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

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store. l"hii Carr. lltnrv V. Lturritt and (jtiicis \viicsa\Ld in his buildini;, which
was hadh \v rocked.
C. X. L'archw. of Aki.iona. whi- liad been \\-oi-kin- in llu- office of the Johnstown
Daiional tor some time, wrote the a'lventures ot him-eh and his cousm,
II. W. Stt)re\. es,]., and family, at whose house the tlood caii-ht hini :
I was not in inv otlice when the cra.-.h cime, but was several s>|u.ires down town I went
down before o a, m. to help my cousin take his carpet and furniture up-siairs, as had been done
on former occasions when the riverovcrllowcd. The hish Hood struck tis about 4 i 5 v. m. We
ran to the third floor, and the water came to wuhin two feet of where we were. Our house had
moved from its foundation about fifty feet, when it was stooped by a counter current. It held
there until the railroad embankment gave way and the water fell and let us down to the yround.
I don't think I shall ever care about going boating again. The water was about nineteen feet
around us. and we had to remain up there until about ten o'clock the next forenoon, when I
made my wav out from the trap-door on the roof down over other buildings and debris, under
which there was still one to ten feet of water I took a boat at the corner of the Club House
building and rowed to the Pennsylvania railroad station, from which point I succeeded in
reaching Ebensburg at 6 v m. on >aturda\ "
Mr. Moerle and Frank McMulhn were in the HcraiJ oiTice on the second
floor of tlie brick buildin-. corner of Main and Bedford streets. They ran
down the back way and fonnil Mr. Shck attempliiiL; to juit his wife on a horse.
Hclpin';' the lady into the saddle, they started np Mam street towards Green
Hill. Shck concluded to retnrn lor a favorite do- and was never rnore heard
of. The two printers and Mrs. Shck reached the hill in safety, thom^h not before
the pon\- w.as swimniini;- and the men wading np to their necks in water
and drift.
Fort> persons were rescued at the late General Campbell's mansion,
lower end ot Vine street, as the> floated past, by catching ropes thrown to
them. The Cambria Club fb.use was a similar haven of safety to a score of
floaters. The members of the clnb were at dinner, but cheated death by fleeing
to the upper floors and the roof.
Colonel Hi-'-;ins, the manager, was in the
third storv of the building with his family. A man was hurled by the torrent
through the window. He was attended, swooned, and upon inspection was
found^o have a broken leg. The leg was bandaged and the man resuscitated.
When this last act of kindness was accomplished he said famtly :
This ain't so bad been in a t)low-up '"
:
E. B. Entwistle. of tlie Johnson works, rowed to a house near the flaming
a-brisat the bridge, and found a v>oman with a broken aim and a baby. After
she had got into the boat she cried. Come along, grandpap." An old man.
chilled but chipper, jumped up from the other side of
the boat, and ejaculated with imperturbable coolness :
the root, slid down into
Gentlemen, can any 01 you gi\e m.e a chew of tobacco "'"
W. .\. Rose, a prominent attorney, and his famil\- went to the second floor
o£ their house about two o'clock. When the water rushed for the residences