The Johnstown Tragedy

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 4, 25 June 1889, Page 3

The Johnstown Tragedy

♦ Philadelphia, May 31. In order to understand the nature of the calamity it is necessary to describe the location of the rese voir a Johnstown. The reservoir lies about 2£ miles to the north-east of Johnstown, and ia the site of an old reservoir which was one of the feeders of the Pennsylvania canal. This sheet of water was formally known as Co^emaugh lake; it is from 200 to 300 ft above the level of Johnstown in a mountain side, and is about 3J uiiltfß long, and from one mile to 1£ mile in width, and in some places 100 ft depth. It holds more water than any other reservoir, natural or artifical, in the United States. This lake had been quadrupled in size, and was held by a dam 700 to 1000 ft wide. Eecognising the menace the lake held to the region below, the South Fork Club, which owned reservoir had the dam inspected once a month by Pennsylvannian engineers, who reported that nothing but some convulsion of nature would tear the barrier away. Despatches received up to midnight at the office of the Pennsylvanma railroad indicate the situation as hourly growing worse. Landships are reported along the line betweea Harrisburg and Altona. JThe New York (Limited) Eastern train had a narrow escape. Immediately after the train passed over the South Fork bridge, that structure was swept away by tie rushing water. The tracks of Johnstown are entirely destroyed in some plaues. The river for some distance is filled with driftwood 30ft high, -which is on fire, and likely to damage the bridges. Johnstown is literally wiped out of existence. At Braddock, Pa., a boy waß irescued by men in the signal tower of the Eailroad Company, He said that with lus father, mother, brother, and two tasters at Sank Hollow he was swept away. Bie was washed away from the building. The other members of the family were in it when it was swept over the breast of a stone wall. The road bridge at Johnstown capsized a few seconds later, and all were drowned. The railroad operator reported that that they were able to count 119 persons clinging to the buildings. The people of Johnstown had been warned of the impending floods early in tke afternoon, but no per-son-living near the reservoir knew the dam had given way till the great flood swept the houses, off their foundations, and escape was impossible. Eeports from Piedmont, Huntington, Tyrone, Harrisburg, Altona, and Williamsfort state that great damage is -caused by the flood. The destruction at Piedmont ie terrible, and it is estimated the loss will rjach 250,000 dollars. The ■crops .ruined, everywhere. Houses, barns, fences and lumber, are swept awa^V -The tempest raged with terrific violence throughout Indiana', Cambria; "Westmorland, Blair, Huntington, Muffin, Juniata, and Perry counties, carrying away telegraph wires, flooding and washing ©at railroads, and converting mountainsfcreams into raging torrents, carrying; death and devastation along its path.