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

296 THE STORY OF JOI/XSTi^lVX.
so much distress around him In the morning, stiff and sore from iying upon the hard boards
he arose and sent over to a house that stood upon tlie liill for some breakfast that he had
ordered for himself and companions the nipondents
came up. Without a word the General passed around the viands as far as they woidd go, gettin.g
for his own sliare one small biscuit A numlx-r of strau'^ers came up into the signal office
to Sf'e him durmg tlie forenoon, and he g.ive his advice and judgment trL'el\ to all, togfther with
such food as he could get. How he repeatedly gave up his own dinner or supper to some sufferer
to whom his heart went out in pity, all Johnstown can tell. The world knows of his selfdenial
and his unwearied ser\-ice in the dewasiated region, and what a burst of gratitude ascends
from the Couemaugh \'alley whenever his name is mentioned
'
The State, under tlie comiHteiit iiianageiiuiit of General Hastin'.;s. did
sjilendid wiirk. Tlic iucal aiitln aities t(^ok charj;e on June 10. when MeLean
ilv: Co. put lu'e huiuired men at work. The huL;e log^s along tlie hank of the
river, which ettorts were made to Imrn. had to be blown to pieces and fioatetl
down tilt; Coneijiauj;h. Gangs of workmen were set to clear _\ ards ami allews.
bnrning rubbish that would burn ami hauliiu' dirt olt to low .L;rounds. The last
vestige of the mass of earth and refuse in front of the company store was
carted oil the tlav the State retired, r^o tliat Washington .street was free of
deliris from end to end.
The total exjienditnre b\' the State in clearing up the town was bai-ely
5400,000. work ceasing t'mallv the latter part of Septemln-r. Go\ernor Heaver
could desire no-strcmger vindication of his sagacit\' in retusing to summon the
Legislature than these tigtireb, present. His conimcndablt;^ prudence saveil
the treasurv one or two millions of dollars, a good deal of which, for all the
benefit it v\oukl confer, might as well ha\'e been thrown in the fire. ''He
laughs best who laughs la^t.' antl the Governor of Pennsylvania can afford to
smile at the discomfiture of the advocates of an e.\tra session. Pittsburgh also
expended ^250,000 m clearing" the wreeka.g'e.
Con^^itlerable tal was heard relative to deepening and widening the
stream. Lnit the Srati had no jurisdictRHi and could not umlertake the project.
Iloavw rains on julv 2d washed awa\the temporary bridges and inundated
Cambri.i City, emphasi/;ing the great need of such an improvement as a protection
against fioods in the future. On December 14th the bridges were
again carried oM. Cieneral Hastings advised an application to Congress to
dredge the Conemangh and Stony Creek. The citizens, acting upon the recommendation,
rciinested Samuel I^. Smedlev, chief engineer anil snrvevor of
Philadelphia, to make a careful survey of the creeks.
Mr. Smedliv did so. and
the result of his examination will be fcirwardi.'d to Washington with an appeal
for an apprijpriation. Ina---mnch as Congress made appro[)riatious to relieve
the sntlerers from the Charle'^tou eartlnpiake. the Veli.jw-fever sutterers in
Florida and tor other great calamities, the Johnstown (leople teel sure thev
will receive the assi.^tance they demand. It is estimated that S30(j.ooo will
make the proposed change.