Johnstown Flood
Encyclopedia
The Johnstown Flood occurred on May 31, 1889. It was the result of the catastrophic failure
of the South Fork Dam
situated 14 miles (22.5 km) upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania
, USA, made worse by several days of extremely heavy rain
fall. The dam's failure unleashed a torrent of 20 million tons of water (4.8 billion U.S. gallons; 18.2 million cubic meters; 18.2 billion litres). The flood killed over 2,200 people and caused US$17 million of damage. It was the first major disaster relief effort handled by the new American Red Cross
, led by Clara Barton
. Support for victims came from all over the United States
and 18 foreign countries. After the flood, victims suffered a series of legal defeats in their attempt to recover damages from the dam's owners. Public indignation at that failure prompted a major development in American law—state courts' move from a fault
-based regime to strict liability
.
and the Cambria Iron Works in the 1850s
. By 1889, Johnstown was a town of Welsh
and German
immigrants. With a population of 30,000, it was a growing industrial community known for the quality of its steel
.
The high, steep hills of the narrow Conemaugh Valley and the Allegheny Mountains
range to the east kept development close to the riverfront areas, and subjected the valley to large amounts of runoff from rain and snowfall. The area surrounding Johnstown is prone to flooding due to its position at the confluence of the Stony Creek
and Little Conemaugh
Rivers, forming the Conemaugh River
, whose upstream watersheds include an extensive drainage basin of the Allegheny plateau. Adding to these factors, artificial narrowing of the riverbed for the purposes of early industrial development made the city even more flood-prone. The Conemaugh River immediately downstream of Johnstown is hemmed in by steep mountainsides for approximately 10 miles (16 km). Today, a plaque at the scenic overlook on Pennsylvania Route 56 about 4 miles (6 km) outside Johnstown cites this gorge as the deepest river gap in the entire United States east of the Rocky Mountains.
was built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
between 1838 and 1853, as part of a cross-state canal system, the Main Line of Public Works
. Johnstown was the eastern terminus of the Western Division Canal, and the reservoir behind the dam, Lake Conemaugh, supplied it with water. As railroads superseded canal barge transport, the canal was abandoned by the Commonwealth and sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad
. The dam and lake were part of the purchase, and PRR sold them to private interests.
Henry Clay Frick
led a group of speculators including Benjamin Ruff to purchase the abandoned reservoir, modify it, and convert it into a private resort lake for the wealthy of Pittsburgh
, many of whom were closely associated with Carnegie Steel. The changes included lowering the dam to make its top wide enough to hold a road, and putting a fish screen in the spillway
(that also trapped debris). These alterations are thought to have increased the vulnerability of the dam. They built cottages and a clubhouse to create the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club
, an exclusive and secretive mountain retreat. Membership grew to include over 50 wealthy Pittsburgh steel, coal
, and railroad industrialists.
Lake Conemaugh at the club's site was 450 feet (137.2 m) in elevation above Johnstown. The lake was about 2 miles (3.2 km) long, approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) wide, and 60 feet (18.3 m) deep near the dam. The lake had a perimeter of 7 miles (11.3 km) to hold 20 million tons of water.
The dam was 72 feet (21.9 m) high and 931 feet (283.8 m) long. Between 1881 when the club was opened, and 1889, the dam frequently sprang leaks and was patched, mostly with mud and straw. Additionally, a previous owner removed and sold for scrap the 3 cast iron discharge pipes that previously allowed a controlled release of water. There had been some speculation as to the dam's integrity, and concerns had been raised by the head of the Cambria Iron Works downstream in Johnstown. Carnegie Steel's chief competitor, the Cambria Iron and Steel Company, at that time boasted the world's largest annual steel production. However, no major corrective action was taken, and the flawed dam held the waters of Lake Conemaugh back until the disaster of May 31, 1889.
and Kansas
, moving east. When the storm struck the Johnstown-South Fork area two days later it was the worst downpour that had ever been recorded in that part of the country. The U.S. Army Signal Corps estimated that 6 to 10 in (152.4 to 254 mm) of rain
fell in 24 hours over the entire region. During the night small creeks became roaring torrents, ripping out trees and debris. Telegraph lines were downed and rail lines were washed away. Before daybreak the Conemaugh River
that ran through Johnstown was about to burst its banks.
On the morning of May 31, 1889, in a farmhouse on a hill just above the South Fork Dam, Elias Unger, the president of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club at the time, awoke to the sight of Lake Conemaugh swollen after a night-long heavy rainfall. Unger ran outside in the still-pouring rain to assess the situation and saw that the water was nearly cresting the dam. Unger quickly assembled a group of men to try to save the face of the dam by trying to unclog the spillway which was blocked by the broken fish trap and debris caused by the swollen waterline. Other men tried digging another spillway at the other end of the dam to relieve the pressure, without success. Most remained on top of the dam, some plowing earth to raise it, while others tried to pile mud and rock on the face to save the eroding wall.
John Parke, an engineer for the South Fork Club, briefly considered cutting through the dam's end, where the pressure would be less, but decided against it. Twice, under orders from Unger, Parke rode on horseback to the nearby town of South Fork to the telegraph office to send warnings to Johnstown explaining the critical nature of the eroding dam. But the warnings were not passed onto the authorities in town since there had been many false alarms in the past of the South Fork Dam not holding against flooding. Unger, Parke, and the rest of the men continued working to save the face of the dam until they were exhausted; they abandoned their efforts at around 1:30 p.m. when they felt that their work was futile and the dam would collapse at any minute. Unger ordered all of his men to fall back to high ground on both sides of the dam where they could do nothing but wait. During the day in Johnstown, the situation worsened as water rose to as much as 10 feet (3 m) in the streets.
