USA > Pennsylvania > Cambria County > History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 44
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All the members of the Board of Inquiry, excepting John H. Brown, John Hannan and Samuel Masters, declined to par- ticipate, and the committee was really composed of, and the work performed by these three gentlemen, whose services were not concluded until January, 1890.
The principle upon which the Board of Inquiry acted was as follows: A day was fixed upon which the board should visit each district, and before whom in conjunction with three citi- zens of the district, each resident should then present his cause.
On Monday, July 8th, the board had completed their in- Vol. I .- 31
482
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
vestigations in the several districts and presented their report to the State Commission, which met at Cresson. On July 9th, the grand total of property loss, as disclosed by that commit- tee, was $8,655,114. The report was as follows:
"The Board of Inquiry consists of a Chairman, Tom L. Johnson, of Cleveland, Ohio, and five members, representative citizens of Johnstown and neighboring boroughs. The Board appointed and advertised eighteen meetings, which so far have been well attended. At each meeting a local committee of citi- zens, consisting of three or five was selected by the Board from a number of persons chosen by the meeting.
"This Committee examined carefully the statements of loss prepared by the clerks of the Board in the presence of the per- son claiming to have lost friends, relatives, or property; each statement being made in the name of the head of the family. The estimate of the loss of property made was modified and changed as in the judgment of the local committee it became necessary. The Committee's estimate is the estimate of record. The present condition of each applicant was considered, and finally the best judgment of the Board was exercised in rec- ommending the family for assistance in the various classes, on the basis of its present needs, rather than upon the extent of its loss.
"Class I. Is the class to which the committee assigned the most needy; generally, a woman who had lost her husband or son and was left with a large family to support and scarcely any property saved. A few men whose physical condition was such that they were unable to earn a living, and who had a large family and no property, were assigned to this class.
"Class II. Is that class to which the committee assigned the next most needy families; following the same general rules as above; being people who had lost some of their family, but having more property whose physical condition in the judg- ment of the committee was somewhat better.
"Class III. Is the class to which the committee assigned the next most needy after class two; generally families who had recovered something from the flood, but to whom a small amount of money was a great present need.
"Class IV. Is the class to which the committee assigned families generally small in number having some member of the family able to work, and either had very little or no property saved from the flood. In some cases the parties owned a lot which had no present value, but on which they could possibly borrow some money to help them erect a building. This to- gether with any assistance received would put them in a shape to become self-supporting very soon.
"Class V. Is the class to which were assigned those re- quiring assistance promptly but of smaller amounts; generally
'483
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
men, who having a small family dependent upon them, had lost heavily, but to whom a small amount of money would result in great present good in providing the family with some of the necessaries of life
"Class VI. Is the class to which were assigned all other cases, no matter how severe their losses, but in whom the Board considered the present value of property such that the persons were not objects of immediate charity. This class contains a great many who should be considered and assisted after the first five classes have been taken care of and provided for. In other words, this class, it is considered, can wait, while all the others are cases of great pressing need.
"The foregoing are the rules established by the Board of Inquiry and which have been fairly well carried out by local Committees, always acting with the assistance of at least one , member and sometimes two or three members of the Board of Inquiry.
"Respectfully submitted, "TOM L. JOHNSON, "Chairman Board of Inquiry."
A supplemental report was also made at the same time giv- ing the figures and estimates of the board, as follows: "Hon. H. H. Cummin,
Cresson, Pa.
"'Dear Sir :-
"As per your request I send you at this earliest oppor- tunity a recapitulation of our first report, which shows:
205 cases in class 1, at $1,000. $ 205,000
237 cases in class 2, at 600. 142,200
372 cases in class 3, at 400. 148,800
1.168 cases in class 4, at 300. 350,400
1,698 cases in class 5, at 200. 339,600
3,680
$1,186,000
"The amount recommended in each class has been care- fully considered, both by the Board of Inquiry and the Finance Committee of Johnstown, and in view of the classification of the cases a statement of which I gave you-the amounts above ยท stated are considered to be as near right as can be got.
"If the above recommendations meet with your approval, it is the desire of the Board of Inquiry and the Finance Com- mittee that steps be taken at once to make the payments to the first three classes, viz. : 1, 2, and 3, amounting to $496,000, and that provision be made immediately thereafter by which classes 4 and 5, aggregating $690,000; be paid under any system of pay- ment that the Commission may suggest, so that it may be done quickly.
"The payments to classes 1, 2, and 3, are considered as
-
484
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
final payments, while many cases in classes 4 and 5 should re- ceive additional sums. Class 6, which represents the heaviest losers, has as yet been recommended for no amount.
