The Johnstown Horror!!!: or, Valley of Death, being A Complete and Thrilling Account; of the Awful Floods and Their Appalling RuinWalker, James Herbert
History
The Johnstown Horror!!!: or, Valley of Death, being A Complete and Thrilling Account; of the Awful Floods and Their Appalling Ruin
A regularly organized force of men has been at work most of the day upon
the mass of debris about the stone bridge. Early in the forenoon ten
bodies were found close together. There was nothing to identify them, as
they were burnt almost to a crisp. Several of them must have belonged to
one household, as they were taken from under the blackened timbers of a
single roof.
[Illustration: THE VILLAGE OF JOHNSTOWN BEFORE THE FLOOD.]
Soon after a man, woman and child were taken from the ruins. The child
was clasped in the arms of the woman, and the trio were evidently
husband, wife and child.
It is a most distressing sight to see the relatives of people supposed
to be lost standing around and watching every body as it is pulled out,
and acting more like maniacs than sensible people.
As the work progressed the number of the ghastly finds increased. The
various parties of workmen turned out from ten to fifteen bodies and
fragments of bodies an hour all day long.
Many of the corpses found had valuables still clasped in their hands.
One woman taken from the mill this morning had several diamond rings and
earrings, a roll of government bonds and some money clasped in her
hands. She was a widow, and was very wealthy. Her body has been embalmed
and is at the house of relatives.
Suicide Brought Relief.
From under the large brick school-house 124 bodies were taken last night
and to-day, and in every corner and place the bodies are being found and
buried as fast as possible. The necessity for speedy burial is becoming
manifest, and the stench is sickening. A number of bodies have been
found with a bullet hole in them, showing conclusively that in their
maddening fright suicide was resorted to by many.
Work was commenced during the day on the south side of the town. It is
supposed that five hundred or six hundred bodies will be found in that
locality.
About twelve o'clock ten bodies were taken out of the wreck near the
Cambria Library. On account of the bruised and mangled condition, some
having faces crushed in, it was impossible to identify them. It is
supposed they were guests at the Hurlbert House, which is completely
demolished.
Eight bodies were recovered near the Methodist Church at eleven o'clock.
It is said that fully one hundred and fifty bodies were found last
evening in a sort of pocket below the Pennsylvania Railroad signal tower
at Sang Hollow, where it was expected there would be a big find.
Kernville One Vast Morgue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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