Newspaper Page Text
1 the morning news, 1
. EsTAßLisHin 1850. Incorporated 1888. V
) J. H. ESTILL, President. j
DEATH'S _WILD BAH
Fully 8,000 Lira Lost by
tlie Bursting of the Dam.
The People Forewarned but too
Skeptical to Flee,
Fear* for a Year That the Structure
Would Give Way if Subjected to an
Unusual Strain—One Hundred Per
sons Roasted Alive on Houses That
Caught Fire While Floating Down
With the Torrent—A. Train Swept
Away With Its Passengers.
Greensburo, Pa., June I.—The reser
voir, the bursting ot which created such
havoc at Johnstown, was formerly known
as Conemaugh Lake. It is from 200 to 800
feet above the level of Johnstown, being in
the mountains. It is about three and a
half miles long and from a mile to one and
a quarter miles in width and in some places
it is 100 feet in depth. It holds more water
than any other reservoir, natural or arti
ficial, in the U ited States. The lake has
been quadrupled in size by artificial means
and was held in check by a dam from 700
to 1,000 feet wide. It is 90 feet in thick
ness at the base and its hight is 110 feet. The
top has a breadth of over 20 feet. Recog.
niziug fie men ce which the lake had to
the region below, the South Fork Club had
the dam inspected once & month by the
Pennsylvania railroad’s engine -rs, and their
investigation showed that nothing less than
some convulsion of nature would tear the
barrier away. The steady rains of the past
forty-eight hours increased the volume of
water iu all the small mountain streams,
which were already swollen by lesser rains
earlier in the week.
A CLOUDBURST.
From the best information obtainable it
is evident that something iu the nature of a
cloudburst must have been the culmination
of t e struggle of ther wator against the
embankment. The course of the torrent
from the broken dam at tbe foot of the lake
at Johnstown is almost eighteen miles, and
with the exception of one point, the water
passed through a narrow “V” shaped val
ley. Four miles bolow the dam lay
the town of South Fork, where tiro
S"Uth Fork itself empties into Conemaugh
river. The town contained about 2,000 in
habitants. F. ur miles further down on the
Conemaugh river, which runs parallel with
the main line of the Pennsylvania railroad,
was the town of Mineral Point. It had 890
inhabitants, 90 per cent, of the houses being
on a flat, and clo-e to the river. Six miles
farther down was the town of Conemaugh,
and hero alone was there a topographical
possibility of the spreading of the flood and
the breaking of its force. This town con
tained 2,500 inhabitants.
Woodvale, wit! i 2,000 people, lay a mile
below Conemaugh in a flat, and one mile
farther down were Johnstown and its clus
ter of Riser towns, Cambria City and
Conemaughborougn, with a total popula
tion of 30,000. On made ground, and
stretched along the right at the river verge,
were tbe immense iron works of the Cam
bra iron and Steel Company, who have
85,000,000 invested in their plant. Besides
this there are many other large industrial
establishments on the bauk ot the river.
WARNINGS UNHEEDED.
The calamity was as si gular as fatal.
It is very evident that many lives have
been lost by tne foolish incredulity of the
people, who wera heedless of the warnings
of danger. For more than a year there
w,>r fears of an accident of just such a
character as the one that has happened.
Tne foundations of the dam were
considered to bo shaky early last
spring, and many increasing leakages
were reported from time to, time according
tj people who Jive in Johnstown and other
towns on the line of thejriver. Ample time
was given to the Johnstown folks by t o
raiir ad officials and by other gentleman of
standing and reputation. In dozens, yes
hundreds of cases this warning was utterly
disregarded ad those who heeded it
Berly in the day were looked upon as
cowards, and many jeers were uttered by
lips that are now cold among the rank
gr :ss beside the river. One poor nameless
woman who looked with sightless eyes at
gray clouds from the slimy bauk of a
meadow below New Flo eaee wore a smile
that perhaps had i.g birth in that spirit of
‘Whose afraid!” which has had sucu awful
results.
A BITTER FEELING.
There has grown up a bitter feeling
among the surviving sufT -rers against those
who ow ned the lake and dam, and damage
suits will he plentiful by and by. The dams
hi Stony creek above Johnstown broke
about noou yesterday, and thousands of
feet of lumber passed down the stream.
"How cm, anybody tell bow many are
□end?’’ said a railroad engineer to me this
morning. "I have been at Sang Hollow
with my train since 11 o’clock yesterday
and 1 have seen fully 500 persons lost in the
flood.”
fo W. Esch, a brave railroad employe,
•aved sixteen lives at Ninevah.
A HUNDRED ROASTED ALIVE.
The most awful culmination of the awful
mght was the roasting of 100 or more per
sons in mid-flood. The ruins of houses, out
buildings and other structures swept
against the new railroad bridge at Johns
town, and from an overturned stove or
some such cause the upoer part of the
wreckage caught Are. There were crowds
01 men. women and childrsi
on the wreckage, and their screams were
•oon aided to the awful chorus of the hor-
H° r ‘n wers literally roas ed in the
hood. Soon after the fire burned itself out
others were thrown against the mass. There
Wer ® fifty people in sight when the ruins
suddenly parted and broke uo, and the un
fortunates were swept under the bridge
into the pitchy darkness. The latest news
from John,town is that but two houses can
be seen in the town. It is also said that
Only three houses remain in Cambria City.
CARS CARRIED AWAY.
The first section of the day express, which
passed here at 9 o’clock, was lying botwee i
®bng Hollow and Johnstown yesterdsy
afternoon when the water came down. The
nood cut part of the cars, containing about
nr J or sixty passengers, loose, and they
were carried away, and it is supposed the
passengers have perished. A few of tbe
occupants of the other cars may have
escaped, but it is doubtful.
