The Pennsylvania town where Carnegie and Mellon’s dam broke and drowned 2,000+ souls

Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Pennsylvania

Andrew Carnegie and other Pittsburgh steel barons owned a fishing retreat with a sketchy dam upstream from Johnstown.

After days of record rain, their poorly maintained earthen dam gave way. The flood hit like a tidal wave, killing over 2,200 people. This was the first major relief effort by Clara Barton’s new Red Cross.

Here’s the tragic story of greed and neglect, preserved at the National Memorial where it all began.

When Repairs Failed The South Fork Dam

Engineers built the South Fork Dam in 1852 to supply water for the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal. The earthen structure controlled water flow between Johnstown and Pittsburgh.

The dam suffered damage in 1862 during a minor breach. For 17 years, no one maintained the structure.

Benjamin Ruff purchased the property in 1879 for wealthy Pittsburgh businessmen. The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club rebuilt the 72-foot-high, 931-foot-long dam.

Club workers removed the cast iron discharge pipes that controlled water levels. They filled the drainage culvert with hemlock timbers and mud.

Daniel Morrell from Cambria Iron Works sent engineers to inspect the dam. Club officials ignored their warnings about unsafe conditions.

The Day The Storm Gathered Force

A weather system formed over Nebraska on May 28, 1889. The storm tracked eastward across the country. By May 30, rain pounded western Pennsylvania.

Weather stations recorded 6-10 inches in 24 hours, the heaviest rainfall ever seen in the region. Johnstown sat vulnerable in a narrow valley.

The town of 30,000 people stood where Stonycreek and Little Conemaugh rivers joined. Club president Elias Unger woke on May 31 to find Lake Conemaugh nearly topping the dam.

Rain continued falling. Residents had faced minor flooding before. Few suspected the true danger building 14 miles upstream.

The Final Hours Before Disaster Struck

Fish screens at the spillway trapped debris during the storm. Water could not escape the rising lake. Engineer John Parke rode on horseback to South Fork.

He sent telegraph warnings downstream to alert Johnstown. Telegraph operators delivered these messages, but Johnstown residents dismissed them.

Previous flood warnings had brought only high water, not catastrophe. Workers piled soil on the dam as water rose toward the top.

Only two feet of space remained between water and crest. Desperate men tried digging an emergency spillway through solid ground. Their efforts came too late.

When The Dam Wall Gave Way

The South Fork Dam collapsed at 3:10 PM on May 31, 1889. Water poured over the top of the earthen structure. Lake Conemaugh emptied in 45 minutes.

The release equaled what modern engineers call a 50-year storm event. Water raced down the valley at 40 miles per hour. The flow temporarily matched the normal volume of the Mississippi River.

Trees, buildings, and railroad equipment joined the destructive current. The mass grew larger with each mile. A wall of water 45 feet high surged toward unsuspecting towns along the Little Conemaugh River.

Towns Swept Away In Minutes

South Fork vanished first. The town closest to the dam disappeared under the wave. Mineral Point came next. The flood obliterated houses and businesses along the riverbank.

Woodvale lost 314 people from its population of 1,000. The factory town offered little high ground for escape. East Conemaugh residents heard locomotive whistles warning of danger.

The flood swept through before most could react. The water covered 14 miles in just 75 minutes. Victor Heiser, age 16, lost both parents but survived by riding debris.

How The Stone Bridge Trapped Victims

The Pennsylvania Railroad’s Stone Bridge stood firmly across the Conemaugh River. Seven masonry arches supported the structure. The flood slammed houses, trees, and railroad cars against the bridge.

Debris formed a 30-acre dam rising 40 feet high. Hundreds of people trapped in wreckage called for rescue. Many clung to rooftops and timbers in the pile.

Oil from damaged tanks and buildings leaked into the debris. Something ignited this fuel, creating an inferno.

Fire killed 80 survivors who had weathered the flood itself. Trapped in the wreckage, they could not escape the flames.

Clara Barton Mobilizes The Red Cross

Clara Barton reached Johnstown on June 5, 1889. At 67, she personally directed relief operations. The American Red Cross marked its first major disaster response.

Barton had founded the organization just eight years earlier. Workers built six large wooden structures for survivors.

These buildings provided dormitories, a hospital, and supply warehouses. Barton stayed in Johnstown for five months.

She coordinated food, medical care, and housing for thousands. The Red Cross established ‘Red Cross Hotels’ that operated into the early 1890s, housing people who lost everything.

The World Responds With Aid

Relief funds reached $3.7 million, equivalent to $108 million today. Donations came from 18 foreign countries.

The Pennsylvania Railroad restored service by June 2, just two days after the disaster. Supply trains brought food and medicine.

Demolition expert ‘Dynamite Bill’ Flinn led a 900-man crew that cleared the Stone Bridge wreckage. The relief workforce grew to 7,000.

Andrew Carnegie contributed $10,000 through his company. Later, he built Johnstown a new library.

Half the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club members donated to relief efforts. None admitted responsibility for the disaster.

When Justice Failed The Victims

Law firm Knox and Reed defended the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club and they successfully argued the flood resulted from an ‘act of God.’

The American Society of Civil Engineers investigated starting June 5. Hydraulic engineer James B. Francis led the four-person team.

No court ever held the club or its wealthy members legally responsible. Multiple lawsuits failed. The wealthy industrialists avoided accountability through legal maneuvering.

Survivors received no compensation. The case led courts to develop ‘strict liability’ law. This legal principle allows holding parties responsible regardless of negligence.

How The Memorial Preserves History

The Johnstown Flood National Memorial became a National Historic Landmark District in 1986.

The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club’s clubhouse still stands, and the Visitor Center features an animated light map showing the flood’s path. This display traces the wave through towns along the river.

The bell from Mineral Point United Methodist Church sits on display as well. Workers found it downstream in Woodvale after the flood.

Visiting Johnstown Flood National Memorial

Find the memorial at 733 Lake Road, South Fork, PA 15956. The site sits 10 miles northeast of Johnstown. The Visitor Center opens Friday through Tuesday, 9 AM to 5 PM.

America the Beautiful passes provide access to all park visitors. The film ‘Black Friday’ runs every hour at 15 minutes past.

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