waters
would be against one side of the
mountain, and then the other side,
carrying with them their human
freight, and this diversion enabled
those on the bank to rescue many.
1t will be found that on this &C
count many will be returned to their
homes and friends who are now ac-
counted lost. The list of dead is,
therefore, accounted as a matter of
conjecture and will not be definitely
known before tomorrow. Searchers
are out everywhere, from Johnstown
to Blairsville."
Avoidance Possible.
Today, in the Grandview Gene
terry in Johnstown, lie buried 300
unidentified victims of this great
flood, the total loss of life having
been set at 2,235, and the destruc-
ton of property placed at the esti-
mated value of $10,00O,000. All this
could have been avoided, as The
Star related at the time, when il
said:
"The calamity of yesterday was as
singular as it was fatal. 1t is now
very evident that more lives have
been lost because of foolish in
credulity than from ignorance OF
the danger. For more than year
there have been fears of an acci-
dent Of just such character. The
foundations of the dam were con-
sidered to be shaky last spring, ano
many increasing leakages were re-
ported from time to time Accord
ing to people who live in Johnstowr
and other towns IN line of the river
ample time was given to the Johns.
town folks by the railroad official:
and by other gentlemen of standing
and reputation in dozens, yes, hun.
dreds of cases, but this warning wa.
utterly disregarded, and those whe