Alexander Kilgore, formerly of this
place and who has a great many relatives
m this section, was lost in tbe flood. Rev.
H agner, wife and three daughters, who
were at Johnstown, perished, and a son and
uaughtar of Jesse Pader, of this place, were
drowned. A. J. Jackson, a Westaru
man lineman stationed at Derry, was
found drowned this evening.
JMflfniitg ffrtog.
FULLY 8,000 HAVE PERISHED.
Sang Hollow, Pa., June 2, 1 a. m.—The
first reports of thel< ss of life were entirely
too low. It is believed that fully 8,000
persons have perished. Of these at least
iOO or 800 were burue 1 in the fiery furnaoe
at the viaduct. Two thousand coffi isirave
been ordered for bodies already rescued.
BREAKING OF THE DAY.
Corpses and Burvlvors Coming Ashore
at New Florence.
New Florence, Pa., June 1, 9 a. m.—
The gray morning light does not seem to
show either hope or mitigation of the aw
ful fears of night. We are where we
drove acr s> tie mountains in the darkness
of the early morning at New Florence,
fourteen miles from the scene of desolation
at Johns! urn, It has been a bard night to
everybody. The weary, overworked news
paper men, who have beenjwithout rest and
food since yesterday noon, aud the opera
tors who have handled tne messages, are
even now preparing for the work of
the day. There has been a long wrangle
over the posses ion of the special train f r
the press between rival morning news
paper men, aud it has delayed the work of
others who are anxious to get further east.
SEVEN BODIES FOUND.*
Even here, so far from the washed out
towns, the horror is in our midst. Seven
bodies have been found on the shore near
this town, two being in a tree, a man and a
woman, where the tide had carrie i them.
The country people are c iming into the
news centers iu large numbers, telling
stories of disasters along the river’s banks
in seciuded places.
John McCartney, a carpenter, who
lives in Johnstown, reached hero
about 4 o'clock this mor ling. He
left Johnstown at 4:30 o’clock
yesterday afternoon and says the scene
when he left was indescrible. The people
had been warned early in the moaning to
move to the highlands, but they did not heed
the warning, although it was repeated a
number of times up to 1 o’clock, when the
waters poured into Cinder streetseveral feet
deep.
WRECKING OF THE HOUSES.
Then the bouses began rocking to and
fro, and finally the force of the current car
ried buildings across streets aud vacant lots
and dashed them against each other, break
ing them into fragments. The i.uildin s
were freighted with the poor wretches who
so shortly before had laughed at the
cry of dauger. McCartney says in
some cases ue'counted as many as fifteen
people clinging to buildings McCartney’s
wife was with him. She had three sisters
who lived near. They saw the house in
which these girls live! carried away and
then they could stand it no longer. So they
hurried away. The husband feared his
wite would go crazy before he could drag
her away, and they left the ■ doomed
district aud went inland along the coun
try roads until they reached here.
IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH JOHNSTOWN.
It is said to be next to impossible to get
to Johnstown proper to-day in any manner
except by a row boat. The roads are out
up so that even the e mntrymeir refuse to
travel over them in their roughest vehicles.
The only Pope is to get within about three
miles of Johnstown by special train or by
hand car. This will be done by the Asso
ciated Press agent wit dn the next hour.
The waters are now receding here as rap
idly as they rose last night,and as the banks
uncover the dead are showing up. Already
niuedead bodies have been picked up witu
in the limits of this bor ugh since daylight.
None of them has yet been recognized.
Five of those found are women.
A CORPSE CLASPING A BABE.
One lad , probably 35 years old, and
rather handsome, had clasped in her arms
a babe about 6 months old. The dead body
of a young woman was discovered in the
branches of a huge tree which had bee
carried down the stream. All the orchard
crops and shrubbery along the banks of the
river have been destroyed. The body of
another woman has just been discovered ii
the river here. Her foot was diso were i
above the surface of the water. A rope
was fastened about it and it is now tied to a
tree awaiting assistance to land it.
SAVED FROM A ROOF.
John L. Wvbe • and his wife, an old
couple, Mike Metzgir a id John Forney wera
rescued near here early this morning. They
had been carried from their home in Cam
bria City on the roof of their house. There
were seven others on the roof of the house
when it was carried off by the angry waters.
Thev were all drowned. They are unknown
to Weber, they having drifts 1 on to ths
roof from floating debris. Weber and his
wife were thoroughly and enclied, and were
almost helpless from exposure. Tney were
unable to walk whe taken from the roof at
this place. They are how at the hotel here.
FOUR THOUSAND COLD IN DEATH.
New Florence, Pa., June 1, 9 p. m.—
At 5 o’clock two more bodies had bean re
covered from the wreck and another had
been sighted.
The la est estimates make the loss about
4,000 lives, and the property loss about
$11,000,000.
C. W. Popponstill of East End, Pitts
burg, distinguished himself by his bravery
yesterday afternoou. He was a messenger
on the mail train which had to turn the
hollow. As the trail passed a point where
the water was full of struggling people, a
woman and child floated in near the shore.
The train was stopped, and Hoppe istall
undressed, jumped into the water and in
two trips saved noth the mother and child.
Among the identified dead were:
James McMillin, superintendent of the
Cambria Iron Company’s s ore. and his
wif , four children and daugh er-in-law.
John P. Linton, a leading lawyer, wife
and five children.
Mrs. Thomas Kirlen and two children.
Mr. Nolan and seven of his family.
Mrs. VVissenoer.
Mrs. Sarah Palmer.
Dr. George Wagner, wife and three
children.