"The Board is making a further classification of classes 4, 5, and 6, and will be prepared shortly to make a recommen- dation as to what would be done in those cases.
"The aggregate loss of $8,655,114 as classified, amounted in classes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 to $4,791,747; the total number of these cases being 3,364, the average loss to each family there- fore was $1,424.
"The total loss in class 6 was $1,112,192."
Governor Beaver, State Commissioner Edwin H. Fitler, Robert C. Ogden, Samuel H. Reeves, H. H. Cummin, Reuben Miller, James B. Scott, S. S. Marvin, W. Horace Rose, with General Hastings and his staff as advisory members; James McMillen, president of the finance committee; Cyrus Elder, secretary; W. C. Lewis, treasurer; John D. Roberts, assistant treasurer; A. J. Moxham, member of the committee, and Tom L. Johnson, chairman of the board of inquiry, were present at the conference at Cresson on Tuesday, July 9th. The report of the board of inquiry as presented and considered, was prac- tically approved, and furnished the basis for the distribution of the entire fund.
A half million dollars was appropriated to be paid on ac- count to the first five classes. Judge Cummin prepared a blank for relief, of which the commission approved and directed that a copy be furnished each sufferer, who should be required to fill out the same before payment would be made. The blank was as follows :
Made by a sufferer by the floods of May 31 and June 1, 1889, in the Conemaugh Valley, State of Pennsylvania,
County of Cambria, ss.
Before me, personally appeared the undersigned
who being duly sworn according to law, made the following statement :
First. My name is age years; at the time of the flood I resided in Cambria County, Pa., at No. . Street. I have lived in Cam-
bria County, Pa., for the past years. My occupation or business is At the time of the flood I was em- ployed by as ; my monthly earnings averaged $ Present condition of my health is
Second. I own no real estate, except as follows:
485
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
. , worth before the flood, $. My real estate within the flooded district was injured in the following manner, . .. Third. At the time of the flood I owned household goods, moneys, debts due from solvent creditors, and other personal property, as follows : $. . . worth before the flood, $ which was injured by the flood in the following manner,
Fourth. At the time of the flood the stock in my store con- sisting of was worth, at cost prices, $. which was injured by the flood in the following manner,
Fifth. My family dependent upon me consists of aged . years.
Sixth. Members of family lost by flood
Seventh. My property has been injured or destroyed by the flood as follows :
Real Estate to the amount of
Household goods to the amount of
.. . Tools, etc .. to the amount of
.. .
Stock of goods in my store to the amount of Total,
Eighth. I have received no aid since the flood except as follows :
Sworn to and subscribed
before, the day of July, 1889.
In pursuance of the Cresson meeting, on Monday, July 15th, the Board granted orders to residents of the Seventh ward, thus : Four at $400: five at $200; forty-eight at $125; and one hundred and twenty-three at $80 each ; making a total of $18,000. The $500,000 was quickly awarded.
Thursday, July 18th, W. R. Thompson, treasurer of the Pittsburg fund, came to Johnstown with a half million dollars in money, and opened a bank in the temporary building on the northwest corner of Market Square, where he paid the orders issued.
Saturday, July 13th, Governor Beaver announced that $1,595,000 had been expended at Johnstown. His estimates were: Out of the governor's fund and the fund for the abate- ment of nuisances, $905,000; by the Pittsburg committee, $250,- 000; by the Philadelphia committtee, $200,000; Johnstown fund distributed by the local committee, $250,000; contracts for the construction of houses, $150,000; transportation expenses, $100,- 000; military expenses, $31,000; Chicago houses, $14,000.
On the 17th of July an estimate was made public of the
486
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
probable amount held in trust, as follows: Governor Beaver, $250.000; Pittsburg committee, $522,000; due Pittsburg com- mittee from the State for tools, etc., $127,000; State Commis- sion, $150,000; Judge Cummin's fund, $500,000; Philadelphia committee. $150,000; Chicago committee, $66,000; New York committee. $300,000: Boston committee, $300,000; other cities, $200,000. Total, $2,665,000.
On Wednesday, the last day of July, Governor Beaver, James. B. Scott, Reuben Miller, S. S. Marvin, Robert C. Ogden and Francis B. Reeves, members of the State Commission, held an open meeting in the office of Dick & Murphy. An invitation was extended to the public to present any matter deemed proper for their consideration.
