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History of the Johnstown Flood: Including all the Fearful Record; the Breaking of the South Fork Dam; the Sweeping Out of the Conemaugh Valley; the Over-Throw of Johnstown; the Massing of the Wreck at the Railroad Bridge; Escapes, Rescues, Searches for Survivors and the Dead; Relief Organizations, Stupendous Charities, etc., etc., With Full Accounts also of the Destruction on the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers, and the Bald Eagle Creek.Johnson, Willis Fletcher

History

History of the Johnstown Flood: Including all the Fearful Record; the Breaking of the South Fork Dam; the Sweeping Out of the Conemaugh Valley; the Over-Throw of Johnstown; the Massing of the Wreck at the Railroad Bridge; Escapes, Rescues, Searches for Survivors and the Dead; Relief Organizations, Stupendous Charities, etc., etc., With Full Accounts also of the Destruction on the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers, and the Bald Eagle Creek.

Name: History of the Johnstown Flood: Including all the Fearful Record; the Breaking of the South Fork Dam; the Sweeping Out of the Conemaugh Valley; the Over-Throw of Johnstown; the Massing of the Wreck at the Railroad Bridge; Escapes, Rescues, Searches for Survivors and the Dead; Relief Organizations, Stupendous Charities, etc., etc., With Full Accounts also of the Destruction on the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers, and the Bald Eagle Creek.
Author: Johnson, Willis Fletcher

Johnson, Willis Fletcher

Floods -- Pennsylvania -- Johnstown (Cambria County)

The keepers told Warden Cassidy of the desire expressed all along that
the authorities receive their contributions. The convicts can do what
they please with their over-time money, by sending it to their friends,
and several had already sent small sums out of the Penitentiary to be
given to the Johnstown sufferers. The warden very promptly acceded to
the general desire and gave the keepers instructions. There are about
one thousand one hundred and ten men imprisoned in the institution, and
of this number one hundred and forty-six persons gave five hundred and
forty-two dollars and ninety-six cents. It would take one convict
working all his extra time ten years to earn that sum.

There was one old man, a cripple, who had fifteen dollars to his credit.
He said to the keeper: "I've been doing crooked work nearly all my life,
and I want to do something square this time. I want to give all the
money coming to me for these fellers out there." The warden, however,
had made a rule prohibiting any individual from contributing more than
five dollars. The old man was told this, but he was determined. "Look
here," said he; "I'll send the rest of my money out to my folks and tell
them to send it."

Chief of Police Mayer, in denying reports that there was an influx of
professional thieves into the flooded regions to rob the dead, said:
"The thieves wouldn't do anything like that; there is too much of the
gentleman in them." But here were thieves and criminals going into their
own purses out of that same "gentlemanly" part of them.

Up to Saturday, June 8th, the cash contributions in Philadelphia,
amounted to $687,872.68. Meantime countless gifts and expressions of
sympathy came from all over the world. The Lord Mayor of Dublin,
Ireland, raised a fund of $5,000. Archbishop Walsh gave $500.

Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British Minister at Washington, called on the
President on June 7th, in company with Secretary Blaine, and delivered
a message from Queen Victoria expressing her deep sympathy for the
sufferers by the recent floods in Pennsylvania. The President said in
reply:

"Mr. Minister: This message of sympathy from Her Majesty the Queen will
be accepted by our people as another expression of her own generous
character, as well as of the friendliness and good-will of her people.
The disasters which have fallen upon several communities in the State of
Pennsylvania, while extreme and full of the most tragic and horrifying
incidents, have fortunately been limited in territorial extent. The
generosity of our own citizens will promptly lessen to these stricken
people every loss that is not wholly irretrievable; and these the
sympathy of the Queen and the English people will help to assuage. Will
you, Mr. Minister, be pleased to convey to the Queen the sincere thanks
of the American people."

[Illustration: WRECK OF THE LUMBER YARDS AT WILLAMSPORT, PA.]

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