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

The
PATHETIC SCF.Xi:s AX.n /.\'( 7/V;.\'7:-
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tlic lolinstown schonk. The furmer was bi-tictlRil to William Oclur, of
Philadelphia, a worthy yoiin^ man wlio tra\cK for a wliolcsali' firm.
The triu;
lover sot out for Johnstown imnu'diatcly upon lu'arin^' of tlio disaster, cumin;,'
to Harrislnirg. Thence he went to ChamherslmrL;. hopin',;^ tc^ yet thrc)iiL;h by
the Baltimore il' Ohio road. Tra\ el was cut olf and he walk'ed across the
Cfnintry. .\rriving at Johnstown on Taesda\- nic«rnini;. the second l>cid\ he
saw in the Fourtii-ward sch.oold)nildin,L; was Miss Diehl's. Near her was Miss
Wells, an intimate friend, whose home was inaccessible. Mr. Orhcr hai.1 the
two girls jnit in coffins and carried to tlie track cif the Ilaltlninre t*v; Ohio railroad.
They hail to lie in the ditch by the siile of the rails, where the mourning
lo\er kept constant vigil for fi\e hours, until a train would st.irt for Rnckwood.
The tedious j(-iurney to Shippeiisburg with the two bodies ended on
Wednesday afternoon. A crowd aw.aited the arri\-al (j1 the remains at Shippensburg.
and the interni(.'nt took place on Tlinrsdu\- from the home of Miss
Diehl's parents. Mr. Ocher's de\oti(^n e\-nked the warmest trilnites of praise.
It was a toiu hing siglit to see him sitting Ix-sidc the coffins, guarding them as
a trust\ Sentinel would w.itch the costliest treasure-, committed to his care.
A battered trunk on Main street, half the lid broken off, contained some
photographs and a dozen love letters, each si_;ned •YcMir O'a ii Mary." Who
sent or who recei\'ed the Inissi^•es could not In- iletermined. as nom^ bore a lull
naine or aildress. On the w.ill of one building floated from ICist Conemaugh
hung a few photographs, dumb tokens of aftectionate regard that
touched ,1 gentle chord in the beh.olders.
-A young bride was liorne to the gra\'e on the last Siinda\- in Jiil\- under
circumstances especially distressing. Se\eral membt-rs of her fatluT's famih'
perisb.ed in the t1ood. '.\hich swrpt off all their propert\ .
lover to whom
this girl had plighted her troth asked that the marriage ceriinoin be performed.
He' wished to be with the household and ilo what he could for its
support. A solemn weclding tok place, but the bride did not recox'er her
spirits. The shock to her delicate system was lie\(ind mortal help and she
became weaker day liy day. .\ slow fever set in, which ended fatalh'. Th.e
gejitle sufferer ne\"er complained. ret;retting only the grief her departure would
cause the loved ones whose efforts to prolcing a life so dear were unavailing.
Thus (.lieci Mrs. John H. 1 honipson. one of the heart-broken \ictims of the
dreadful calamity that o\erwhe!meii the C'oneni,inL;h Walk.'W Is it am- wonder
that manly brows are seamed and loving hearts withered b\' corroding, cankering
grief
An esteemeii resident of Johnstown was the \(.-nerable Judge I'otts.
fifty years ayo he went to the little '.'illage rm tlu Conem.aii'^h. a place then of
small pretensions and sp.arse population. The \-oum; str;in-er [iracticeti law,
filled nian\' offices of trust and respcmsibilitx' as the \"e,ars rolled b\', and was
long a li/adiug citi/en. Hi.- occupii.d a prett\' home, with nice L^rouiuis, tfowers,
Just