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

350 THE STORY OF JOUXSTOWX.
flood When we retired on that awfnl Friday ni'4ht we thought of thein as happy and far from
harm, not knowing that before the sun had set they were in Our Fathers home above. I shall
never forget the ne\t moinini,'. June ist, when we first heard the news. Thoui;ii I was tohl that
thousands had betn lost, th.'it 'Wn'i'lvalc. tlieir home, h.id been suept as completely off tlie face
of the earth as if it had never existed. I had hopes that our loved ones were saved. We sent
uiessaj;e after inessaue. but received no answer. We kept up hope, ihinkinu' they could not send
us word because the telegraph wires were down. In a few days others recei\ed comniuuKations.
but not so with us. At last a messa.' passed them by unrecogniicrl. only
for the clothing or something about their persons that would be a clue to their identification.
Without that those we were seeking might have been buried unknown before our eyt-s. and we
not have known it
" I made inquiry and found that Mr Jones, who lived next door to mv sister, was the only
one saved out of his family. He was sick at Morrellville, two miles below Johnstown. Anxii-.i:s
to'hear what he h.ad to say. anii hoping ht: could tell us where to find the Webbers, we started
for Morrellville on foot— no other wa\ to travel then. We reached there in the evening .m.l
found Mr. Jones. He told us that Mr and Mrs. Webber were in the h.iuse w hen thr flood