The story of Johnstown : its early settlement, rise ... - JohnstownCafe

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/nirriLi! up-stairs. The water pursued iheni and in a few moment'^ ^\as up tu
their waists. They got on the root just as a hii^her house lloated aiiaiust
theirs and the\- ciiinhed upon it. Tht;nee they proceeded alon- the roofs
about a square, se\ eral tinier junii>in'.; L;iips sexer.il teet wide, and once throwing
th.e baby across a chasm. The\' spent the ni^lit on a housetop, and were
taken (jiT o\\ Saturday atternoon.
\\". C. Lewis, of the Saxings Bank, his wife and two hid\- friends were on
the second lloor of Ins bricl^ dweUing when the upper .-^ide and rear ]iortiou fell,
takini,' with, it tlic jilatform for tiie st.urwav to the third lloor. The\ searched
for a way to gain that floor, as the water was fast approachin'.;. I'o step on the
lianging stairway appeared to in\ite death liy faUin- into the water running
through the house. Beinu the only mode to get to the third lloor. Air. Lewis
accepted the last cliance and reached the stairwa}' across the ab\ss. It lield.
He assisted his wife and the > oung ladies, and all were soon on the roof of Dr.
Lownian's house. Shortlv what was left of Mr. Lewis' house fell.
Owen Da\is. clerk at the Bahiniore & Oliio station, was bus\- about tin;
The v. ater upset his wuj-k. himself, the freii;ht IniikHng and
Mr. Dax'is came over to Main street quite rapidh'. and was
freight x\arehouse.
the cars in the yard.
taken in at th.e rear of George W. Mo>eN' building. He had been struck a
se\'ere glancing blow tin the head by a heavv timber and was covered with
blood. There were no appliances at hand for stauncliini,'^ the llow. His companions
believed he would die during the night from exiianstion, but he
pulled through.
Mrs. C. O. Luther and her d.au^hter. Mrs. George Galbreath, her son-in-law
and three children were at the Galbreath residence. corner ot ^^larket and Lincoln
streets. Mrs. Galbreath Iiad been conlined two da\ s before, and two of lier
children were in bed with the measles. The famih were on the second floor.
The water forced them against th.e ceding until iiothinL; I'ut their heads was
out of the liquid. The tender of an engine struck the hou>e and split the root
open. This let the inmates out. They scrambled over and lloated on roofs
and debris until they came to the house of Dr. Walters, on \"iue street. The\-
were taken on the roof, which liriated around with tliem for some time. Then
the build.ing settled down and the}' entered the attic through a luuchwav.
There they remained until Saturday e\eninu in their w et cloth in l;. cared for bv
Do. tor Walters and his family. Mr. Lutiier and his children were in safet\- on
the hillside abo\"e Locust street.
Jolin C. Peterson, a small man. ^\ ho lost his clothes ami was given a suit
large enough for a descendant of Anak. in a voice luisk\- with emotion told me
his sad storx" :
" I'm the only one left ! My
poor old mother, my sister. Mrs. .Vnn Walker, and her son David,
aged fourteen, of Bedford countv, who were visiting us. were swept away before m\- eves and I
was powerless to aid them. The water had been rising all da_\ , and alum; in the afternoon