The Johnstown Flood of 1889 Zach Hummer History 100 Tuesday & Thursday, 11 am December 10, 2009

Johnstown Area, circa 1889 Johnstown Population: 10,000 people Population of surrounding area: 15,000 to 20,000 people Conemaugh Lake Reservoir: 70 feet Deep 450 Acres 20,000,000 tons of water The Dam: 72 feet above the stream bed 900 feet across

The Reservoir The reservoir was used as a recreational site by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, who bought the Dam in The dam was poorly maintained: 1.Leaks were badly repaired. 2.Discharge pipes were sold for scrap. 3. Fish screens were placed across the spillway. 12 3

The Break 6-10 inches fell in 24 hours in a storm which formed in Kansas and Nebraska. Lake Conemaugh was coming close to cresting the dam. Elias Unger, president of the club, worked with John Parke and a team of men to unclog the spillway and even tried digging a second spillway. At 3:10, the dam gave way…

The Torrent’s Path The water traveled at 22 feet per second. When it hit the viaduct, it reached a height of 76 feet. When it hit Johnstown, it was a wall of water 23 feet high. South Fork Casualties: 4 Mineral Point Casualties: 16 East Conemaugh Casualties: 50

Johnstown! About an hour after the break in the dam, the water reached Johnstown. As it hit the Cambria Iron works in Woodvale, the boilers exploded. 314 Woodvale residents died. The flood would go on to kill a further 800 people, bringing the Death toll to around 2, are buried in Johnstown’s unknown plot.

Fire and Water 80 people were killed in the inferno. Debris stretched out for nearly 23 acres.

Aftermath Nearly $17 million in damages were caused by a flood. Millions of dollars in relief funds poured in from across the country. Members of the South Forks Fishing and Hunting Club escaped legal responsibilities. The tragedy was declared an Act of God.