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Newspaper
Pittsburgh Dispatch
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Date
Jun 08, 1889
Page
1
Two renowned engineers conduct a careful examination of the ruined site, cataloging structural integrity and possible restoration steps. Their findings will influence early plans and safety recommendations for the recovery effort.
June 7 report from Jousstons describes a vast relief effort as 15 000 death toll and volunteers face immense tasks. civilians face dire sanitary conditions after the blast and demolished city areas. Cremation is deemed the only remedy. undertakers show great work and generosity while many workers depart, leaving a smaller registry list. Coroner's verdict withheld. Reservoir break described as 380 feet top, 125 feet bottom, 75 feet deep with a resident noting lake perforation after condemnation.
Red Cross reports for Dety-Miss Clara Sarton note the sealed vents and stone wall leaks that trapped fish. Coroner Hammer and jurors in Westmoreland count 285 case papers as inquests proceed and a juror calls the dam the greatest deathtrap he ever saw. Government action may follow.
A New York based engineer Brinkerhoff, sent by the New York Engineering and Mining Journal, arrives at the scene with authority to assess the wreckage and remnants of the South Fork dam after the disaster.
Engineer Brinkerhoff and Hugh Kennedy surveyed the South Fork dam area noting a 900 foot long by 80 foot high structure, with a 850 foot wide overflow opening. They concluded the dam was solidly built but broken by overflow and erosion beyond human control.
A. M. Wellington and F. P. Burt report on the Johnstown dam flaw. They describe two earth dams lacking a central heart wall or puddle, with the original water layers visible and the rebuilt section poorly anchored. They warn the design was improper by 30 years of engineering practice.
The article notes that raising the crest in 1881 did not occur and the overflow channel remains. It explains that five feet of water in the channel could breach the crest, with a narrowed rock spillway and a closed discharge pipe reducing maximum flow. The combination would limit dam discharge during high water and influence potential damage.
A detailed critique notes the dam’s unsafe design and inferior earthwork T see detachment failure. Wellington argues no reputable engineer would have built such a center leakage prone earth dam without protection. The piece cites measurements, past abandonment, and the 1881 structure’s resilience before the 20 year reconstruction.
William Ramsay representing the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce aids the Philadelphia Children’s Aid Society by locating nearly 100 destitute children in Towns. He finds a family with six biological children and adopted six plus eleven from another homeless clan, while the Cronin family can care for them. Rev Father Trautwine of Johnstown and Superintendent Rogers of the JuniVille school also gather and care for homeless children.
Jones Town reports 15 000 dead as bodies continue to surface after the disaster. Officials debate a statistics bureau while improvised morgues report hundreds more unrecorded, making exact totals likely forever uncertain.
June 7 report from JohNsTowns about Sheriff McCandress advocating cremation as the necessary remedy to clear dangerous debris after a large ruin. He cites fire as the quickest method to reduce danger, acknowledging mixed public opinion while urging decisive action. Continued on Seventh page.
In the Cronin coroner inquiry Luke Dillon and others accuse Alexander Sullivan of plotting Cronin’s murder. Witnesses describe Cronin stating Sullivan would kill him and Brown is questioned as part of treason charges. McGeehan is arrested as the hearing continues with dramatic scenes in the courtroom.
The Medico-Legal Congress at Steinway Hall discussed preventing electrical accidents and favors strict controls. Harold P Brown envisions broad electrical use but cites safeguards to prevent deaths. John Murray Mitchell urges banning dangerous currents where safe alternatives exist and proposes a bill to bar deadly electro-motive forces for executions and experiments. Fi the Alaska remark highlights concerns over safety and expeditions.
Helen Adele Wessman sought an injunction from Judge Andrews to bar Henry J. McGuckin and Hop Wah from running a Chinese laundry at 1239 Third Avenue. Lease terms, sub letting, and noise from steam irons were central, with arguments over lease violations and tenant complaints.
Wm Kemmler's execution by electricity was postponed indefinitely after a notice of appeal from District Attorney Quinby. Lawyer Covrkan of New York will seek a writ of habeas corpus to challenge state power to subject Kemmler to the electric chair. The county faces thousands in costs and months of delay with Kemmler insolvent.
The President commuted Henry W. Miller’s death sentence to life imprisonment for murder in Arkansas. The endorsement cites circumstances showing unwillingness to confirm the death penalty and also commuted other death sentences in the same Arkansas case.
In Somerset on June 7 the Umberger murder case was handed to the jury at 7 o clock after eight days in court. Hon. W H Evans secured the accused’s admission and prosecutors delivered a masterly closing speech praised as a landmark in the Somerset court.
Report notes Salvinis private residence visited by fans and media attention during a period of rising public interest. Observers describe the scene as orderly with police on standby and no incidents reported.
Washington reports converge on Attorney General Miller's elevation to the Supreme Court as a likely move, with General Goff's West Virginia bid delaying a final decision. Public Printer Palmer faces intense pressure from Congress as he reels from civil service changes and mounting requests for office placements and costly printing work.
Pormnano June 7 report shows Seattle fire losses exceed 10 million with insured amounts between 1.5 and 4 million. City begins cleanup and brick and stone rebuilding as merchants move operations to residential districts. First Regiment guards protect property while aid pours in from Portland Tacoma and Victoria. Governor Miles C Moore issues a distress proclamation urging relief for affected residents.
Knoxville dispatch details a horrific double murder in Scott county. H F Reynolds and Thomas Lloyd killed Rev Jacob Harness s wife and their son before looting, torching the house, and fleeing to Jellico. authorities pursued and reportedly moved prisoners toward Huntsville.
A rumor reports President has sent numerous packages nationwide without charges, stamped with coupons from a Book of Franks numbered 950. The tale claims a deadhead express system benefits Congress members and high officials, citing a well-placed source with alleged knowledge, though details remain unverified.
A council with the Indians continued in the afternoon as chiefs and members signed at three tables. By 4 oclock, many promin ent chiefs had signed and the effort continued toward the required total. The situation relates to meeting the Monongahela Natural Gas Company charter requirements with a capital of 1,000,000 and listed stockholders from Alleheny county and New York.
In Cincinnati June 7 a struck jury acquits J. H. Wetzel a saloon keeper charged with violating the Sunday law. The verdict returns after deliberations tonight.
Dr Benjamin Lee of Philadelphia, head of the State Board of Health, moves operations from Johnstown to Pittsburgh to oversee sanitation across multiple communities. He warns of grave epidemic danger yet urges calm and cooperation while dispatching 3 000 workers to scour streams, burn debris, and boil water to prevent pollution.
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