At around 3:10 p.m., the South Fork Dam burst, allowing the 20 million tons of Lake Conemaugh to cascade down the Little Conemaugh River. It took about 40 minutes for the entire lake to drain of the water. The first town to be hit by the flood was the small town of South Fork. Fortunately, the town was on high ground and most of the people ran farther up the nearby hills when they saw the dam spill over. Despite 20 to 30 houses being destroyed or washed away, only four people were killed.
On its way downstream toward Johnstown, the crest picked up debris, such as trees, houses, and animals. At the Conemaugh Viaduct, a 78 feet (23.8 m) high railroad bridge, the flood temporarily was stopped when debris jammed against the stone bridge's arch. But after around seven minutes, the viaduct collapsed, allowing the flood to resume its course. Because of this, the force of the surge gained renewed momentum, resulting in a stronger force hitting Johnstown than otherwise would have been expected. The small town of Mineral Point, one mile (1.6 km) below the Conemaugh Viaduct, was hit with this renewed force. About 30 families lived on the village's single street. After the flood, only a bare rock remained. About 16 people were killed.
The village of East Conemaugh was next to be hit by the flood. One witness on high ground near the town described the water as almost obscured by debris, resembling "a huge hill rolling over and over". Locomotive engineer John Hess, sitting in his locomotive, heard the rumbling of the approaching flood and, correctly assuming what it was, tried to warn people by tying down the train whistle and racing toward the town by riding backwards to warn the residents ahead of the wave. His warning saved many people who were able to get to high ground. But at least 50 people died, including about 25 passengers stranded on trains in the town. Hess himself miraculously survived despite the flood picking up his locomotive and tossing it aside.
Just before hitting the main part of the city, the flood surge hit the Cambria Iron Works at the town of Woodvale, taking with it railroad cars and barbed wire. Of Woodvale's 1,100 residents, 314 died in the flood. Boilers exploded when the flood hit the Gautier Wire Works, causing black smoke seen by the Johnstown residents.
Some 57 minutes after the South Fork Dam collapsed, the flood hit Johnstown. The inhabitants of Johnstown were caught by surprise as the wall of water and debris bore down on the village, traveling at 40 miles per hour (64.4 km/h) and reaching a height of 60 feet (18.3 m) in places. Some, realizing the danger, tried to escape by running towards high ground. But most people were hit by the surging floodwater. Many people were crushed by pieces of debris, and others became caught in barbed wire from the wire factory upstream. Those who sought safety in attics, or managed to stay afloat on pieces of floating debris, waited hours for help to arrive.
At Johnstown, the Stone Bridge
, which was a substantial arched structure, carried the Pennsylvania Railroad
across the Conemaugh River
. The debris that was carried by the flood formed a temporary dam, stopping further progress of the water. The flood surge rolled upstream along the Stoney Creek River. Eventually, gravity caused the surge to return to the dam, causing a second wave to hit the city, but from a different direction. Some people who had been washed downstream became trapped in an inferno as debris that had piled up against the Stone Bridge caught fire, killing at least 80 people. The fire at the Stone Bridge burned for three days. Afterwards, the pile of debris there covered 30 acres (12.1 ha), and reached 70 feet (21.3 m) in height. The mass of debris took three months to remove, because of the masses of steel wire from the ironworks binding it. Dynamite
was eventually used to clear it. As of June 2011, the Stone Bridge is still standing, and is often portrayed as one of the images of the flood.
The total death toll was 2,209, making the disaster the largest loss of civilian life in the United States at the time. It was later surpassed by the 1900 Galveston hurricane and the 9/11 attacks (in which, coincidentally, one of the hijacked airliners
crashed near Shanksville, just 20 miles (32.2 km) south of Johnstown). Some historians believe the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane
also killed more people in the U.S. than did the Johnstown Flood, but the official death toll was lower.
Ninety-nine entire families died in the Johnstown deluge, including 396 children. 124 women and 198 men were left without their spouses, 98 children lost both parents. 777 victims (1 of every 3 bodies found) were never identified and rest in the Plot of the Unknown in Grandview Cemetery in Westmont. An "eternal flame" burns at Point Park in Johnstown, at the confluence of the Stonycreek and Little Conemaugh Rivers, in memory of the flood victims.
Working seven days and nights, workmen replaced the huge stone railroad viaduct
that had all but disappeared in the flood.
It was the worst flood to hit the U.S. in the 19th century. 1,600 homes were destroyed, $17 million in property damage was done, and 4 square miles (10.4 km²) of downtown Johnstown were completely destroyed. Clean-up operations continued for years. Although Cambria Iron and Steel's facilities were heavily damaged, they returned to full production within a year and a half.
The Pennsylvania Railroad
restored service to Pittsburgh
, 55 miles (88.5 km) away, by June 2. Food, clothing, medicine, and other provisions began arriving. Morticians came by railroad. Johnstown’s first call for help requested coffins and undertakers. Demolition
expert "Dynamite
Bill" Flinn and his 900-man crew cleared the wreckage at the Stone Bridge. They carted off debris, distributed food, and erected temporary housing. At its peak, the army of relief workers totaled about 7,000.
One of the first outsiders to arrive was Clara Barton
(1821-1912), nurse and president of the American Red Cross
. Barton arrived on June 5, 1889, to lead the group's first major disaster relief effort and didn't leave for over 5 months. She and many other volunteers worked tirelessly. Donations for the relief effort came from all over the United States and overseas. $3,742,818.78 was collected for the Johnstown relief effort from within the U.S. and 18 foreign countries, including Russia
, Turkey
, France
, Great Britain
, Australia
, and Germany
.
