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

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64 THE S 7V )KY ( V' /( V/A'.V TO 1 1 X.
pliore as his liousc went whirling' jiast, fell twcnty-fi\c feet uptm a pile of metal
and escaped with a luoken le-. Anothrr came all ilieway Imm I'ranklin.
circled around with tlie hack-water and finally land;.'d on. the llats near the
corner of Alain and Market streets.
Tlionias Alai^te. cashier of the Canihrui Iron Company's store, described
the manner in which he and his fellow -eierks escaped trom the water, saved
the money-drawers and rescued nineteen jieople :
"It was 4.15 o'clock whfii the flood struck our buildirif; with a crash. It seemed lo pour
in from cverv door and window on all :aidc^, as well as from the floors above us. I was standing
In- the safe, which \vas open, and snatched the tin box containing; over SiJ.ooo in cash, and
with other clerks at niv heels flew up tl'.e st.iirs to the second floor. In about three minutes we
were up to our waists in water, and started to climb to tlie third floor of the biiildinK Here we
remained with the monev until Saturday morninij, when we were taken out in boats. Besides
myself there were in the buildins Michael Maley, Frank Balsinger, Chris Mintzmeyer. Joseph
Berlin and Frank Bur.ger, all of whom escaped. .-Ml Friday night and Saturday morning we
divided our time between guarding the money, providing for our own safety and rescuing people.
One man, in trying to jump, fell into the water and was saved only by the greatest exertion
and his own skillful swimmin-,;. We threw out ropes and gathered logs and timbers together until
we had enough to make a raft, which %ve bound together with ropes and used in rescuing people.
During the night we rescued Henry Weaver, his wife, and two children ; Captain Carswell,
wife and three children, and three servant girls ; Patrick Ravel, wife and one child ; A. M.
Dubbins and two others whose names I have forgotten. Besides this we cut large pieces of
canvas and oilcloth and wrapped it around bread and meat and otiier eatables and threw it or
floated it out to those wh.o went by oa housetops, rafts, etc we could not rescue without
,
getting our raft in the drift and capsi/im;. We must have fed one huijdred people in this
way alone. The money we guarded until Monday night."
James B. O'Connor and John Knult were on \\'ashinL;ton street, noticed
the water be.uinning to rise and r.ui into Lamberd's saloon. The watLr broke
open the door ami flooded the tlnnr. .\11 hastened to the roof. O'Connor
and Ivnuff iloated away on the kitchen, lamling against I >r. .\ndrew Yeaffley's
house. The end cif the biiildini; fell in and tlie\- climbed upon the roof (jf the
adjoinin;.; residence. Dr. B. L. Yea,gle\'s. Thence the\' contrixed to ;^'et to the
Beanth' building, after a se\ere struggle in the water. A lari;e number of
men and women htid .gathered w ho spent the night hudiUed together, sulfering;
severeh' from the cold. Ma;i\' of them had scarcely any clothing. Of the
thirteen persons who took refuge in Lamberd's place, only one— Miss Joanna
Lamberd—was diowned. Her sister and mhers of the party were rescued at
Alma Hall, and some got out at Dr. L(.iwinan's. ]\Ir. Kmill lost his gold watch
and a roll of bills.
Frank Benford'sdun mare w-as standing' in the alley between the Ilulbert
House an(-l John Ifornick's hotel. Parties on top of the f'Vitz House saw her
submerged ami buildings passing over her. To tlie surjirise (.if ail she xvas
found on Saturila}' morning in ti'.e mire and wrecl: that tilled the cellar, with
no injur\- but the blinding of botii e\es. Such an escape no other horse ever
had since the chus of Bucephaltis.