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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)

In fifteen minutes one of the Baltimore and Ohio light passenger
engines, with Engineer W. E. Scott in charge and Fireman Charles Hood
for assistant, was hitched to a single coach out in the yard. Conductor
W. B. Clancy was found somewhere about and put in command of the
expedition. Brakeman Dan Lynn was captured just as he was leaving an
incoming train, and although he had been without sleep for a day, he
readily consented to complete the crew of the _Sun's_ train. There was
no disposition to be hoggish in the matter, and at a time like this the
great thing was to get the best possible information as to affairs at
Johnstown spread over the country in the least possible time. The
facilities of the train were therefore placed at the disposal of other
newspaper men who were willing to share in the expense. None of them,
however, availed themselves of this chance to save practically a whole
day in reaching the scene, except the artist representing _Harper's
Weekly_, who had accompanied the _Sun_ men this far in their race
against time from the East. As far as the New York papers were
concerned, there were no men except those from the _Sun_ to take the
train. If any other New York newspaper men had yet reached Pittsburgh at
all, they were not to be found around the Baltimore and Ohio station,
where the _Sun_ extended its invitation to the other representatives of
the press. There were a number of Western newspaper men on hand, but
journalism in that section is not accustomed to big figures except in
circulation affidavits, and they were staggered at the idea of paying
even a share of the expense that the _Sun_ was bearing practically
alone.

At 9.15 A. M., therefore, when the special train pulled out of the
Baltimore and Ohio station, it had for passengers only the _Sun_ men and
_Harper's_ artist. As it started Acting Superintendent McIlvaine was
asked:--

"How quickly can we make it?"

"Well, it's one hundred and forty-six miles," he replied, "and it's all
kinds of road. There's an accommodation train that you will have to look
out for until you pass it, and that will delay you. It's hard to make
any promise about time."

"Can we make it in five hours?" he was asked.

"I think you can surely do that," he replied.

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