Johnstown Flood
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The Johnstown Flood disaster (or Great Flood of 1889 as it became known locally) occurred on May 31, 1889. It was the result of several days of extremely heavy rainfall, greatly exacerbated by the failure of the South Fork Dam situated 14 miles (23 km) upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, which unleashed a torrent of 20 million gallons of additional water. Over 2,200 people were killed, and there was $17 million in 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. It remains one of the greatest disasters in U.S. history.
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Johnstown, Pennsylvania: a history of flooding
Founded in 1794, Johnstown began to prosper with the building of the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal in 1834 and the arrival of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Cambria Iron Company in the 1850's. By 1889, Johnstown was a town of Welsh and German immigrants. With a population of 30,000, it was a growing and industrious 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 have historically forced development close to the riverfront areas, and subjected the valley to large amounts of rain and snowfall. The area surrounding the town of Johnstown was already prone to flooding due to its positioning on the confluence of the Stony Creek and Little Conemaugh River, forming the Conemaugh River and due to the artificial straightening of these rivers for the purposes of development.
The first flood recorded by European settlers at Johnstown occurred in 1808. Damaging floods followed at least once a decade until the 1880s. Major floods occurred in seven of the nine years between 1880 and 1888. The residents of Johnstown were accustomed to floods, but nothing like the events of May 1889 had ever occurred in anyone's memory.
South Fork Dam and Lake Conemaugh
High in the mountains, near the small town of South Fork, the South Fork Dam was originally built between 1838 and 1853 by the State of Pennsylvania as part of the canal system to be used as a reservoir for the canal basin in Johnstown. It was abandoned by the state, sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and sold again to private interests.
Speculators had purchased the abandoned reservoir, made less than well engineered repairs to the old dam, raised the lake level, built cottages and a clubhouse, and created the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Members of the exclusive and secretive retreat in the mountains were over 50 wealthy Pittsburgh steel, coal, and railroad industrialists, including Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, Henry Clay Frick, Philander Knox, and Robert Pitcairn.
Lake Conemaugh at the club's site was 450 feet (137 m) in elevation above Johnstown. The lake was about two miles (3 km) long, approximately one mile (1.6 km) wide, and 60 feet (18 m) deep near the dam. The lake had a perimeter of 7 miles (11 km) to hold 20 million tons of water. When the water was "up" in the spring, the lake covered over 400 acres (1.6 km²).
The dam was 72 feet (22 m) high and 931 feet (284 m) long. Between 1881 when the club was opened, and 1889, the dam frequently sprung leaks and was patched, mostly with mud and straw. Passers-by sometimes commented about the likelihood of a failure, but no action was taken. 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 Nebraska 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 section of the country. The U.S. Army Signal Corps estimated that 6 to 10 inches (150 to 250 mm) of rain fell in 24 hours over the entire section. During the night small creeks became roaring torrents ripping out trees and debris. Telegraph lines were downed and rail-lines were washed out. Before daybreak the Conemaugh River that ran through Johnstown was about to leave its banks.
During the day, things only got worse as water rose in the streets of Johnstown. Then, in the middle of the afternoon of May 31st, the South Fork Dam 14 miles (23 km) upstream burst, allowing the water formerly held back in the 3 mile (5 km) long Lake Conemaugh to cascade down the Little Conemaugh River.
The inhabitants of the town of Johnstown were caught by surprise as the wall of water bore down on the village, traveling at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) and reaching a height of 60 feet (18 m) in places. Some, realizing the danger, tried to escape, but most people were hit by the surging flood water. Many people were crushed by pieces of debris, and others became caught in barbed wire from the wire factory upstream. For those that sought safety in attics, and for those that managed to stay aloft of the flood water on pieces of floating debris, the worst was to come, as they were forced to wait for hours for help to arrive.
At Johnstown, the Stone Bridge, which was a substantial arched structure, carried the Pennsylvania Railroad across the Conemaugh River. 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 80 people. The fire at the Stone Bridge burned for three days. After, the pile of debris there covered 30 acres (120,000 m²).
Aftermath: Red Cross, relief efforts
The total death toll for the disaster was 2,209 dead. 99 entire families had died, including 396 children. 124 women and 198 men were left widowed, 98 children lost both parents. More than 750 victims (1 of every 3 bodies found) were never identified and rest in the Plot of the Unknown in Grandview Cemetery.
Working 7 days and nights, workmen replaced the huge stone viaduct that had all but disappeared in the flood.
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1,600 homes were destroyed, $17 million in property damage was done, four square miles (10 km²) of downtown Johnstown were completely destroyed. Clean-up operations were to continue for many years to come. It was one of the worst floods to hit the US in the 19th century.
The Pennsylvania Railroad restored service to Pittsburgh, 55 miles (89 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) pioneer, 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.
Blame: an act of God?
In the years following the event, many people blamed the members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club for the tragedy, as they had originally bought and repaired the dam to turn the area into a holiday retreat in the mountains. However, they failed to properly maintain the dam, and as a result, heavy rainfall on the eve of the disaster meant that the structure was not strong enough to hold the excess water. Despite the evidence to suggest that they were very much to blame, they were never held legally responsible for the disaster. In keeping with the times, the courts viewed the dam break as an Act of God, and no legal compensation was made to the survivors.
Individual members of the club did contribute substantially 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 return, he was received with a hero's welcome.
Continued flooding at Johnstown, a "500 year flood"
Floods have continued to be a concern for Johnstown. A "500 year flood" was a massive event that hydrologists predicted had only a one-in-500 chance in happening in any given year. These predictions are based upon natural events, rather than a human-related failing such as the great flood of 1889.
Johnstown experienced additional major flooding in subsequent years, especially in 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.
Then, swiftly, on the night of July 19, 1977, a relentless storm reminiscent of 1889 bombarded the city and the rivers began to rise. By dawn, the city was under water that crested as high as eight feet (2.4 m). The seven county disaster area suffered $200 million in property damage and 80 lost lives. Another 50,000 were rendered homeless as a result of the "500 year flood."
References
- David McCullough, "The Johnstown Flood", ISBN 0671207148
External link
- Johnstown Flood memorial on National Park Service (http://www.nps.gov/jofl/)
- Johnstown PA webpage (http://www.johnstownpa.com/History/hist19.html)
- Johnstown Area Heritage Association webpage (http://www.jaha.org/)
- A new look at the Engineering of the Johnstown Flood Dam (http://smoter.com/flooddam/johnstow.htm)de:South-Fork-Talsperre