Frank Shomo, the last known survivor of the flood, died March 20, 1997, at the age of 108.
.
More recently, on the night of July 19, 1977, a relentless storm reminiscent of 1889 bombarded the watershed above the city and the rivers began to rise. By dawn, the city was under water that reached as high as 8 feet (2.4 m). The seven counties disaster area suffered $200 million in property damage and 80 lost lives, 40 of which were caused by the Laurel Run Dam
failure. Another 50,000 were rendered homeless as a result of the "100 year flood". Markers on one corner of City Hall at 401 Main Street show the height of the crests of the 1889, 1936, and 1977 floods.
for the tragedy. The club had bought and redesigned the dam to turn the area into a vacation retreat in the mountains. However, they were accused of failing to maintain the dam properly, so that it was unable to contain the additional water of the unusually heavy rainfall. Despite the accusations and evidence, they were successfully defended by the firm of Knox and Reed (now Reed Smith LLP), both partners of which (Philander Knox and James Hay Reed) were Club members. The Club was never held legally responsible for the disaster. Although a suit was filed, the court held the dam break to have been an Act of God
, and granted the survivors no legal compensation.
Individual members of the club, millionaires in their day, only contributed meagerly to the relief efforts. Along with about half of the club members, Henry Clay Frick donated thousands of dollars to the relief effort in Johnstown. After the flood, Andrew Carnegie, one of the club's better known members, built the town a new library. In modern times, this former library is owned by the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, and houses The Flood Museum. Remnants of the dam are preserved as part of Johnstown Flood National Memorial
, established in 1964.
As a result of this criticism, the 1890s saw states around the country adopt Rylands v. Fletcher, a British common law precedent that had been largely ignored in America. State courts' adoption of Rylands, which held that a non-negligent defendant could be held liable for damage caused by the unnatural use of land, foreshadowed the entire legal system's twentieth century acceptance of strict liability
.
imposed an emergency tax on all alcohol sold in the Commonwealth. The "temporary" 10% tax was initially intended to help pay for clean up, recovery, and assistance to flood victims. The tax still exists and in 1963 was even raised to 15% and again in 1968 to 18% (not including the statewide 6% sales tax). The nearly $200 million collected annually no longer goes to flood victims, however, instead going into the general fund for discretionary use by lawmakers.
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
states:
Dark fantasy
author Caitlín R. Kiernan
made the Johnstown Flood the central focus of her 1994 short story "To This Water (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 1889)", which appears in her collection Tales of Pain and Wonder
. In the story, the flood serves as a catalyst for revenge in what is essentially a ghost story
.
Bruce Springsteen
's song "Highway Patrolman", from the Nebraska
album (1982), references the event. The narrator of the song and his brother take turns "dancing with Maria, as the band played 'Night of the Johnstown Flood'".
Catherine Marshall
wrote a historical fiction novel Julie about a teenage girl in a small Pennsylvania town below an earthen dam not properly maintained by the Hunting and Fishing Club. Although set in the 1930s
instead of 1889, this is a much researched account of the Johnstown Flood.
Kathleen Cambor wrote the novel In Sunlight, In a Beautiful Garden
based on the Johnstown Flood. It is a mixture of fact and fiction. The references to historical persons are accurate and the book is well researched.
Brian Booker's short story A Drowning Accident, published by the literary periodical One Story
(Issue #57, May 30, 2005), was largely based on and influenced by the Johnstown Flood of 1889.
Murray Leinster
's two time travellers were unable to convince the Johnstown population of the coming disaster in his 1966 novel The Time Tunnel
.
The Johnstown Flood is mentioned in Rudyard Kipling
's book Captains Courageous
as the disaster that wiped out the family of "Pennsylvania Pratt" (originally Moravian lay preacher Jakob Boller) causing his mind to give out. He briefly returns to reality, becoming his former self and recalling the disaster when a steamship runs down another fishing boat.
Pulitzer prize-winning historian David McCullough
devotes an entire volume to the disaster in his book The Johnstown Flood.
Michael Dudek, a Johnstown resident and author, references the Johnstown Flood in his book "The Fairytale of the Morley Dog". The book is a fantasy about Morley's dog, famous to Johnstown residents, and his adventures. In the book, the dog is claimed to be seen saving children from the flood waters. A statue of Morley's dog, "Johnstown's best friend", stands in a park at the corner of Main and Market Streets.
The foreseen flood figured prominently in the plot of Paul Mark Tag's novel Prophecy.
Marden A. Dahlstedt, a young readers' author, wrote one girl's account of the flood in her 1972 book The Terrible Wave. The book was partly based on the story of Gertrude Quinn (Slattery), who was a six-year-old girl at the time of the Flood. Gertrude Quinn Slattery wrote a book in 1936 called "Johnstown and its Flood."
The flood was also the subject of William McGonagall's poem The Pennsylvania Disaster.
The flood was also mentioned in John Jakes
' "The Americans", the final installment of The Kent Family Chronicles
. Elenor and Leo find themselves in Johnstown when the flood takes place and Jakes gives an account of the experience of those in the town during the 24 hours prior to the flood, during the flood, and shortly after the flood.
It is the main topic of the Peg Kehret
book The Flood Disaster. In the book, two students are assigned a project on The Johnstown Flood. They travel back in time using a time traveling device called the "instant commuter" to see the flood in person and help them with their project. Things go terribly wrong, however, when they become stuck in 1889 during the flood.
