LOCAL HISTORY: JOHNSON, Willis Fletcher. HISTORY OF THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD.  
Edgewood Publishing Co., 1889.

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lynne Canterbury and Diann 
Olsen.

There is an HTML version of this book (created in March 2001), with page images, 
on the county web site: http://www.camgenpa.com/books/ 

Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
_______________________________________________ 

JOHNSTOWN FLOOD. 460

Chapter XLI.

     AFTER the flood, the fire. Terrible havoc was done at the railroad bridge, 
before the water had fairly subsided, by the burning of wreckage. Innumerable 
bodies, many dead, many living still when the flames reached them, were utterly 
consumed, or charred beyond recognition. The great and ghastly mass smouldered 
on, day after day, defying all human attempts to extinguish it. But a last rain 
did the work. It was found desirable, however to rekindle the fires. There were 
thousands of tons of wreckage that could best be disposed of in that way. So the 
workmen began lighting fires at many points and soon the air was pillared with 
ascending columns of smoke, as though the whole town had been suddenly restored 
by magic, and its countless chimneys were again at work.
 
     Unhappily, one day—June 24th—a fierce wind sprang up and caught the 
guardians of Johnstown napping. Sparks and cinders were blown about and 
scattered far and wide, at first unnoticed. 

JOHNSTOWN FLOOD. 461

Presently there was an alarm of fire. Some of the buildings spared by the flood 
were menaced by the flames. There were some Philadelphia firemen on the spot, 
with three engines, and they set to work manfully to subdue this new scourge. 
But in vain. The city water-works were in bad shape. There were few hydrants 
available, and even these were far from the fire. Several buildings were 
entirely consumed before the engines could be set to work. The stricken 
survivors of the flood looked on in hopeless dismay. It seemed as though the 
little there was left was to be snatched from them. But the firemen worked like 
heroes, and within an hour had the flames under control, though many of the 
houses and much of the debris in the burning district were still aflame. From 
these the flames spread to adjoining houses and lumber, until all but three 
wrecked structures in the district bounded by Market and Walnut Streets, and by 
Main Street and the river were consumed. About twenty-five buildings were 
burned, of which probably one-third could have been moved back upon their 
foundations. The three brick school-houses on the Market Street lot, which had 
been only slightly damaged by the flood, were entirely destroyed; so also were 
the residences of Messrs. John Allendorfer and John W. Leigh, which though 
floated from their foundation, were in such good condition that both would

JOHNSTOWN FLOOD. 462

have been moved back again. None of the houses, so far as learned, were 
occupied, though some of them contained household goods. In several cases these 
were rescued, but the fire spread so rapidly that much material was consumed 
before it could be reached.
 
     Dr. Walters lost five hundred dollars worth of books, household goods, 
etc., which he had saved from the wreck. Among the other houses burned were 
those of D. J. Jones, J. W. Stevens, E. W. Jones, David E. James, and William J. 
Lewis. An immense crowd of people gathered about the fire, and the work of the 
firemen was thus greatly impeded. General Wiley at three o'clock ordered out 
every soldier in camp, under arms, and they were immediately marched down to the 
scene of the fire. The loss reached over thirty thousand dollars. General 
Hastings says the fire was started by children who were playing workmen, and 
imitating the men who were building fires to burn the debris. The flames were 
effectually checked only by tearing down the houses in their path.