Frank P. Bowman and two children.
Mrs. Richard W orthington and seven
children.
William Howells.
Mrs. Ann Howells.
Mis. John Reese.
Cora, Lizzie and Alv.'.h Reese.
Rachael Reese, mother of John Reese.
Mr. Pearson, his mother, wife and six
children.
Mrs. Reckstein.
HORRIBLE AND PITIFUL.
Oh! the horror and infinite pity of it all.
What a journey has been that of the last
hoar. Swollen corpses lay here and there,
in piles of crossties, or on the river banks,
among the tangled greenery. It was about
9 o’clock when the first passenger train
since Friday came to the New Florence
depot with its load of eager passengers.
There were no idle travelers, but each had
a mission. Here and there men were star
ing out of the windows, with red eyes, and
a nong them were tough-looking 'Hu ga
rians and Italians who bad lost friends
near Ninevah, while worn n were weeping
on all sides. Two of the passengers on the
train were a man and his wife from Johns
town. From every newcomer and possible
source of information she sought news.
“Ours is a big new brick,” said she with
brave front, but her loving brown eyes
were moist and ber red lips trembling. “Its
a three-story house, and I don’t think
SAVANNAH, GA., SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 1889.
there s any trouble, do you?” she asked
me, and without waiting far my answer,
she continued, with a sob, “There are my
four children in the house and their nurs *,
and I guess father and mother will go over
to the house, don’t you?” In a few moments
all on the car knew the story of the pair,
and many a piiyiug glance was cast at
them. Their house was one of the first
to go.
A BRAVE GIRL’S TRAGIC END.
Just before reaching Sang Hollow, the
end of the main line of the Pennsylvania
railroad, is an “S” signal, and
the men in it told stories
of what they saw so piteous I could not
listen to half of it and command my feel
ings. Here are some little odds and ends
they told me of: A beautiful girl came
down on the roof of a building wnieh was
swung in near to the tower. Sue screamed
to the operators to save her, and one big,
brawny, brave fellow walked as far into the
river as he could and shouted to her to
to try to guide herself. She was a plucky
gi r l, full of of nerve and energy, and sto >d
upon her frail support, ii evide it obedience
to the command of the operator. She
made two or three bod strokes, and actually
stopped the course of the ratt for an in
stant. Then it went out from under her.
She tried to swim ashore, but in a few
minutes she was lost in the swirling
water. Something hit her, for she
lay on her back with her face pallid and
expressionless. Men and women by dozens,
in pairs, singly, children, boys, big and
little and wee babies were there among
the awful cunfusion of water, drowning,
gasping, struggling and fighting desperately
for life.
GOING TO DEATH IN PRAYER.
Two men on a tiny raft shot into the
swiftest part of the ourrent. They
crouched stolidly, looking at the
shores, while ret ween them dressed in
white, and kueellng with her face turned
heavenward, was a girl 6 or 7
years old. She seemed stricken
with paralysis, until she came opposite
the tower, and then she turned her face to
the operat ir. She was so clo o tney could
see the big tears on her face. The helpless
men on shore shouted to her to keep up her
courage, and she resumed her devout atti
tude and disappeared under the trees
of a projecting point, a short
distance below. “Do you see
that fringe of trees,” said the operator,
pointing to the place where the little girl
had gone out of sight, “well we saw scores
of children swept in there. I believe tha
when the time comes tiiey will find almost a
hundred bodies of children there among the
bushes.”
NINEVAH A GRAVEYARD.
Just above New Florence is tbe town of
Ninevah. It was here that I found the first
house. Dead were here, the larg r por
tion of whom were women. Hero it
was that the awful work of the
freshet could be realized. What have been
fertile farms look like worn-out
brickyards. Great trees have been twisted
and torn like weeds and the broken house
hold goods of hundreds of houses line the
shores for miles. Tnieves of the vilest sort,
those who steal from toe dead and the un
fortunate. have been busily at work rob
bing tbe trunks aud boxes and articles of
furniture, and there is nothing worth
taking left, except lumber. Every now an 1
then ghastly outlines could be seen in the
water baingjswept down the stream. Two
miles from the “8. 8.” tower i; the “S. X.”
tower of the Pennsylvania railroad, and
here it is that the greatest railroad in the
world suddenly ends in the river. For more
than 1,009 fee r . a wire track is wiped out,
rails, ties and even ballast. The north
track is entirely washed away. This is the
nearest telegraph point to Johnstown,
and the delay in gettiugoff newsdispatc les
is fairly maddening. Tue Associated Press
expedition was the first on the ground, and
were ready with thousands of words of
specials, but no wires could be had from
11 a. m. until almost 2 p. in. No special
trains could be hired, no locomotives were
to be bought, and the situation can be
appreciated.
THE BIG BLAZE.
J ohnstown, Pa., June I.—The accumu
lation of buildings whic i were swept by the
angry waters to the Pennsylvania bridge,
piled up fully 50 feet high, have burned t >
the water’s edge. Before the buildings took
fire many people, dead aud alive, were
taken from them, and in several
instances the unfortunates were so
wedged in that it was necessary to
chop their legs off to release them. The
Catholic cnurch was also destroyed by fire
this morning. A number of people were on
the ref hen the structure caught fire,
and all of them were consumed in the
flames. The damage is as yet in
estimable, regardless of the los
of life. The Pennsylvania railroad
loss will be enormous. An official
report of the damage done to the railroad
property is appeude 1. Fully half a mile of
the track between Sang Hollow and Johns
town has been was led out, .and much of the
track rail, ties arid all are carried away.
The Great the bridge at Johnstown has
done great damage.
