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

her
l6o Ti^^i-- iiTORV OF JOUXSTOW.W
shouting for help, amid the tremendous noise and cracking of tlie
buildings that were falling to
pieces as then' drifted towards us. To increase the horror, half a mile above us the wire mill
had been running in full blast. The waters coming so suddenly upon it created a steam that
made the air dark, like clouds sweepini; the horizon. .Mumt this time a house struck the one we
were on A young man nau-.ed Feli\ Bard uas on the other side of the window. He and I
jumped to the roof of the one that >truck ours. It knocked the brick walls down and then the
mansard roof fell We stepped o'.er on the llat tin-roof, and commenced our journe\ dou ii towards
the stone bridge. There were thirt\-oight persons on the roof and in the attic of the
mansard of the house. When the brick walls were knocked away the roof floated. Strange
to say, not one of the thirty-eiuht perished. We did not have a long voyage—not more than
two squares 1 he reason was the water seemed to divide. We floated around a \\ hile and settled
down a .[uarter of a mile above the great bridijo. The bridge might ha\e been the means
of doing a great deal of harm, but I think it saved our lives. It was the cause of forminc; an
eddy just where our house and many others landed When the roof of our house stopped most
of the people went into the large brick building owned by General Campbell. Thev made their
way on the debris, got on the roof, and from the observatory into the house.
"After the waters went down I took an opposite direction, and saw Mr. Frazer in the
garret of his own house looking out of the hatch-hole. I went in. His wife and a bov were
there. The little fellow was crying as though his heart werebroken. Mrs Fra^'er was as composed
as if she were sitting in her parlor. I remarked to her that she seemed to be very
resigned- She said she was not in the least alarmed , life was in the hands of her Maker,
and He would take care of her and do what was right. I shall never forget the ladv's peaceful
expression. Mr. Frazer told me to lock out of the window at a brick house and notice if the
waters were receding. They were falling, and presently I got on the roof of another house
Hearing some noise between the houses, 1 -.aw a man's head pop up through the drift. He was
held by two logs artd made every eUort t i c.Ntricate himself. The logs kept rollin" and he
could not get out. I went down to the end of the roof, caught him by the -hand and held him
until help came that I summoned as so.in as I c;)iild .\11 this time I was supported b\ a snowbreak
on the edye of the roof I'inallv we succeeded in landing him safely on the roof. The
stranger wiped the water from his eyes, coughed and spit, drew a long breath, looked up and
said quietly, 'This is a devil of a tlood ain't it '' Praying was more in order than swearing,
but no one resented the remark
"The balance of the evening I was kept busy getting out persons both dead and dvinc.
Into the Club House we took the bodies. I went m the direction of a call for help and found
a woman fastened in the debris, in an upright positi(ju Her head, shoulders and arms v.ere
above the water. I tried to pull her out but could not. Two men came, but still wecouldnot
move her. She begged for God's sake to get her out. Her head fell from one side to the other.
She was too weak to hold it up long at a time. We began taking some of the drift awav, and
found that she v,as in bed. I caui;ht hold of something I thought was bed-clothing and pulled
a dead woman out of the water We laid her on the bank. .\ trunk was standing near and
some one took out a slouch-hat and placed it on my head I had no hat or shoes, and it was
very cold and rainin-.' We tried our ver\- best to •;et the v.omaii out, but could not I was
comp'etely e.\hausted, got sick and had to go. The others stayed and at last broucht the
women ti> the club-house. She soon died.
"I am a mechanic, work at my trade and have three children that are dependent on me.
My wife died two ) ears ago. What clothing and effects we had were lost in the flood I had
nothing after the ilu'>d. but we are very thankful we escaped with our lives."
John StL-ng'LT, dry-griods incrchant cm Main street. Inst his sons, Jnhn. aLTcd
twelve, and Leo, a^^ed three. Five ;,Mrls from Linton's laundry, back of iiis