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The Johnstown flood a thriving city of 30,000 inhabitants and many great industrial establishments nearly wiped from earth . . . : the above narrative is gathered from the accounts of correspondents, eyewitnesses, refugees from the unfortunate district, and other sources, and is a most clear and interesting narrative of this terrible catastrophe

"Many thousands drowned or burned to death ; property worth many millions of dollars destroyed. An avalanche of water sweeps down the Conemaugh Valley destroying everything in its descent. A blockade of wrecks of houses, timber, etc., at the railroad bridge ; miraculous escapes and rescues ; whole f...

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Main Author: Dieck, Herman (Author)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: [Philadelphia : J.C. McCurdy & Co., 1889.]
Subjects:
Floods > Pennsylvania > Johnstown (Cambria County)
Johnstown (Cambria County, Pa.) > Flood, 1889.
Johnstown (Cambria County, Pa.) > History > 19th century.
Pennsylvania > Johnstown (Cambria County).
Online Access:View the full digitized book on Hathitrust.
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Table of Contents:
  • CHAPTER I. Introductory Remarks.
  • A Similar Catastrophe never before Occurred in the United States.
  • The Cause of the Calamity.
  • The Dam of Conemaugh Lake.
  • The Largest Reservoir of the World.
  • Construction of the Unsafe Dam.
  • Ignorance or Carelessness shown in the Construction.
  • Location of Johnstown.
  • Its Industrial Importance.
  • The Lower Towns. CHAPTER II. Difficulties Surmounted by Correspondents in Obtaining Intelligent Information about the Disaster.
  • The First Reports were not Exaggerated.
  • The Facts bear them out, and are Even Worse.
  • Another Account of the Dam that Broke.
  • The Watchman's Views. CHAPTER III. A Graphic Description of the Valley of Death, by a Reporter who was among the First to Enter Johnstown after the Catastrophe.
  • Death Everywhere.
  • A Charnel House Twenty Miles Long.
  • Sixty Acres of Burning Debris.
  • The Loss of Life and Property.
  • What a Reporter of the Public Ledger saw.
  • The Horror of Fire added to that of Water.
  • Bodies along the River Banks.
  • Heartrending Scenes.
  • Ruffianism.
  • Scenes on Stony Bridge.
  • In Johnstown.
  • The Loss of Life. CHAPTER IV. Impossibility of Obtaining a Fair Report of the Actual Losses.
  • A Viat to the Dam that did it.
  • The Water Gates Permanently Closed.
  • It was Built of Dirt and Rubble. CHAPTER V. The Break of the Dam.
  • A Spoiled Sensation.
  • Paul Revere nonest, but many other Cases of Heroism.
  • A Graphic Description of the Disaster.
  • Railroad Employees Escape on a Locomotive.
  • The Masses of Water Arrive at Johnstown.
  • Terrible Destruction.
  • A Once Prosperous City now Nearly Ruined.
  • Johnstown Before and After the Disaster. CHAPTER VI. The Gorge at the Bridge.
  • Description of an Eye Witness.
  • Unheeded Warnings.
  • Breaking of the Boom.
  • Roasted to Death.
  • Heroism and Self-sacrifice.
  • Her Last Message.
  • A Boy's Experience.
  • Miraculous Escape.
  • Refused to Desert Her Children. CHAPTER VII. Remarkable Stories of Escape.
  • A Mother's Efforts to Save Her Children.
  • A Terrible Visitation.
  • A Thrilling Narrative of the Flood.
  • Race between Engine and Flood. CHAPTER VIII. Destruction and Death Everywhere.
  • The Day Express Disaster.
  • The Pennsylvania Railroad's Last Train. CHAPTER IX. After the Flood.
  • A Proclamation by the Governor of Pennsylvania.
  • Conservative Estimate of the Losses.
  • An Appeal for Aid.
  • The Situation of the Conemaugh Valley.
  • What Followed the Break of the Dam. CHAPTER X. Relief for the Afflicted from all Parts of the Globe.
  • Unprecedented Calamity and Grand Charity.
  • Arrival of Relief Trains.
  • Great Energy Shown by the Sufferers. CHAPTER XI. The Orphans of the Flood will be cared for.
  • At the Relief Station.
  • The Grand Army in charge of the Work of Receiving and Dispensing Supplies. CHAPTER XII. Johnstown People Crazed by their Sufferings.
  • Governor Beaver of Pennsylvania Visits Johnstown.
  • General Hastings in Command.
  • Districting the Ruined Area.
  • Several Stores Opened.
  • Latest Estimate of Loss of Life.
  • Passengers Lost from the Day Express. CHAPTER XIII. A New Ray of Hope.
  • Rehabilitation.
  • Merchants to get long Credit.
  • Report of the Transportation Bureau.
  • A Generous Offer made by Philadelphia Bankers: The Relief Committee. CHAPTER XIV. Inundations and Destruction of Life and Property in other parts of Pennsylvania.
  • The Bald Eagle Valley in Centre County.
  • Muncy.
  • The Juniata and the Susquehanna Valley.
  • Lock Haven.
  • Newport.
  • Harrisburg.
  • Renovo.
  • Columbia. McKean County.
  • Sunbury.
  • Bedford. CHAPTER XV. The Flood at Williamsport.
  • Loss of Life and Property.
  • Thirty Persons Drowned.
  • Damages to Buildings and Contents.
  • Millions of feet of Lumber Carried Away.
  • Sufferings Among the People, whose Houses were Destroyed by the Flood.
  • The Bell's Gap Road.
  • Huntingdon County.
  • 300 Houses Destroyed, In the Cumberland Valley.
  • Tyrone. CHAPTER XVI. Disasters and Floods Everywhere.
  • Cumberland.
  • Harper's Ferry.
  • Point of Rocks Inundated, The Potomac Floods.
  • At Washington, D. C. Frederick and Port Deposit, Md.
  • Lancaster and Shamokin Pa.
  • Richmond, Va.
  • Etc. CHAPTER XVII. The Countless Benevolence of the American People.
  • The Clouds are Passing Away.
  • From 5000 to 7000 People Perished during this Calamity.
  • A Retrospect.
  • The Reporters and the Telegraph Operators. CHAPTER XVIII. Back to the Fated Valley.
  • Up at the Mighty Dam.
  • Homes Once More.
  • The Epidemic.
  • The Commission at Hand.
  • A Bank Open.
  • Another Sabbath.
  • The Red Cross Relief. CHAPTER XVIV. Floods of History.
  • In Holland and China.
  • How France has Suffered.

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