THE JOHNSTOWN DISASTER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5024, 4 June 1889, Page 3

THE JOHNSTOWN DISASTER.

Further Particulars. j Great Floods ail around. i (Pbr Elbotiuo Telegraph— Oopymotfr.) (Per Press association.) (Received 12.40 p.m., June 4th.) New York, June 3. The residents in Johnstown paid no attention to warnings of coming danger, or they might have taken refuge on high ( lands adjacent. While laughing at the idea of danger they were in an instant overwhelmed. Hundreds of houses toppled from their foundations, and floating on the crest of the wave, tho flood dashed them together until they were destroyed, the inmates in rain shrieking for help. Fears have been felt as to the safety of tho reservoir for more than a year. The damage is estimated at 25 million dollars. The towns of Southwark, Mineral Point, Connemaugh, Woodvalo, Combriaty, Murrelvillo and Sheridan were so completely destroyed that scarcely a building is left standing, and most of the residents were drowned. For 12 miles round Johnstown every town, village, railway and telegraph line, mill, and house, has simply been swept out of existence. Two thousand coflins have'been sent to Johnstown. The floods in Conne maugh Valley are now receding, and tho weather is clearing. In other parts of the country serious have occurred. Every river’draining from the AHoghamies is a raging torrent, and many collieries have been swamped. A railway bridge over tho Potoaiac at Harper’s Ferry was only saved by loading it with locomotives, Washington and Richmond were both overflowed, and the bridges at Peterstrugh, (? Pittsburgh) and Appomatox, were all washed away. Relief is being energetically organised for tho stricken districts. Two trains on a Pennsylvanian railroad were washed away, and everyone on board drowned. Johnstown was piled up high with debris, to which the people flocked for refuge from the rrging waters. By some means it caught fire and every minute floating houses crowded with people were dashed by the torrent into the flames to add victims to the holocaust. Tho railway ofliciala compute that fully 1500 poor wretches were roasted to death.