At three o'clock in the afternoon an executive session was hield in a tent at Camp Hamilton, in Peelorville, when Secretary J. B. Kremer announced that the amount of money received by the Commission, and expected to be received, was $2,394,415.47; that it had expended $840,396.60 in Johnstown, and $157,226.27 in other parts of the State, principally at Williamsport; that it had ordered two hundred more Hughes houses at $260 each, and, with other liabilities, there remained a balance of $1,342,- 801.82, which would be distributed on the basis decided upon at the Cresson meeting.
On Thursday, August 15, Francis B. Reeves and Robert C. Ogden, members of the State Commission, and Secretary J. B. Kremer, met the members of the local Finance Committee and Board of Inquiry, in the rooms of the Finance Committee in the Public Square.
It was agreed that the first three classes should be paid in full- i. e., $1,000, $900 and $500, respectively; in class 4, thirty per cent of the losses; class 5, twenty-two per cent, and class 6, fifteen per cent, which made an estimated sum of $1,149,614. But on September 2d the State Commission reconsidered the apportionment, and appointed a committee to make another in- vestigation and report.
On Friday, September 1st, the Commission met at Harris- burg and decided to distribute the remainder of the fund, amounting to $1,600,000. Messrs. Jolin H. Brown and John Hannan, members of the Board of Inquiry, were present and presented their report, which noted that the losses ranged from $5 to $165,000, and that one hundred and ninety persons had suffered a loss of $10,000 each. In pursuance thereof, J. B.
487
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
Kremer, secretary, announced that the Commission had re- ceived $2,605,114.22, having in cash on that day $1,666,456.50, and that the remainder should be distributed on the following basis :
"Resolved, That the sum of $125,000 be and is hereby ap- propriated to the payment of classes 1, 2 and 3. Class 1 to con- sist of widows and orphans, made so by the flood, and who have no property or other means of support.
"Class 2. to consist of widows and orphans not made so by the flood, and aged and infirm persons, who have no property or other means of support.
"Class 3, to consist of same character of persons as in classes 1 and 2, but who are not entirely without property.
"Resolved, That the sum of $1,200,000 be and is hereby ap- propriated to the payment of class 4, the sum of $10,000 to be the maximum paid to any single claimant; class 4 to consist of persons other than those in classes 1, 2 and 3, whose losses have been practically total.
"Resolved, That the sum of $275,000 be and is hereby ap- propriated to the payment of class 5, the sum of $5,000 to be the maximum paid to any single claimant. Class 5 to consist of persons who have sustained partial losses, whose circum- stances are such that they are not wholly dependent upon this charity for a fresh start in life, but who are unable to make such a start without assistance.
"Resolved, That class 6, composed mainly of such persons possessed of such ample means that they are not to be regarded as in need of relief, shall be omitted from the distribution list, except that all whose losses are not in excess of $1,000, shall be transferred to class 5."
The final payments were made by checks drawn on the First National Bank, which on October 10 opened an additional paying teller's window in the old room formerly occupied by John Dibert & Co., and the whole fund, with the exception of a few cases held under consideration, was paid out by Decem- ber 10, 1889.
The Commission decided that the funds due the orphans should be invested in annuities, payable yearly until the ward should become sixteen years of age, fifty dollars per year being allowed to each. This system was carried into effect, and the payments were regularly made on the first of November each year until 1905, when all the wards had arrived at the age de- termined upon. The largest sum paid to one family for the use of orphans was $3,375, together with $1,150 to the mother, making a total of $4,525.
488
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
The balance of the fund the Finance Committee decided to appropriate toward the rebuilding of the Franklin street and Walnut street bridges, and the purchase of four new steam en- gines for the volunteer fire companies.
In the distribution, in the first, second and third classes, property losses were not considered, and awards were made on the needs of the people. In the three other classes, it was based on property loss, as follows:
In the fourth class, on losses less than $500, the average amount awarded the claimant was, on the committee's estimate, 85 per cent, and on the claimant's estimate, 66 per cent; on losses of over $500 and under $1,000, on the first, 72 per cent, and on the latter 56 per cent; on losses over $1,000 and under $2,000, 55 per cent of the former, and 47 per cent of the latter.
In the fifth class, on $500 or less, 69 per cent, and 50 per cent on losses over $500 and under $1,000, 52 and 50 per cent; on losses over $1,000 and under $2,000, 55 and 47 per cent.
In awarding the amounts to the persons in the fourth and fifth classes, many questions were considered: age, health, ability for work, and number in family. The largest amount received by any individual in either of these two classes was $5,000, which was given to but two.