A BOY’3 GRAPHIC STORY.
Rescuers on a Bridge Snatched Him
from the Torrent.
Derry, Pa., June 1. —A special train
from Pittsburg bearing officials of the
Pennsylvania railroad and the Associated
Press and special correspondents, arrived at
Bolivar at 11:30o’clock last night. Tha train
men were there notified that further pro
gress was impossible. The greatest excite
ment prevailed at this place, aud parties
of citizens were out all the time
endeavoring to suve the poor unfortunates
that were being hurled to eternity on t e
rushing torrent. The tidal wave struck
Bolivar just after dark, and in five
minutes tne Conemaugh river rose from six
feet to fifty feet, and the water spread out
over the wholecountry. S on houses began
floating down, and clinging to the debris
were men, women aud children shrieking
for aid.
RESCUERS ON A BRIDGE.
A larg number of citizens at once gath
ered on the county b idge, aud they were
reinforced by a number from Garfidd, a
town on the opposite side of the river.
They brought a number of ropes, aud these
weroth own over into the boiling waters,
as persons drifted by. iu an effort to save
some of them. For half an hour
all efforts were fruitless until at
last, when the rescuers were
about giving up all hope, a little boy
astride a shingle roof managed to catch
hold of one of the ropes. He caugut it
under his left arm and was thrown vio
lently against an abutment, but managed
to keep hold, and was successfully pulled
on to tha bridge, a nid the chesrs of the
onlookers. His name was Heisler and his
rescuer was a train hand named Carney.
The boy was about 16 years old.
THE LAD’S GRAPHIC STORY.
At mid light your corr -spo ident secured
an interview with Hessler. His story of
tbe frightful calamity is as follows:
With my father I was spending the
day at m> grandfather's house, iu Cam
bria City. In the house at the time
were Theodore. Edward, and John Kintz,
Jr., and wife. Miss Mary Kintz, Treacy Kintz,
Mrs. Rica Smit i, John Hirscli and four children,
my father and myself, Soortly after 5 o'clock
there was a noise of roaring waters and screams
of people. We looked out of the door and saw
persons running. My father told us to never
mind, as the waters would not rise farther.
But soon we saw houses being swept away and
then we ran up to the floor above.
FORCED ON THE ROOF.
The house was three stories; w • wi re at last
fore 4oi the top one. In my frig t I junpied
on a oed. It was an old-fashioned on • w ith
heavy post*. The water kept risi g, and my
bed was soon afloat. Gradually it was lifted up.
The air in the room grew close, and the honso
was moving. Still the bed kept rising and
pressed tbe ceiling. At last the pists pushed
tlie plaster. It yielded and a section of t e roof
gave way. Then suddenly 1 f ~iud mys If
on tho roof, and was being carried down too
stream. After a little this roof commence ito
part, and i was afraid 1 was going to be
drowned, but just tnen another house wit i a
shingle root liooted down on which I sprang
and remained until uear y dead with cold, when
1 was saved.
FATE OF THE OTHERS.
When I was freed from the house I did not see
my father. My grandfather was on a tree, but
he must have b -eu drowned as the waters were
rising fA,t. John Kintz, Jr., was also on the
tree. Miss Marv and Mrg. Mary Klutz l saw
drowned. Miss Smith was also drowned. Joun
Hiigchwas in the tree, but the four childru were
drowned. Tlie scenes were terrible. Live bodies
and corpses were floating down with
me and away from ine I would see a person
shriek and tueti disapp-ar. Ail along the line
were people who were trying to save us. but
they could do nothing and only a few were
caught.
This boy’s story is but one incident, and
shows what happened to one family.
RECEDING AT F.dffiBPORT.
A Heterogenous Collection of Wreck
age Floating Past the Town.
Freeport, Pa., June I.—The water is
recedi g here now, having poached 21 feet.
The channel is running full? of 1 igs of all
dimensions. Half a million have passed
to-day, and a gentleman just arrived from
Redbauks says 1,990,009 will pass hero to
night. The si earn is swept clear of logs,
all s iwed lumber a id sawmills. T.iis mor .-
ing the river is full of everything -pianos,
organs, trunks, bedding, b>or, lard, oil,
soda fountains, etc. No dead bodies have
bo m found here, but at Lordsburg six have
been taken out. The loss along the Kissi
uettao river is beyond estimating.
TRAFFIC SUSPENDED.
No Trains Running Between Philadel
phia and Harrisburg.
Philadelphia, Pa., June I.—The condi
tion of the river at Harrisburg is such that
the Pennsylvania railroad officials decided
at 9 o’clock to-night to run no more trains
between Philadelp ia and Harrisburg until
the water subsides, aud orders were issued
to that effect. The last report received
from Harrisburg showed that the tracks
were submerged at tbe station and the
water was still rising. This aMi in of the
offl ials closes up the line from Philadelp lia
to Pit.sburg, an t it cannot tie definitely
stated when travel will be resu ned.
Dußoia Deluged,
Dußois, Pa., June 1. —Tne heaviest floods
in this section occurred Thursday night and
yesterday. Rain began falling at 11 o’clock
at night and came down iu torrents without
intermission un ll vest rday noon. The
low lying parts of the First ward were en
tirely submerged. Small outbuildl igs were
lifted from their foundation and in many
cases fljate 1 away.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE.
No Tents on Hand Because They Were
Never Returned from Charleston.
Washington, June I.— Gen. Schofield,
Ac: lug Secretary of War, has asked Gov.
Beaver by telegraph wiiat the war depart
ment can do to aid the sufferers by the
flo ids in Pennsylvania. He says the depart
ment lias no tents, ail tbeextra ones having
been sent to Charleston during the cart i
quake, and h iviug never been returned.
