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The Johnstown Flood
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The Johnstown Flood (1968) (edit title/settings)

The Incredible Story Behind One of the Most Devastating Natural Disasters America Has Ever Known

by David G. McCullough (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

David McCullough is known to millions as the author of the critically acclaimed, best-selling books The Great Bridge, The Path Between the Seas, and Mornings on Horseback, and as host of the popular PBS television series "Smithsonian World?' The Johnstown Flood, David McCullough's first... read more

Summary edit see section history

The area around Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was mountainous and beautiful. On top of one of the Allegheny mountains, a large lake, Lake Conemeau, had been allowed and encouraged to form with the installation of an enormous earthen dam and was fed by several streams. In 1877, the lake, the dam... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

The area around Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was mountainous and beautiful. On top of one of the Allegheny mountains, a large lake, Lake Conemeau, had been allowed and encouraged to form with the installation of an enormous earthen dam and was fed by several streams. In 1877, the lake, the dam and about 160 acres of land was bought and later, a club for the wealthy took advantage of the marvelous boating and fishing possibilities but didn't spend much on maintaining the dam. Spring rains and snow melts often resulted in the towns below having flooding situations and residents groused and feared, but since everything went back to normal, they stopped complaining until the next time. Several famous men, including Andrew Carnegie, were part of this area's rise. Also, the Philadelphia Railroad, and other rail companies, had their lines though the area.

Among the important facts noted as the story began:
1) When the club was opened, its charter was approved and signed in Allegheny County by a Judge who ignored the provision that the charter be registered in the county where the club's chief operations were carried on. That, actually, was Cambria County!
2) The dam had had some previous breaks and only minimal repairs, but wasn't very deep at that time.
3) Many important men's names were on the list of members

On the day before the flood, Memorial Day of 1889, planned events went off without a hitch. Rain began that afternoon, bothering some but it wasn't unusual in Spring. When the steady, pouring rain made the Little Conemeau River rise, Johnstown residents again had to prepare for flooding - and the water in the town streets kept rising until eventrain service was interrupted. As the water rose and important people became concerned, a few blunders were made. People who should have paid attention to warnings didn't; but several took those warning seriously and did what they could toward safety. A telegraph line break made it more difficult when, finally, three messages were attempted, to alert the town below that the dam had given way. Meanwhile, an enormous wave of water was gathering debris and making its way down the mountain, following the riverway but spreading wider. So many lives were in the path of that wave. The horrors that many went through were told later, in news accounts and writings. The water barreled down from the top of the mountain, through the gap, past and through towns, then completely over a town, on into Johnstown. It left massive destruction in its wake and thousands dead, many never identified. The recovery was not only awful, ut slow. Volunteers from all around lent their help and the railroad was able to be up and running to bring in needed provisions in just a few days. The railroad was beneficial; it made such a large difference in what could be done. Hundreds of reporters and photographers, and thousands of others (some with evil intent) descended on the area, making cleanup much more difficult. There was a terrible lack, for a while, of sufficient food and housing for all these people and it took its toll on everyone. Some reporters made up outrageous stories that nobody could deny, a ficticious "savior on horseback" was invented, and newspapers all over the country had a heady time for a week as all kinds of publications took advantage of the disaster. But the sympathy they raised resulted in many staggering donations from all over both this country and other countries. Many trainloads of food and goods and millions of dollars were donated. Then the dreaded disease Typhoid Fever arrived! But with care, most of the victims survived.