It was the putative inspiration for the album "Johnstown" by Canadian musician Oh Susanna.
The attempt to save the people of Johnstown from the oncoming flood is mentioned by the folksinger John Stewart in his song "Mother Country," in a recitation of heroic actions by Americans at various points in the country's history.
An episode of the 1940s cartoon Mighty Mouse
featured the Johnstown Flood.
The Star Trek: The Original Series
novel Rough Trails
(third part of the Star Trek: New Earth
mini-series) by L.A. Graf is a recreation of the Johnstown Flood set on another planet.
Americana
recording artist, Angela Easterling released a track called "Johnstown, Pennsylvania" on her 2011 album, "Beguiler". The disaster is described from the point of view of a young woman who was initially saved by her fiancé, but eventually succumbs to the flood waters.
Catastrophic failure
A catastrophic failure is a sudden and total failure of some system from which recovery is impossible. Catastrophic failures often lead to cascading systems failure....
of the South Fork Dam
South Fork Dam
The South Fork Dam was located on Lake Conemaugh, an artificial body of water located near South Fork, Pennsylvania, United States. On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed catastrophically and 20 million tons of water from Lake Conemaugh burst through and raced 14 miles downstream, causing the...
situated 14 miles (22.5 km) upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, USA, made worse by several days of extremely heavy rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
fall. The dam's failure unleashed a torrent of 20 million tons of water (4.8 billion U.S. gallons; 18.2 million cubic meters; 18.2 billion litres). The flood killed over 2,200 people and caused US$17 million of damage. It was the first major disaster relief effort handled by the new American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, led by Clara Barton
Clara Barton
Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was a pioneer American teacher, patent clerk, nurse, and humanitarian. She is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross.-Youth, education, and family nursing:...
. Support for victims came from all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 18 foreign countries. After the flood, victims suffered a series of legal defeats in their attempt to recover damages from the dam's owners. Public indignation at that failure prompted a major development in American law—state courts' move from a fault
Fault (legal)
Fault, as a legal term, refers to legal blameworthiness and responsibility in each area of law. It refers to both the actus reus and the mental state of the defendant. The basic principle is that a defendant should be able to contemplate the harm that his actions may cause, and therefore should...
-based regime to strict liability
Strict liability
In law, strict liability is a standard for liability which may exist in either a criminal or civil context. A rule specifying strict liability makes a person legally responsible for the damage and loss caused by his or her acts and omissions regardless of culpability...
.
History
Founded in 1800 by Swiss immigrant Joseph Johns, Johnstown began to prosper with the building of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal in 1836 and the arrival of the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and the Cambria Iron Works in the 1850s
1850s
- Wars :* Crimean war fought between Imperial Russia and an alliance consisting of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire...
. By 1889, Johnstown was a town of Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
and German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrants. With a population of 30,000, it was a growing industrial community known for the quality of its steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
.
The high, steep hills of the narrow Conemaugh Valley and the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
range to the east kept development close to the riverfront areas, and subjected the valley to large amounts of runoff from rain and snowfall. The area surrounding Johnstown is prone to flooding due to its position at the confluence of the Stony Creek
Stony Creek
Stony Creek may refer to some places in the United States:Waterways* Stony Creek , a tributary of the Sacramento River* Stony Creek , a tributary of the Patapsco River...
and Little Conemaugh
Little Conemaugh River
The Little Conemaugh River is a tributary of the Conemaugh River, approximately 30 mi long, in western Pennsylvania in the United States....
Rivers, forming the Conemaugh River
Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh River is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.- Course :...
, whose upstream watersheds include an extensive drainage basin of the Allegheny plateau. Adding to these factors, artificial narrowing of the riverbed for the purposes of early industrial development made the city even more flood-prone. The Conemaugh River immediately downstream of Johnstown is hemmed in by steep mountainsides for approximately 10 miles (16 km). Today, a plaque at the scenic overlook on Pennsylvania Route 56 about 4 miles (6 km) outside Johnstown cites this gorge as the deepest river gap in the entire United States east of the Rocky Mountains.
South Fork Dam and Lake Conemaugh
High above the city, the South Fork DamSouth Fork Dam
The South Fork Dam was located on Lake Conemaugh, an artificial body of water located near South Fork, Pennsylvania, United States. On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed catastrophically and 20 million tons of water from Lake Conemaugh burst through and raced 14 miles downstream, causing the...
was built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
between 1838 and 1853, as part of a cross-state canal system, the Main Line of Public Works
Main Line of Public Works
The Main Line of Public Works was a railroad and canal system built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. It ran from Philadelphia west through Harrisburg and across the state to Pittsburgh and connected with other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal...
. Johnstown was the eastern terminus of the Western Division Canal, and the reservoir behind the dam, Lake Conemaugh, supplied it with water. As railroads superseded canal barge transport, the canal was abandoned by the Commonwealth and sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. The dam and lake were part of the purchase, and PRR sold them to private interests.
Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick was an American industrialist, financier, and art patron. He founded the H. C. Frick & Company coke manufacturing company, was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, and played a major role in the formation of the giant U.S. Steel steel manufacturing concern...
led a group of speculators including Benjamin Ruff to purchase the abandoned reservoir, modify it, and convert it into a private resort lake for the wealthy of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, many of whom were closely associated with Carnegie Steel. The changes included lowering the dam to make its top wide enough to hold a road, and putting a fish screen in the spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
(that also trapped debris). These alterations are thought to have increased the vulnerability of the dam. They built cottages and a clubhouse to create the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club
South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club
The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club was a Pennsylvania corporation which operated an exclusive and secretive retreat at a mountain lake near South Fork, Pennsylvania for more than fifty extremely wealthy men and their families...
