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

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THREE Tiro USA .\1>
PERSOXS PEK/S//.
affordfd to reach the ptreets. which the excessive rains si\liiner>;ed in the mornini:.
Residents oi the lower L;rounds liad lieen dri\en in the forenoon to the ir
upper floors or to the houses cit friends on hi'^her site's, W'arnint; then; u.is
none, except tlie lilowiir^' of a whistle, tJie momentary tolling' of a bell, and
the din of the tumultuous crash. The whistle and the hell were hushed fore\ rr
ere their tchoes died awaw Pure fabrications are the tales of horsemen
riding along the streets and shouting to the people U) fl\. There was no
opporttuiit\' for such an achievement. All forenoon wagons and boats had
been hauling the occupants from the houses on low grounds, in many of which
the water ascended nearl\- to the ceiling hours before the dam let go. Stmiy
Creek for a time rose eighteen inches an hour, breaking the record, and Conemaugh
Creek \^as not mucl; slower. Some families mo\ed out : numbers set
their furniture on the second rloov. remaining with it; others securi'd their
effects as best the\- could ami deserted them, leaving in carriages, on horseback
or by rafts fcjr places deemed safe. Great risks were incurred in rescuing these
people from their unpleasant predicament, one instance resulting fatall\.
Joseph Ross, driver for Straxer's planing mill, \vas riding a mule in assisting
to extricate persons shut in liy the freshet. i
The animal walked o\ er the foundation
wall of the Cambria Iron Conipan\''s new
store-building, which the
flood had covered,
and fell into the excavation for the
cellar. T\\o men on horseliack saw the
accident, but were unaliie to save the
drowning man, whom a widow and five
children survived. The mule swam to
dry land. This shows the folly of the
report that daring fellows rode through
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the streets of Johnstown shouting that
the dam had liurst and calling on the =^''-~l^X'~-Zr^, i^ .'.' \~' — -v''^^
people to flee. The only riders were a
bevy of sportive \ouths who wished to
see how the town looked muier w ater and
did not minci a wetting, should their
horses have to swim occasionally.
The bridge at Poplar street started
down Ston\' Creek at eleven o'clock, followed
shortlv In" the one at Cambria.
THE HULEE-:kT house on FRIDAY FORh
By noon Main, Washington. Franklin. Locust. Clinton, Bedford and the streets
above were submerged from tN\o to liglit feet. At three o'clock tlie town settled
down to make the best of a dreary situation.
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Night was approaching, the
electric plant and the gas works were deluged, and the prospect was glooni}' a~