The President has sent a telegram to
the mayor of Joh stown expressing his
sympathy for the people of that city, in
their dire c damity and saying the See re
taryof War is considering means for their
relief. Ho also made a contribu ion to the
relief fund.
SUCCOR FROM INDIANAPOLIS.
Indianapolis, Ind., June I.—The relief
committee of t e Indianapolis board of
tra ie has votd *I,OO > for the relief of the
Couemaugh Valley sufferers.
OHIO TENDERS TENTS.
Columbus, Juno I.—Gov. Foraker this
morning sent a telegram to Gov. Beaver at
Harrisburg tendering the use of 1,009 teats
for the sufferers at Johnstown.
WASHINGTON RATHER WET.
The Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers
Very High.
Washington. June I.— The latest reports
from Harper’s Ferry say that the Potomac
and S enandoah rivers are rising one foot
per hour. Canal boats aid oth t drift are
running thicker than ever and tho water is
rising. It has reached B street and has put
out tho fire in tho engine hou e at the
Washington monument ani stopped the
elevator. Cellars on the tou h side of
Pennsylvania avenue are flooded.
The Potomac is booming here and the
gravest fears are entertained oy property
owners along tho river front, and also iu
the lower section*of thecit,’. Last uigbt,
after a tall of rain aim ,st equivalent to a
cloud burst, the lock gate at tne end of the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal was cxrrid away
by the rising water and washed several
canal boats into R >ck creek, w ire they
were destroyed. Since then the river has
been rising rapidly, and the flood
water from Harper’s Ferry, the uppe' trib
utaries are swelling it every raiment.
Along B street north, in the neighbirhoxi
of the Central market, the country produce
venders were driven off ear ly ii the day,
and the street was turned into a lake filled
with floating chicken coops, market trucks
and all sorts of odds and ends. Urchins
exacted toll from people who were obliged
to pass between South Washington and tho
business part of the city by building tem
porary bridges. Cellars were flooded aud
Lnuchdainag) done to property resulted
among the commission h uses.
IN GEORGETOWN.
Up in Georgetown the scene along the
river front was exciting. The and icks were
under water, and lumber, coal, cement,
provisions, aud all kinds of property liad
been carried away. Hundreds of men
were actively at work trying ~e save mer
chandise by removing it from the mi! l * aud
warehouses to high ground. Swarms o£
river men floatod about in tlie water craft,
sizing and carrying off the treasures of
the flood. The shipping has so far es
caped serious damage, but tho situation
is full of danger. At the long bridge, the
water at sun-et was almost level witu tne
bridge floor. Several barges had already
a truck and suuk. and the railroadmen were
making every effort to prevent the accu
mulation of drift against the bridge. Tne
water is still creeping up, however, an i
the bridge is in a precari us condition. If
it is earned away to-night, which is by no
means improbable, the result will be a serious
and long interruption of raili oad traffic be
tween tue north arid south. Tne dam at
tbe io ig bridge nas been greatly injured and
much of the work which had been done
upon the Potomac flats at au expense of
millions of dollars will be undone. It is
not possible to estimate the 10-s is suffered
by merchants aud warehousemen, but oue
individual had $39,000 worth of coal in one
dork.
WEST VIRGINIA’S WATER
A Regular Deluge Sweeps Away Prop
erty and Stops Trains.
Charleston, W. Va., June I.— A heavy
rain began felling here at neon Thursday
an i continued until lata Thursday night,
which caused a flood iu the tributaries of
tho Kanawha river. The Chesapeake aud
Ohio railroad bridge ovei Cabin creek was
carried away, booms in Elk and Ooal
rivers were swept away aid millions of
dollars worth of timber, lumber and rail
road ties floated off.
PIEDMONT’S PERIL.
Pittsburg, Pa., June 1. —A special frera
Piedmont, W. Va., say-t: "l iiis place has
tieen vis, ted with tbe greatest flood since 1876.
Two hundred families livi ig near the river
were forced to leave their bouses and fled to
the hills. The damage to property in this
town is es i nated at $1 i.OiXl. The West
Virginia Cent al and Pittsburg railway is
under wator be: w en here and Cumberland,
Md., and two bridges liavo been swept
away. Tne los; in all to that road will be
$259,000. On tbe Cumberland and Penn
sylvania road, two trestles have been
wished nwa . The leas is $29,000,
“The Western End road lias tieen impassa
ble since Thursday nig it,and itis liard to sav
when travel will be resumed. A number
of land slides have occurred on tho r ad
between here and Grafton. Tho loss to th
Baliimore and Ohio company is very
hoavy. At 11:30 ,’clock last night the rai
ceased falling and the water began subsid
ing. No further danjror is apprehended.”
TRACKS covered with water.
Wheeling, W. Va.. June 1. For
twenty-four hours yesterday until 1 o’olook
p. m., no trains reached he e from the east.
Too Baltimore and Ohio track . long the
P tomac, oast of Piedmont, is covered with
water for miles, iu some planes being seven
feet deep.
TWO GIRLS DROWNED.
They Fell From Boards Making a Path
Across a Wrecked Bridge.
Kansas City, Mo., June L—Thursday
afternoon twosisters, daughters of a farmer
named Dickinson, living south of Leroy,
Kan., attended the Decoration day oxer
cises in that place, aud started to walk
home. The bridge across the Neosho river
had boon almost washed away, and two
planks were stretched across toe stri igers.
The girls started acrois, the older boldine
the younger’* hand. Half way acres* one
was sized with dizziness and lost her
balance, aud both fell into the water aud
were drowned.
MISERY IN MARYLAND.
