General Information
Welcome
The Dam
The Club
Colonel Unger
Details
Dam Building
Start of Club
Club Members
Bibliography
The Victims
Eye Witnesses
US Disasters
Last Updated:
November 27, 1998
http://www.nps.gov/jofl
Park eMail:
Johnstown Flood NM
Author:
Jason Earnest
Editor:
Diane Garcia
General Information
Welcome
The Dam
The Club
Colonel Unger
Details
Dam Building
Start of Club
Club Members
Bibliography
The Victims
Eye Witnesses
US Disasters
Last Updated:
November 27, 1998
http://www.nps.gov/jofl
Park eMail:
Johnstown Flood NM
Author:
Jason Earnest
Editor:
Diane Garcia
General Information
Welcome
The Dam
The Club
Colonel Unger
Details
Dam Building
Start of Club
Club Members
Bibliography
The Victims
Eye Witnesses
US Disasters
Last Updated:
November 27, 1998
http://www.nps.gov/jofl
Park eMail:
Johnstown Flood NM
Author:
Jason Earnest
Editor:
Diane Garcia
General Information
Welcome
The Dam
The Club
Colonel Unger
Details
Dam Building
Start of Club
Club Members
Bibliography
The Victims
Eye Witnesses
US Disasters
Last Updated:
November 27, 1998
http://www.nps.gov/jofl
Park eMail:
Johnstown Flood NM
Author:
Jason Earnest
Editor:
Diane Garcia
General Information
Welcome
The Dam
The Club
Colonel Unger
Details
Dam Building
Start of Club
Club Members
Bibliography
The Victims
Eye Witnesses
US Disasters
Last Updated:
November 27, 1998
http://www.nps.gov/jofl
Park eMail:
Johnstown Flood NM
Author:
Jason Earnest
Editor:
Diane Garcia
J. P. Wilson
Q. At what point were you on the day of the big flood?
A. I was at South Fork.
Q. What business had you been engaged in for some time prior to and at that time?
A. Superintendent of coal mines there.
Q. Where are they located?
A. At South Fork.
Q. Are they on the South or North Fork stream?
A. They are west of the junction of the two streams.
Q. How far west?
A. I suppose two hundred yards, probably.
Q. How long had you been there?
A. I had been there almost eight years.
Q. Now, I wish you would state what the character of the rain was that produced that flood, when it commenced, what you saw of it, and your opinion of it as compared with any other flood you ever saw there.
A. Well, as to the rain, we had 48 hours of a continual downpour, and it was one of the hardest rains I have ever seen since I have been there in eight years. That was immediately preceding the breaking of the dam. Of course, it had rained before that, but just right along for 48 hours, I don't think I ever saw such a rain as we had then.
Q. Did you ever see the South Fork as high as it was at that time?
A. I never did.
Q. Just go on in your own way, and describe what took place on Friday, when the dam broke, where you were, and the whole thing.
A. About half-past twelve o'clock on Friday with that tremendous rain that we had, I had some doubts about the dam, and I got Mr. Sibert, who drove team for me, to take the horse and ride up to the dam;
Q. What time?
A. It was about half-past twelve when he left South Fork on Friday. He came back in less than an hour, and he told me that the water was then running over the top near the middle of the dam, and I knew then that it was dangerous, and just when he came back, the Agent at South Fork, Mr. Dougherty, was standing close by when I got this news, and I turned to him, as I supposed he was the proper party to give warning to Mr. Pitcairn, and I asked him if he would not go to the tower, and notify Mr. Pitcairn of the condition of the dam. He hesitated, and said that there was trouble getting a message through, and I supposed at first that he didn't like to take the responsibility upon himself to do it, and I just replied that Mr. Pitcairn had told me some three years before if I ever saw any appearance of danger, to notify him at once, and I said "If you don't like to use your own name, use mine", and he then stated that it was on account of the wires being down that he hesitated in trying to send a message, but he went and endeavored to send it, and I believe he did. I waited in South Fork then until about 2 o'clock, and s second messenger that had went up to the dam, came back
Q. Who is he?
A. I think his name is John Baker.
Q. Who sent him out?
A. Nobody. I know of nobody sending him out. When he came back, he reported that the water was running over, and that there was a hole some twelve feet below the top through which the water was coming. I then started for the tower, some four or five hundred yards, I think, and I said to the lady operator, (I just gave her a verbal message; I really don't remember what it was) but it was to Mr. Pitcairn stating that the dam was breaking, or something to that effect, and to look out for it. She told me then that the wires were down between Mineral Point and the tower west, the one near deep cut, I think it is termed "AO" tower, and that there was trouble in getting the message through, but the operator said he had sent it with some person who was in the tower.I [sic] waited a few minutes, and warned her in regard to the danger; that h [sic] she had better keep a look-out up the creek, and whenever she saw the water coming, to get out of the tower. Just when I went to leave, I asked her if the message had got through yet and hse [sic] said she asked the operator at Mineral Point tower, and he said the messenger hadn't returned yet, and he didn't know. I went out of the tower, and got, I suppose 150 feet from it when I saw the water coming. I then turned and saw the lady at the windown [sic] and motioned to her to run. I had told her where to go to get out of danger, and she went where I told her, and I went up and watched the water until it came and took the tower away.