, an exclusive and secretive mountain retreat. Membership grew to include over 50 wealthy Pittsburgh steel, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, and railroad industrialists.
Lake Conemaugh at the club's site was 450 feet (137.2 m) in elevation above Johnstown. The lake was about 2 miles (3.2 km) long, approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) wide, and 60 feet (18.3 m) deep near the dam. The lake had a perimeter of 7 miles (11.3 km) to hold 20 million tons of water.
The dam was 72 feet (21.9 m) high and 931 feet (283.8 m) long. Between 1881 when the club was opened, and 1889, the dam frequently sprang leaks and was patched, mostly with mud and straw. Additionally, a previous owner removed and sold for scrap the 3 cast iron discharge pipes that previously allowed a controlled release of water. There had been some speculation as to the dam's integrity, and concerns had been raised by the head of the Cambria Iron Works downstream in Johnstown. Carnegie Steel's chief competitor, the Cambria Iron and Steel Company, at that time boasted the world's largest annual steel production. However, no major corrective action was taken, and the flawed dam held the waters of Lake Conemaugh back until the disaster of May 31, 1889.
The Great Flood of 1889
On May 28, 1889, a storm formed over NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
and Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, moving east. When the storm struck the Johnstown-South Fork area two days later it was the worst downpour that had ever been recorded in that part of the country. The U.S. Army Signal Corps estimated that 6 to 10 in (152.4 to 254 mm) of rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
fell in 24 hours over the entire region. During the night small creeks became roaring torrents, ripping out trees and debris. Telegraph lines were downed and rail lines were washed away. Before daybreak the Conemaugh River
Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh River is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.- Course :...
that ran through Johnstown was about to burst its banks.
On the morning of May 31, 1889, in a farmhouse on a hill just above the South Fork Dam, Elias Unger, the president of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club at the time, awoke to the sight of Lake Conemaugh swollen after a night-long heavy rainfall. Unger ran outside in the still-pouring rain to assess the situation and saw that the water was nearly cresting the dam. Unger quickly assembled a group of men to try to save the face of the dam by trying to unclog the spillway which was blocked by the broken fish trap and debris caused by the swollen waterline. Other men tried digging another spillway at the other end of the dam to relieve the pressure, without success. Most remained on top of the dam, some plowing earth to raise it, while others tried to pile mud and rock on the face to save the eroding wall.
John Parke, an engineer for the South Fork Club, briefly considered cutting through the dam's end, where the pressure would be less, but decided against it. Twice, under orders from Unger, Parke rode on horseback to the nearby town of South Fork to the telegraph office to send warnings to Johnstown explaining the critical nature of the eroding dam. But the warnings were not passed onto the authorities in town since there had been many false alarms in the past of the South Fork Dam not holding against flooding. Unger, Parke, and the rest of the men continued working to save the face of the dam until they were exhausted; they abandoned their efforts at around 1:30 p.m. when they felt that their work was futile and the dam would collapse at any minute. Unger ordered all of his men to fall back to high ground on both sides of the dam where they could do nothing but wait. During the day in Johnstown, the situation worsened as water rose to as much as 10 feet (3 m) in the streets.
At around 3:10 p.m., the South Fork Dam burst, allowing the 20 million tons of Lake Conemaugh to cascade down the Little Conemaugh River. It took about 40 minutes for the entire lake to drain of the water. The first town to be hit by the flood was the small town of South Fork. Fortunately, the town was on high ground and most of the people ran farther up the nearby hills when they saw the dam spill over. Despite 20 to 30 houses being destroyed or washed away, only four people were killed.
On its way downstream toward Johnstown, the crest picked up debris, such as trees, houses, and animals. At the Conemaugh Viaduct, a 78 feet (23.8 m) high railroad bridge, the flood temporarily was stopped when debris jammed against the stone bridge's arch. But after around seven minutes, the viaduct collapsed, allowing the flood to resume its course. Because of this, the force of the surge gained renewed momentum, resulting in a stronger force hitting Johnstown than otherwise would have been expected. The small town of Mineral Point, one mile (1.6 km) below the Conemaugh Viaduct, was hit with this renewed force. About 30 families lived on the village's single street. After the flood, only a bare rock remained. About 16 people were killed.
The village of East Conemaugh was next to be hit by the flood. One witness on high ground near the town described the water as almost obscured by debris, resembling "a huge hill rolling over and over". Locomotive engineer John Hess, sitting in his locomotive, heard the rumbling of the approaching flood and, correctly assuming what it was, tried to warn people by tying down the train whistle and racing toward the town by riding backwards to warn the residents ahead of the wave. His warning saved many people who were able to get to high ground. But at least 50 people died, including about 25 passengers stranded on trains in the town. Hess himself miraculously survived despite the flood picking up his locomotive and tossing it aside.
Just before hitting the main part of the city, the flood surge hit the Cambria Iron Works at the town of Woodvale, taking with it railroad cars and barbed wire. Of Woodvale's 1,100 residents, 314 died in the flood. Boilers exploded when the flood hit the Gautier Wire Works, causing black smoke seen by the Johnstown residents.
Some 57 minutes after the South Fork Dam collapsed, the flood hit Johnstown. The inhabitants of Johnstown were caught by surprise as the wall of water and debris bore down on the village, traveling at 40 miles per hour (64.4 km/h) and reaching a height of 60 feet (18.3 m) in places. Some, realizing the danger, tried to escape by running towards high ground. But most people were hit by the surging floodwater. Many people were crushed by pieces of debris, and others became caught in barbed wire from the wire factory upstream. Those who sought safety in attics, or managed to stay afloat on pieces of floating debris, waited hours for help to arrive.
