THE 1889 JOHNSTOWN FLOOD (PT 1) HEROES & SURVIVORS

On May 31st 1889 the earthen dam holding back Lake Conemaugh 15 bmiles upstream from Johnstown, PA burst duriung heavy spring rains, sending a 40 foot wave of death down a narrow river valley in which was located 80,000 persons, and finally reaching Johnstown with houses, alive and dead persons, trees, and scrap of all types, which caught on fire when it all hit the bridge at Johnstown, literally roasting many survivors alive in the conflagration. We feature survivor and author accounts in part one, and in part 2 we deal with the aftermath and investigations. This is a unique history lesson in that there had been warnings, and there had been prior floods- and no action was taken to shore up the dam which caused all the deaths.

 

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