Q. Did the lady escape?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Describe in your own way, as near as you can, what that wave of water looked like.
A. It was high and wide. It was the full width of the valley;(of [sic] course, the valley varies in width). When it passed me, I had just got on the hillside above the tower, and it was 190 yards wide about, and the water was from 16 to 20 feet highon [sic] the main track at the tower, and if it had been level, it would have been 35 feet above low water mark, but it was in the center, I would suppose, 45 to 50 feet high.
Q. Did it seem to fall off to the sides as it came?
A. Yes, sir, that may appear a little strange that there should be so much difference in height, 15 feet, but the only reason I can give for that, is, that above South Fork the valley is narrow, probably 140 yards wide; then when it came down to where I was, it was about 190 yards wide, and while it was in the narrow place, of course, it would rise, and when it got to the wide place, it would have to spread, and it would be the sides that would spread and fill the valley. I think there was 45 or 50 feet in the channel in the center.
Q. Now, sir, I wish you would state whether as a good citizen you did all you could to give warning of the danger from time to time to prevent any disaster.
A. Yes, sir, I certainly did all I could, because I had reasons to do it, but I don't see anything we could have done more then I did do, under the circumstances.
Q. You had no telegraphic communication from South Fork up to the dam, I believe?
A. No, sir.
Q. And noen [sic] by telephone?
A. No, sir; we had to depend upon sending a man up there. Sending a man on horseback was the best we could do.
Q. Prior to that great volume of water coming down from the dam breaking, had the Conemaugh or South Fork got out of its banks?
A. Oh yes.
Q. How far, do you suppose?
A. The Conemaugh was five or six feet over its banks.
Q. What time of day was that?
A. That was from 10 to 12 o'clock.
Q. How was the South Fork?
A. It was very high; it was all over the valley; persons living in the valley had most of them got out, and had to wade out.
Q. Do you think there was as big a flood in the North Fork as the South Fork?
A. North Fork? I don't understand what you mean by that term. There is the Conemaugh and the South Fork Creek there. It is trueaway above the dam, the South Fork creek forks, and they call them there the North & South Fork. The North Fork creek is I think, the other stream that comes in from the North and unites with the South Fork Creek.
Q. Was there as great a flood in it, or greater than in the Conemaugh?
A. I rather think the South Fork creek had the largest rise.
Q. It is a larger stream usally, [sic] is it not?
A. No, sir, the Conemaugh is a little the larger stream. [sic]
Q. Did you ever see such a flood in those streams before?
A. No, sir; since I have been there, we never had such a flood in either stream as there were at that time.
Q. Well, from hearing the matter talked of, and discussed since the flood, have you found anybody there amongst inhabitants who had ever seen such a rain or flood?
A. No, sir. I have talked with men who have been there from thirty to forty years, and they never know of such a flood before. I had a good bit of property washed away in the forenoon that I considered and everybody around there considered perfectly safe against floods, and I have made inquiries away up at the head of the South Fork Creek, and they all unite in saying they never witnessed such a rain fall as there was immediatley [sic] preceding the flood.
Q. Can you give me the names of some of the people you talked with?
A. Yes, sir, John Grief was one.
Q. Where does he live?
A. He lives beyond the Sidman Mill; on the hill above the old Sherbine mill.
Q. He is a farmer, is he?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What did he say about it?
A. He said he never knew such a rain as they had up there at that time.
Q. Can you recollect any other persons?
A. I wouldn't be certain; I think that John Fry was another.
Q. Where does he live?
A. He lives right on the left of the reservoir, near the head of it.
Q. A farmer is he?
A. Yes, sir. And Lewis Orris, a farmer living at the head of the reservoir; that is about all I can remember.
Q. Dan you give me the names of any farmers up along the Conemaugh above the South Fork Creek, intelligent men, that will likely give me an idea of the flood in the streams?
A. There is a business man at Summmehill, [sic] who is quite an old resident; he is not a farmer though; he is in business there.
Q. Anybody up about Lilly or Wilmore?
A. Well, I am not very well acquainted at Lilly. I might suggest Mr. Kerbey, the Agent at Wilmore.
Q. What effect had the flood upon the station house at South Fork?
A. It lifted it up, and floated it out on the track.
Q. Which side of the track?
A. The north side.
Q. Then it took across to the other side, did it?
A. No, sir, it just moved it up there onto a siding that runs alongside of the north track.
Q. Were there any other houses in South Fork that were moved by the flood?
A. Oh yes, there were 38 taken away. I had a store room there that was picked up and taken away with all that was in it.
Q. How many lives were lost?
A. There were only two of our citizens. The cause for that was that the South Fork creek had overflown the entire bottom and the people had left their homes; a great many of them, before the flood came. The water had chased them out of the homes.
Q. Did the railroad bridge go out before or after the flood?
A. It went out on the first wave of the flood.
Q. How near was the water to the chords of the bridge before the flood came, do you suppose, if you know?
A. No, sir, I don't know; it was very high though. I saw the bridge go, and what was rather remarkable, the bridge was just pushed right in front of the water; the water hadn't covered it. I saw the two piers fall as the bridge went off.
Return to the List of Witnesses