Stone Bridge (Johnstown, Pennsylvania)
The Stone Bridge spans the Conemaugh River in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The bridge is a seven-arch stone railroad bridge located on the Norfolk Southern mainline, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1887-88. Its upstream face was reinforced with concrete in 1929...
, which was a substantial arched structure, carried the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
across the Conemaugh River
Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh River is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.- Course :...
. The debris that was carried by the flood formed a temporary dam, stopping further progress of the water. The flood surge rolled upstream along the Stoney Creek River. Eventually, gravity caused the surge to return to the dam, causing a second wave to hit the city, but from a different direction. Some people who had been washed downstream became trapped in an inferno as debris that had piled up against the Stone Bridge caught fire, killing at least 80 people. The fire at the Stone Bridge burned for three days. Afterwards, the pile of debris there covered 30 acres (12.1 ha), and reached 70 feet (21.3 m) in height. The mass of debris took three months to remove, because of the masses of steel wire from the ironworks binding it. Dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
was eventually used to clear it. As of June 2011, the Stone Bridge is still standing, and is often portrayed as one of the images of the flood.
Aftermath
United Airlines Flight 93
United Airlines Flight 93 was United Airlines' scheduled morning transcontinental flight across the United States from Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco International Airport in California. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the Boeing 757–222 aircraft operating the...
crashed near Shanksville, just 20 miles (32.2 km) south of Johnstown). Some historians believe the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane
1928 Okeechobee Hurricane
The Okeechobee hurricane, or San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was a deadly hurricane that struck the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Florida in September of the 1928 Atlantic hurricane season...
also killed more people in the U.S. than did the Johnstown Flood, but the official death toll was lower.
Ninety-nine entire families died in the Johnstown deluge, including 396 children. 124 women and 198 men were left without their spouses, 98 children lost both parents. 777 victims (1 of every 3 bodies found) were never identified and rest in the Plot of the Unknown in Grandview Cemetery in Westmont. An "eternal flame" burns at Point Park in Johnstown, at the confluence of the Stonycreek and Little Conemaugh Rivers, in memory of the flood victims.
Working seven days and nights, workmen replaced the huge stone railroad viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
that had all but disappeared in the flood.
It was the worst flood to hit the U.S. in the 19th century. 1,600 homes were destroyed, $17 million in property damage was done, and 4 square miles (10.4 km²) of downtown Johnstown were completely destroyed. Clean-up operations continued for years. Although Cambria Iron and Steel's facilities were heavily damaged, they returned to full production within a year and a half.
The Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
restored service to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, 55 miles (88.5 km) away, by June 2. Food, clothing, medicine, and other provisions began arriving. Morticians came by railroad. Johnstown’s first call for help requested coffins and undertakers. Demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
expert "Dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
Bill" Flinn and his 900-man crew cleared the wreckage at the Stone Bridge. They carted off debris, distributed food, and erected temporary housing. At its peak, the army of relief workers totaled about 7,000.
One of the first outsiders to arrive was Clara Barton
Clara Barton
Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was a pioneer American teacher, patent clerk, nurse, and humanitarian. She is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross.-Youth, education, and family nursing:...
(1821-1912), nurse and president of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
. Barton arrived on June 5, 1889, to lead the group's first major disaster relief effort and didn't leave for over 5 months. She and many other volunteers worked tirelessly. Donations for the relief effort came from all over the United States and overseas. $3,742,818.78 was collected for the Johnstown relief effort from within the U.S. and 18 foreign countries, including Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Frank Shomo, the last known survivor of the flood, died March 20, 1997, at the age of 108.
Subsequent floods
Floods have continued to be a concern for Johnstown. Johnstown has experienced additional major flooding in subsequent years, including 1894, 1907, and 1924. The most significant flood of the first half of the 20th century was the St. Patrick's Day Flood of March 1936, which also reached Pittsburgh and became known as the Great Pittsburgh Flood of 1936Pittsburgh Flood 1936
On March 17 and 18, 1936, the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania witnessed the worst flood in its history when flood levels peaked at . This flood became known as "The Great St...
.
More recently, on the night of July 19, 1977, a relentless storm reminiscent of 1889 bombarded the watershed above the city and the rivers began to rise. By dawn, the city was under water that reached as high as 8 feet (2.4 m). The seven counties disaster area suffered $200 million in property damage and 80 lost lives, 40 of which were caused by the Laurel Run Dam
Laurel Run Dam
The Laurel Run Dam, also known as Laurel Run Dam No. 2, was an earthen embankment dam that failed during the 1977 Johnstown flood. It had the largest reservoir of seven dams to fail between July 19 and 20, 1977 and caused the most fatalities of the two that did...
failure. Another 50,000 were rendered homeless as a result of the "100 year flood". Markers on one corner of City Hall at 401 Main Street show the height of the crests of the 1889, 1936, and 1977 floods.
Blame
In the years following the disaster, many people blamed the members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting ClubSouth Fork Fishing and Hunting Club
The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club was a Pennsylvania corporation which operated an exclusive and secretive retreat at a mountain lake near South Fork, Pennsylvania for more than fifty extremely wealthy men and their families...
for the tragedy. The club had bought and redesigned the dam to turn the area into a vacation retreat in the mountains. However, they were accused of failing to maintain the dam properly, so that it was unable to contain the additional water of the unusually heavy rainfall. Despite the accusations and evidence, they were successfully defended by the firm of Knox and Reed (now Reed Smith LLP), both partners of which (Philander Knox and James Hay Reed) were Club members. The Club was never held legally responsible for the disaster. Although a suit was filed, the court held the dam break to have been an Act of God
Act of God
Act of God is a legal term for events outside of human control, such as sudden floods or other natural disasters, for which no one can be held responsible.- Contract law :...