People Spend the Night in Wagons to
Escape the Flood.
Cumberland, Md., Juno L—Nearly 100
families moved out of tho lower part of the
city lust night iu patrol wagons on account
of flooded cellar*.
SAMOAN SETTLEMENT.
The German Officials Yielded to Ameri
can Wishes.
[Copyright, 1889. by New York Aaaociated Preta.]
Berlin, June 1 —After the seventh
plenary sitting of the Samoan conference,
held on Wednesday last, the American
commission was in a posliion to caldo to
Secretary Blaine tha definite acceptance) by
the German and English governments of
the Washington proposals, limiting the Ger
man indemnity and Sam an rights to levy
import duties, and some of Mr. Blaine’s
amendments to the clau-es relating to the
international Samoan policy. Tne Wash
ington government, arriving at tho most
possible independence of tbe Samoan*, his
not t esymp'itiv of tho German official
mind, which better co nprehenda measures
to protect European into ests and to ex
tend Eu op-an influence, but after
a slight he i latino, tne German com
missioners have invariably yielded whateve
concessions America asked in the directi n
of Samoan autonomy. O i the other Iran
he Americans h ive conceded practically
nothing, adhering to their original cl dms.
Some snow of conciliati n was made to
ward tlie close of the conference by tho
Americans, leaving the appointment of t e
first resident judge of the Euroreau com
munity to End and.
Lansdowne’a Evicted Tenants.
Dublin, June I.—The evictions on Lord
Lansdowne’a Lugga Curran estate have
been completed. Eight tenants were
ovicted yesterd iy, making twen y-four in
all. Strong r 'sista ice was off -red by the
tenants and their friends, and the police
made several coarges ag.iist them with
their bat tons. Nine arrests were made.
Fifteen tenants settled with the landlords.
A Novel Suicide.
Prague. June 1. —A laborer in a rifle
factory filled a bottle witli an explosive
comoouud, and then seated him elf upon it,
ignited the contents and was blown to
atoms.
Injured at a Fire.
Vienna, June L—Fire occurred at a
druggist’s warehouse here to-day. Fifteen
persons wore serio uly injured, two of them,
it is feared, fatally.
SILENCE OF THE TICKERS.
Affairs on tbe stock Exchange at New
York Badly Mixed.
New York, June I.— The resolution of
the governors of the stock exchange shut
ting ff the tickers was carried into effect
t is morning. It almost completely checked
business. Tire market opened quiet and
steady. After the fi. st quarter of an hour
business was almost at a standstill, and
w >uld have bee i witli 1 rat feature but for a
strong movement iu U ion Pacific and the
Va derbilt stocks. Tue c rasolidated ex
change, which was the chief reason for the
actio i taken by the stock exchange,
was still in operation, and what pur
ported to be stock exchange quotation ,
out which to a large extent were fictitious,
were marked upon the bo ird, aud s -rved as
a ba-is for the consolidated members to
trade. Little attempt -as inad - after the
first few minutes to send out prices by the
members of the New York Slock Ex
change, and everything At il o’clock was
decidedly mixed.
THE EFFECT AT CHICAGO.
Chicago, 111., June I.—The action of
the Chicago B >ard of Trade in cutting off
its quotations from all non-me nbers of the
board caused age raral shake-up iu the
neighborhood of tbe board to-day. Tbe
local bucket shop; had swarms of runners
out t ying to get quotations from
the private wire hous s. At *me
of tbejn they were refused admission. At
others, no discrimination was made between
bucket shop representatives and others.
Commiaion rneu already complain ef a
new difficulty. A fe v customers who can
not now secure coutmu ms qu Actions say
they will not trade unless they can be fur
nished them.
MILLER NOT TO BE JUDGE.
The President Said to Have a Great
Likin* for Judge Wo^da
Washington, June I.—lt is stated that
the Preside t has reconsidered his purpose,
in view of the very general protests of the
newspapers and the lack of approval among
his iriends, and will not appoint Attorney
G moral Miller on the supreme bench in
place of Stanley Matthews. It is also
stated that he will not appniut Judge
Gresham. It is now stated that he will not
appoint Judg > Woods. His liking for
Judge Woods is wel, known. He has c im
pared him with Judge Gresham, greatly
to the advantage of Judge Woods, fre
quently in conversation. It is stated that
ho has made up his mind whom he
will appoint, but will give no positive in
formation about it. Attorney General Mil
ler leaves for Indianapolis next week for a
long visit a greatly disappointed man. It
is stated by nis friends that he confidently
expected that the President would place
him on the supreme bench. However, he
will not resign the place he has because he
cau’t get the other.
CURTIB’ CHARGES.
If They Are Substantiated the Govern
ment Will Take Severe Measures.
Washington, June I.—Gen. Casey, chief
of engineers, says he knows nothing as yet,
b yond what tins pro a disnatches from Sa
vannah give, of the alleged charges by W.
R. Curtis against Lieut. Carter and the
river and harbor contractors. If Mr. Cur
tis can substantiate the charges, Lieut. Car
ter v\ill be court-martialed, and Capt.
Green’s Ann will be refused tuturo con
tracts.
Gen. Casey, chief of engineers, said to
dav that not having received anv informa
tion about the charges of Mr. Curtis agaiust
Lieut. Carter and Green & Cos., be had this
this morning indorsed the Associated Press
dispatch, giving an uccount of them to
Lieut. Carter with a request that he
promptly report the facts to the engineer
bureau.
BLAINE PSP'-LS BORE.
No Special Envoys to Go to Haytl for
the Present, at Least.
Washington, June I.—lt is stated that
at the cabinet meeting yesterday the Hay
tian question was discussed at some length.