On the Sunday after the flood, a prayer service was held. Afterward, John Fulton noted that he'd warned that the dam was unsafe. This unleashed a furor.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • John G. Parke, Jr.: Resident of Johnstown, an engineer at the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club. Alerted the town of danger. He was young, a nephew of the current superintendent of West Point.
  • George and Mathilde Heiser: George owned and operated a store on Washington Street in Johnstown. They lived over their store with their 16-year old son, Victor. Mathilde kept the store's books now because George was too easy-going.
  • Victor Heiser: The well-educated son of George and Mathilde, a survivor of the flood and one who had good recall of the events.
  • Reverend H. L. Chapman: A Methodist parson whose family was relatively new to Johnstown but he had grown up in the area.
  • Benjamin Ruff: One of the launchers of the club. He'd bought the dam, the lake and 160 acres for $2,000 and got 15 investors to begin the club.
  • Henry Clay Frick: Joined with Ruff as partner, with Andrew Carnegi, in the coke trade. He was commander-in-chief of Carnegie, Phipps & Company, iron and steel enterprises.
  • Daniel Johnson Morrell: Manager in 1879 of Cambria Iron Company, a Quaker and an important man of his time. He was instrumental in bringing about steel-making innovations. Held two terms in Congress; was an extremely fair employer for the times. He was concerned when Ruff began restoring the dam in '79. He died in 1885.
  • Capt. Bill Jones: Tough Welshman who knew the steel business well. He wasn't afraid to try something new and brought one of Carnegie's steel mills to top production. He was offered a partnership but turned it down.
  • John Fulton: A trained engineer sent by Morell to examine the dam. He sent a negative report to the club that was ignored.
  • Horace Rose: About 50, resident of Johnstown, a war hero, a lawyer; married and a father to several children. He'd come through other floods and new to move his family when the waters deepened.
  • U. Ed Schwartzentruver: Only 14 at the time of the flood. He lived through it and had excellent recall 76 years later.
  • Dan Sibert: A rider sent from South Fork to check the dam's condition.
  • Emma Ehrenfeld: A telegraph operator at South Fork. Three people had her send messages to Mineral Point of the expected danger.
  • Robert Pitcairn: A division head for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Pittsburgh. He'd been sent 3 telegrams warning of the dam's breaking. He helped a lot during the recovery work, doing whatever possible to speed things up to get aid.
  • Col. E. J. Unger: Recently named club president, he lived year-round at the lake, just beyond the spillway.
  • George T. Swank: The editor and proprietor of the "Tribune", Johnstown's newspaper. At one time, he kept a running log of the day's events, just as the dam was giving way.
  • Charles Warthen: A conductor of the mail train that had been standing in East Conemaugh, unable to continue on. He was responsible for their survival.
  • Gertrude Quinn: A little girl, 6, who lived through the flood. Her recall helped to piece together much of the story.
  • James Quinn: Gertrude's father, head of a family of seven children (5 girls, 2 boys). prominent in Johnstown. His father-in-law, John Geis, started the dry goods store James ran.
  • Maxwell McAchren: A powerful millworker who was responsible for Gertrude Quinn's survival.
  • Arthur J. Moxham: Chosen to organize Johnstown's recovery. He was young and able, a successful and energetic businessman.
  • Henry S. Brown: A reporter for the Philadephia "Press" who traveled many miles to Johnstown by horse and wagon when the trains weren't able to move.
  • F. Jennings Crute: Also a "Press" reporter, but he traveled MANY extra miles, by train, to reach Johnstown just about the same time Brown did.
  • Clara Barton: The famed founder of the Red Cross. At age 67 she brought a delegation of doctors and nurses to Johnstown to aid victims of the flood. She stayed 5 months.
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Setting & Locations edit see section history

Philadelphia
  • Johnstown: A town at the bottom of one of the Allegheny mountains; an iron and steel company town with many progressive ways and a population of about 10,000, in 1889. The area was serviced by several railroad companies. The people were poor but didn't know it; there was an energy and vitality to life that would be missed in later years. Many of the people were millworkers, living near the mill they worked in. Two of the mills were the Cambria Iron Company and Gautier Steel Company,a subisdiary where barbed wire was made.
  • South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club: in Cambria County, a private club for wealthy patrons on the shore of a large lake. It was a large building with 47 rooms. Sixteen"cottages" (large and elegant) had been built for and by the members. Many types of smaller boats and two steam yachts sailed the lake.
  • Pittsburgh: A large city not very far from Johnstown and the other, smaller area towns. The members of the club mainly came from there, so they were called "The Pittsburgh People", many of them millionaires or more. The city itself was too large for these people, the air quality was unpleasant with all the mills going, and for the same reason the water quality wasn't great.
  • Cambria: The county Johnstown and the club were in.
  • The Viaduct: One of the landmarks of the country, standing 75 feet high and bridging the river gap with a single 80 foot arch. .
  • South Fork: A borough where there was a train depot and the telegraph tower where Emma Ehrenfeld worked.
  • Mineral Point: A small village of about 30 white frame houses; pretty, quiet, clean. It housed a telegraph tower. The town suffered 16 deaths.
  • East Conemaugh: One of the boroughs above Johnstown where two sections of the "Day Express" out of Pittsburgh were held, as well as a mail train. Here, the dispatcher received a message about the possibility of a dam break, but it was mostly ignored. There was a railroad roundhouse housing nine engines, with another 19 or so engines elsewhere and 3 passenger trains.
  • Woodvale: A relatively new town, a bit bigger than East Conemaugh, the pride of the Cambria Iron Company which built it. Clean white houses made it look like a New England town. Connected to Johnstown by a streetcar line. About 1,000 people lived there. No warning of the flood was given.

Organizations edit see section history

  • American Red Cross: An organization begun by Clara Barton in 1881 to respond to disasters and emergencies.

First Sentence edit see section history

Again that morning there had been a bright frost in the hollow below the dam, and the sun was not up long before storm clouds rolled in from the southeast.

Table of Contents edit see section history

I The Sky was red pg. 19
II Sailboats on the mountain pg. 39
III "There's a man came from te lake." pg. 79
IV Rush of the torrent pg. 101
V "Run for your lives!" pg. 145
VI A message from Mr. Pitcairn pg. 174
VII In the valley of death pg. 183
VIII "No pen can describe ..." pg. 205
IX "Our misery is the work of man." pg. 238

List of Victims pg. 269
Bibliography pg. 287
Index pg. 293

List of illustrations (about 33)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. David G. McCullough (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1968
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 301

Classification edit see section history

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