, and granted the survivors no legal compensation.
Individual members of the club, millionaires in their day, only contributed meagerly to the relief efforts. Along with about half of the club members, Henry Clay Frick donated thousands of dollars to the relief effort in Johnstown. After the flood, Andrew Carnegie, one of the club's better known members, built the town a new library. In modern times, this former library is owned by the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, and houses The Flood Museum. Remnants of the dam are preserved as part of Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Johnstown Flood National Memorial commemorates the approximately 2,200 people who died in the Johnstown Flood of 1889, caused by a break in the South Fork Dam. Clara Barton successfully led the American Red Cross in its first disaster relief effort. The memorial is located at 733 Lake Road near...
, established in 1964.
Effect on the development of American law
One of the major obstacles to the victims' ability to recover damages was the club's lack of resources. The wealthy club owners proved difficult to sue for at least two reasons: the legal separation of their assets from those of the club and the difficulty in proving any one particular owner behaved negligently. Though the former reason was probably more central, the latter received a great deal of criticism in the national press.As a result of this criticism, the 1890s saw states around the country adopt Rylands v. Fletcher, a British common law precedent that had been largely ignored in America. State courts' adoption of Rylands, which held that a non-negligent defendant could be held liable for damage caused by the unnatural use of land, foreshadowed the entire legal system's twentieth century acceptance of strict liability
Strict liability
In law, strict liability is a standard for liability which may exist in either a criminal or civil context. A rule specifying strict liability makes a person legally responsible for the damage and loss caused by his or her acts and omissions regardless of culpability...
.
The "Johnstown Flood" Tax
As a result of the damage from the 1936 flood, the Pennsylvania General AssemblyPennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
imposed an emergency tax on all alcohol sold in the Commonwealth. The "temporary" 10% tax was initially intended to help pay for clean up, recovery, and assistance to flood victims. The tax still exists and in 1963 was even raised to 15% and again in 1968 to 18% (not including the statewide 6% sales tax). The nearly $200 million collected annually no longer goes to flood victims, however, instead going into the general fund for discretionary use by lawmakers.
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is an agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The department is responsible for collecting all Pennsylvania taxes, including all corporate taxes and taxes on inheritance, personal income, sales and use, realty transfer, motor fuel, and all other state taxes...
states:
"All liquors sold by the LCB [Liquor Control BoardPennsylvania Liquor Control BoardThe Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is an independent government agency that manages the beverage alcohol industry in Pennsylvania. It is responsible for licensing the possession, sale, storage, transportation, importation, and manufacture of wine, spirits, and malt or brewed beverages in the...
] are subject to this 18 percent tax, which is calculated on the price paid by the consumer including mark-up, handling charge and federal tax. The first sale of liquor also is subject to the sales and use tax at the time of purchase."
In literature and music
An exhibition was built, depicting the flood by moving scenery, combined with light effects and a live narrator. This was the main attraction at the Stockholm exhibition of 1909, where it was seen by 100,000 and presented as "our time's greatest electromechanical spectacle". The stage was 82 feet (25 m) wide and the show had 13 employees in total.Dark fantasy
Dark fantasy
Dark fantasy is a term used to describe a fantasy story with a pronounced horror element.-Overview:A strict definition for dark fantasy is difficult to pin down. Gertrude Barrows Bennett has been called "the woman who invented dark fantasy". Both Charles L...
author Caitlín R. Kiernan
Caitlin R. Kiernan
Caitlín Rebekah Kiernan is the author of many science fiction and dark fantasy works, including seven novels, many comic books, more than one hundred published short stories, novellas, and vignettes, and numerous scientific papers.- Overview :Born in Dublin, Ireland, she moved to the United States...
made the Johnstown Flood the central focus of her 1994 short story "To This Water (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 1889)", which appears in her collection Tales of Pain and Wonder
Tales of Pain and Wonder
Tales of Pain and Wonder is Caitlin R. Kiernan's first short-story collection. The stories are interconnected to varying degrees, and a number of Kiernan's characters reappear throughout the book, particularly Jimmy DeSade and Salmagundi Desvernine...
. In the story, the flood serves as a catalyst for revenge in what is essentially a ghost story
Ghost story
A ghost story may be any piece of fiction, or drama, or an account of an experience, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them. Colloquially, the term can refer to any kind of scary story. In a narrower sense, the ghost story has...
.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's song "Highway Patrolman", from the Nebraska
Nebraska (album)
-Themes:The album begins with "Nebraska", a first-person narrative based on the true story of 19-year-old spree killer Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, and ends with "Reason to Believe", a complex narrative that renders its title phrase into contemptuous sarcasm...
album (1982), references the event. The narrator of the song and his brother take turns "dancing with Maria, as the band played 'Night of the Johnstown Flood'".
Catherine Marshall
Catherine Marshall
Catherine Wood Marshall was an American author of nonfiction, inspirational, and fiction works. She was the wife of well-known minister Peter Marshall.-Biography:...
wrote a historical fiction novel Julie about a teenage girl in a small Pennsylvania town below an earthen dam not properly maintained by the Hunting and Fishing Club. Although set in the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
instead of 1889, this is a much researched account of the Johnstown Flood.