Hear Admiral Gberardi, who returned on
Wednesday from Haytian waters, was at
the navy and state deportments yest rday
givi g hlsacc >uot of liis doings and of the
situation of affairs in Havti. This informa
tion was repealed by Secretaries Blain >
and Tracy to the cabinet. It. was agreed,
t is stated, after discussing, Hecretar
Blaine opposing to the oud, that the special
envoys should not go to Hayti for the
preseut, at. least. Secretary Blaine, wb >
dill feels very sore about It, wH provide
for Beverly Tucker iu some other way l e
fore long.
OLD LINK REPUBLICANS MAD.
Harrison Giving the Birmingham
Crowd Too Much to Please Thom.
Washington, Juno i.—The old line
southern republican politicians, particu
larly the negroes are disappointed and dis
pleased by the President’s continued
recognition of the Birmingham white men's
republican movement. Parsons, who was
appointed to day district attorney for
Northern and .Middle Alaha na, has beon
the most active manager of the Birming.
ham movement. He claims to be its
founder. As such he has been especially
severe tn his comments upon the regular
republic m politicians of his section at the
various departments and in the news
papers, and ail cordially hats him for it,
especially ns lie has tuus kept them out of
government offices.
BABY M’KBK B iPTIZaD.
Mary Lodge the Name Washed in by
Water from the Jordan.
Washington, June I.—Baby McKee was
baptized in the blue parlor of the white
house at noon yesterday, by the venerable
euce of the President and his funily an I
at-grandfather, Re.-. Dr.Scott,tu the pres
the members of Ids cabinet. Mary Lodge
was the name give i the baby—Mary for is
mother, Lodge for ono of its father’s E -
fli.sh a ice-tors. The water in. which the
baby a bap ized was brought from tie
nver Jordan several rears ago by Lieut,
barker, the baby’s uncle.
Believes Legitime Has een Defeated.
Washington, June 1. —Rear Admiral
Cherar, who ha< rot .rued from Haytl, sys
he fully believes the truth of the dispatche
saying that President Legitime has been
defeated a id Port-au-Prince captured, as
President Legit mo’s forces were practically
exhausted when Lie admiral sailed iu tho
Galena. The state departrae t has not yet
received coniirmatio i of the report.
Stockslaqer’s Resignation.
Washington, Juna 1. —The resignation
of P. M. Stockslag r, commissioner of ttie
general land office, which was tendered
March 5, last, was to-day accept #1 bv the
President to take effect June 30. Assistant
Commissioner .Stone will act at commis
sioner in the meantime.
Appointed by the President.
Washington, June I.—The President to
day made the following app lintments:
George B. Fisher of Delaware to be
f .urtli andi or of the treasury.
J. N. Patteuson of New Hampshire to
be second audi ,or of t ie treasury.
SEIZURE OF A SMACK.
Her Fishermen Said to Have Been
Violating Treaty Rights.
Chicago, June 1. —A special dispatch
from Ottawa, Out., says:
The marine and fisheries department to day
recivel it dispatch from (lapt. Know I ton of
the cruiser Vigalant reporting that he had
seized an American vessel. When two miles
n >rth of Cape North he discovered part of the
crew of the Gloucester sehoener Mattie Win-
Mil p engaged in fishing, they being at the time
barely two mile* from the land. He imme ii
ately proe -c Jed to overhaul the vessel. On
boarding the Wlnship Capt. Knowttou, ob
taining no satisfactory explanation from
the American skippar, made the formal seizure
for violation of the Ashing laws under the
treaties. The government will await a full re
port by mail before ta ring action. The skipper
of the Winsnip was not in possession of a license
under the mnaui vivrndi. ir. Tupiier, minister
of (W.ertea, received a private dispatch last
nizht giving further information about the
affair.
Ad Earthquake in Texas.
EL Paso, Tx., June I.—A severe earth
quake shock was felt here yes er.lay after
noon. Many clerks ran out of business
houses i to the streets whin the earth began
to tremble. One building was badly
cracked by the shock.
Georgia’s Editors at Kansas City.
Ka iras City, Mo., Ju io L—The Geor
gia Press A?-delation arrived here yester
day afwrauon, and will leave to-night for
Bt." Louis. Tho visitors have been royally
| eater tamed by the Commercial Club,
I DAILY. $lO A TEAR,
< 5 CENTS A COPY. V
I WEEKLY, $1.35 A YEAR t
CRONIN’S CLOTHES FOUND
TWO BMALL BOYS DISCOVER THEM
IN A SEWER.
Two Strangers Who |Were Near by
Ordered the Lads to Destroy Them
—The Attempt to Connect the Clan-
Na Gael Organization with the Crlm
Commented on by a Member.
Chicago, Juue I.—Dr. Cronin’s clothes
were found yesterday, and another link
forged in the chaiu of evidence that sur
rounds the murder. The first clew was
obtained by the finding of his drawers by
Sol Hamburger ami Eldie Bresch, two
little boys of Lake Viow. Lewis Ham
burger, tbe 18-year-old brother of the first
named lad, then notifie 1 the p dice, and
oonducti g Lieut. Schu ttier to the mouth
i t the Fifty-ninth street sewer instituted a
search which resulted in tho uuearthiug of
the murdered physician’s pants, e iat,
shirt and undershirt. They were
buried over a foot under ground
and were only discovered by
probing in the sand with sharp sticks. The
shirt bore tho name of the unfortunate
doctor, and the other articles were rca lily
recognized as portions of his apparel. The
pants in places were deeply stained with
blood,
HIS VEST CHANGED.
Strange to say, howeve* the physician’s
vest was missing, and in its plac > was a
vest of much ooui’sor material, containing
in the pockets five pennies and a cigar.
This garment presumably Jbelo iged to one
of the murderers or accomplices. For this
reason tho police are using every effort to
suppress the discovery, hoping that Dr.
Cronin’s vest may be discovered in posses
sion of one of the murderers. Considerable
importance is attached to the fact that
when the drawers were first discovered by
the little boys a couple of strangers ap
peared on tho spot and ordered them to
destroy the garineut ami throw away the
pieces. This man•'ate was obeyed and no
more was though-, of the matter until the
older brother was casually informed of the
circumstances.
the clan-na-gael.
B. T. Beggs, a y- ung Dearborn street
attorney, is the reputed censor-guardian
of the Columbia Club, or Camp 8 of the
Olau-nn-Gael. It was In this camp, as the
story goes, that Dr. Cronin was tried for
treason, in the star chamber proceedings,
nud sentenced to death. The police have
for some davs had their eyes upon Mr.
Beggs, and have been zealously
laboring to collect evidence enough
to connect the young Iri-h enthusiast
and tils camp with the rem .val of Dr.
Cronin. Mr. Boggs was seen this afternoon,
and lie did fit look at all like a criminal or
u- simaiu. He appears to bo about 3J vears
-ltd, lias lig t hair ad mustache, blue eyes
anti a nekly, open c-uuienanoa. “My
belief is,” said Mr. Beggs, “th ,t the oath
ot tbe Cla -iia-Uael forbids me to disclose
the name of tho officers or mom
liors of the order or its obj-cta
or proce’dings, therefore I cannot
answer your question as to who uro mem
bers of the club and whether lam the
censor-guardian. However ( will tell you
frankly that I hope tho oath of secrecy
may be suspended until this thing is cleared
up. If the clan does not acquit liself of all
connection with this crime it will be totally
wrecked and tho Irish in A nerica will per
ish with it. I will say we have
contributed about $5,000,000 to free
Iro arid and 183,000 of it has been
stolen, and a horrid murder committed
to cover up the theft, and we will not con
tribute another cent. But if t.Y> oath of
secrecy should be suspended by the chief
executive officer of the order the order will
instantly be acquitted of complicity in the
crime.’’
“ Wlmt makes you so sure about iff”
“Well, 1 know positively that if the
books of the order should be laid open be
fore! the gra ;d jury and all its members
sub oenaeil u witnesses it woul<7 be inude
plain that the clan as a i order has nothing
to do with t e murder.’’
MURDEi* IN AN ASYLUM.
Two Keepers ,3”at and Kick a Patient
to Death.
Minn., June L—Tbe
Journal'll Rochester (Minn.) p ’cinl sa-s:
A murder committed in the insane asylum
here about April I has just leaked out, The vic
tim was a patient named Taylor o'ombg,
who had been committed for rap.; on a
sycar-uhl girl at Stillwater. Coomb, was
Hashing the ceiling at the asylum and mutter
ing as to what he would do if he had a rev over,
when he was attacked tty Edward Peterson and
August Bsakniun, who commence 1 pounding
him over t ie head with a cane mi l hickory mop
h indie. Thun they made him stand up and
Benkman commenced to po m l him, knocking
him down, and he then Jumped on his chest.
Coombs died t> j hours later.
A PAINTER’S BTORr.
A painter who saw the deed was told that if
he disclosed the murder thev Beckman and
Peterson), would kill him. The manager of the
asylum called in the coroner, > h m> 'e tin ex
amination Beckman and Peterson claimed
that Coombs’ death was caused by falling from
the scaffold. W eu tho facts came out the men
were di-toiiarg and, warrants were iisued. aid
Beekmau was oriented last nlghl and Pe’erson’s
eipture is expected soon. The gr ind Jury will
investigate the case Monday. Toe asylum au
thuritics siy Coombs was in lust ri ms and
easily managed, and it Is declared that his
deatu was nothing short of deliberate murder. J
VIGILANCE VIPERS.
One Man Killed and Another Myste
riously Spirited Away.
Chicago, June I.—A dispatch from
Omaha, Neb., says: “In KeyaPanacounty,
Nebra-ka. a settlor named Juhn T. Newell,
who has been quite outspoken in his denun
ciation of tbe vigilance committee in that
county, was found dead in his bed Thuri
dav morning with twenty-four bul ot h no j
in "his body. About 3 o’clock the same
moruing a body of masked men cal! cl at
the bouse of a ueighb fling sot Ller
and cap.ured George Babcock, who
was visiting there, and carried him tff.
He has not bee i heal’d of since and he is
supposed to have been put out of the way.
He was also charged with sympathizing
with the rustlers, or catt e thieves.”
THREE BrfIKRS CAUSE TEAR3.
A Widow Severely Punished for Vio
lating a Prohibition Law.
Chicago, June I—A ’ispatch from
Wichita, Kan., says: “Mrs. Catherine
Bobinedt was found guilty yesterday of
selling three glasses of beer, and was sen
tenced to three months in the c- unty jnil,
and was fined S3OO. This is the first in
stance in tho state where a woman ha bean
sent to jail for vi lating the prohibition
law. Tho woman is a widow, with two
children and of limited means.”
Suddenly Went Insane.
Norwalk, Conn., June I.—Mi-s,Thomaa
L. Gunning, niece of United States Seiator
Stautord of California, became violently
insane a few evenings ago at their residence
on Mott avenue, and with along stiik-’to
drove t eservaute from the house. She
j waft subsequently secured and quieie l, but
her condition is serious, ami tuere are bub
l faint hopes <?f her reeswy,