Kathleen Cambor wrote the novel In Sunlight, In a Beautiful Garden
In Sunlight, In a Beautiful Garden
In Sunlight, In a Beautiful Garden is the second novel of the American writer Kathleen Cambor.A historical novel, its plot is based on the Johnstown Flood of 1889, when more than 2,000 people drowned after the collapse of the South Fork Dam...
based on the Johnstown Flood. It is a mixture of fact and fiction. The references to historical persons are accurate and the book is well researched.
Brian Booker's short story A Drowning Accident, published by the literary periodical One Story
One Story
One Story is a literary magazine which publishes 18 issues a year, each issue containing a single short story. The magazine was founded in 2002 by writers Hannah Tinti and Maribeth Batcha...
(Issue #57, May 30, 2005), was largely based on and influenced by the Johnstown Flood of 1889.
Murray Leinster
Murray Leinster
Murray Leinster was a nom de plume of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an award-winning American writer of science fiction and alternate history...
's two time travellers were unable to convince the Johnstown population of the coming disaster in his 1966 novel The Time Tunnel
The Time Tunnel
The Time Tunnel is a 1966–1967 U.S. color science fiction TV series. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen, his third science fiction television series. The show's main theme was Time Travel Adventure. The Time Tunnel was released by 20th Century Fox and broadcast on ABC. The show ran...
.
The Johnstown Flood is mentioned in Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
's book Captains Courageous
Captains Courageous
Captains Courageous is an 1897 novel, by Rudyard Kipling, that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the arrogant and spoiled son of a railroad tycoon...
as the disaster that wiped out the family of "Pennsylvania Pratt" (originally Moravian lay preacher Jakob Boller) causing his mind to give out. He briefly returns to reality, becoming his former self and recalling the disaster when a steamship runs down another fishing boat.
Pulitzer prize-winning historian David McCullough
David McCullough
David Gaub McCullough is an American author, narrator, historian, and lecturer. He is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian award....
devotes an entire volume to the disaster in his book The Johnstown Flood.
Michael Dudek, a Johnstown resident and author, references the Johnstown Flood in his book "The Fairytale of the Morley Dog". The book is a fantasy about Morley's dog, famous to Johnstown residents, and his adventures. In the book, the dog is claimed to be seen saving children from the flood waters. A statue of Morley's dog, "Johnstown's best friend", stands in a park at the corner of Main and Market Streets.
The foreseen flood figured prominently in the plot of Paul Mark Tag's novel Prophecy.
Marden A. Dahlstedt, a young readers' author, wrote one girl's account of the flood in her 1972 book The Terrible Wave. The book was partly based on the story of Gertrude Quinn (Slattery), who was a six-year-old girl at the time of the Flood. Gertrude Quinn Slattery wrote a book in 1936 called "Johnstown and its Flood."
The flood was also the subject of William McGonagall's poem The Pennsylvania Disaster.
The flood was also mentioned in John Jakes
John Jakes
John William Jakes is an American writer, best known for American historical fiction.-Early life and education:...
' "The Americans", the final installment of The Kent Family Chronicles
The Kent Family Chronicles
The Kent Family Chronicles is a series of eight novels by John Jakes written to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. The books became best sellers, with no novel in the series selling fewer than 3.5 million copies...
. Elenor and Leo find themselves in Johnstown when the flood takes place and Jakes gives an account of the experience of those in the town during the 24 hours prior to the flood, during the flood, and shortly after the flood.
It is the main topic of the Peg Kehret
Peg Kehret
Peg Kehret is an American writer. Her writing primarily targets younger children between the ages of 8 and 14....
book The Flood Disaster. In the book, two students are assigned a project on The Johnstown Flood. They travel back in time using a time traveling device called the "instant commuter" to see the flood in person and help them with their project. Things go terribly wrong, however, when they become stuck in 1889 during the flood.
It was the putative inspiration for the album "Johnstown" by Canadian musician Oh Susanna.
The attempt to save the people of Johnstown from the oncoming flood is mentioned by the folksinger John Stewart in his song "Mother Country," in a recitation of heroic actions by Americans at various points in the country's history.
An episode of the 1940s cartoon Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse is an animated superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox.-History:The character was created by story man Izzy Klein as a super-powered housefly named Superfly. Studio head Paul Terry changed the character into a cartoon mouse instead...
featured the Johnstown Flood.
The Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
novel Rough Trails
Rough Trails
Rough Trails is a Star Trek: New Earth novel written by L.A. Graf.-Synopsis:A vital colony, needed to support the eventual expansion of the Federation, is suffering problems. The home planet is ravaged by natural disasters. Alien threats endanger the lives of everyone due to greed for the mineral...
(third part of the Star Trek: New Earth
Star Trek: New Earth
Star Trek: New Earth is a series of Star Trek novels published by Pocket Books in the United States, as part of Pocket’s Star Trek: The Original Series line. Based on the titular TV series created by Gene Roddenberry, New Earth was created by Pocket editor John J...
mini-series) by L.A. Graf is a recreation of the Johnstown Flood set on another planet.
Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
recording artist, Angela Easterling released a track called "Johnstown, Pennsylvania" on her 2011 album, "Beguiler". The disaster is described from the point of view of a young woman who was initially saved by her fiancé, but eventually succumbs to the flood waters.
External links
- Johnstown Flood memorial on National Park Service
- Run for Your Lives!: The Johnstown Flood of 1889, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
- Johnstown PA web page
- Johnstown Area Heritage Association webpage
- A new look at the Engineering of the Johnstown Flood Dam
- A Map and Timeline of the Johnstown flood
- Journal of Tort Law Includes Johnstown Flood in the move toward strict liability in U.S. Law
- Johnstown Flood matched volume of Mississippi River
- Johnstown Flood Tax