There being but few store rooms available for business purposes, and both merchant and consumer being anxious to have business resumed as quickly as possible, General Hastings was informed of the situation, and on Thursday, June 20th, he made arrangements with W. V. Hughes, of the firm of Hoover, Hughes & Co., of Bellefonte, to erect a row of temporary store rooms and offices on the four sides of the Public Square.
One week later the merchants held a meeting in the Moses building, when it was reported that nine members of the Mer- chants' Association had been drowned. Of the twenty-three present each had been planning to open as soon as a room could be procured. Therefore the applications to Judge Masters, chairman of the committee, for places in the buildings on the Public Square were numerous. On Thursday, July 4th, under the supervision of Colonel John P. Linton, the allotments of names and numbers of rooms were drawn from a box by a boy. The following were the persons who occupied the buildings at first. Beginning at the corner of Main and Franklin streets, on Main, they were : Kredel & Farrell, druggists; J. W. Owens, gro- cer; Mrs. M. S. Maloy, groceries and shoes ; Seth E. Phillips, dry
The Principal Part of Johnstown After the Flood.
490
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
goods; J. M. Fockler, millinery; George Keiper, dry goods; E. T. Schoff, dry goods; Emil C. Roth, dry goods; Mrs. A. Danges, millinery; E. C. Lorentz & Co., shoes; and H. T. de France, druggist.
Park Place : W. A. Kraft, jewelry; J. A. Larkin & Co., jewelry; J. W. Stevenson, jewelry; Mrs. Susan Young, jewelry; A. Luckhardt, jewelry; Irvin Rutledge, stationery.
Locust Street: R. H. Pike, tinware; George K. Shryock, tinware; Herald Printing Company, printers; J. D. Edwards, shoes ; T. E. Morgan, music; Singer Sewing Machine Company ; W. W. Porch, organs; J. P. Daily, groceries; R. P. Miller, groceries ; Simon Young, butcher; W. B. Tice, druggist.
Franklin Street to Main: G. A. Zimmerman, druggist; T. D. Davis, grocer; Charles Brown, grocer; J. M. Young, grocer; Chas. B. Cover, grocer; Louis Baumer, grocer; C. Kingan, grocer; J. B. Statler, druggist.
On the second tier fronting on Main street, at the corner of Franklin, was Dr. W. F. Hanna, dentist; William Rauch, M. D .; J. M. Murdock, lumber; J. M. Goughnour, office; I. E. Roberts, insurance; Joseph Booser, tailor; Dr. J. C. Duncan, dentist; D. G. Reese, tailor; W. H. Fentiman, umbrellas; Alex. L. Black, tailor; F. J. Overdorf, M. D .; M. W. Keim, real estate; E. T. Felt, insurance; G. M. Greene, photographer; H. W. Storey, law office; the Finance Committee; Alfred Heslop, painter, and John Stenger.
On Park Place: Dr. H. C. Hinchman, dentist.
Locust Street: H. F. Tomb, M. D .; Robert Parsons, tailor; Joseph Marchl, tailor; Thomas Edwards and D. W. Smith, barbers.
Franklin Street: Farrell & Co., safes; E. L. Miller, M. D .; W. H. Gordon, M. D .; Miss Spitzgart, dressmaker; Miss Hettie Lininger, dressmaker; C. H. Suppes, ice; John von Alt, barber ; WV. A. Moses, tailor.
The buildings on the northwest corner of Main and Market were reserved for municipal offices, and those on the southwest corner were occupied by S. L. Stuver, milk dealer; William Stremel, confectioner; George Kurtz, butcher, and S. C. Bailey, plumber.
An immense quantity of lumber having been donated from many parts of the country, on June 28th the following com- mittee was appointed to distribute it to those who desired to
491
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
rebuild a dwelling or store-room: Messrs. Joseph Masters, Herman Baumer, Colonel John P. Linton, Alexander Kennedy and John Thomas. This committee then transferred the lumber to the sub-finance committee, in charge of D. H. Kinkead, who had succeeded B. F. Speedy when the latter became ill.
THE COMMISSARIES.
The water having effected no serious damage on Napoleon street above South, the Committee on Safety there swore in the policemen and issued passes to residents and strangers to enter the line of danger. Here, too, were located the morgue and Commissary for the South Side, the latter in charge of the Americus Club of Pittsburg until June 12, when General Hast- ings assumed control.
The system for providing food and clothing to the suf- ferers was very interesting. The rich were on an equality with the poor; money was of no use, because there was nothing to buy. Men, women and children were required to form a line and pass in front of the Commissary building, where food or clothing was given them by kind and sympathetic hands.
On the 27th of June, Colonel J. L. Spangler, in obedience to the order of the Department, began reducing the number of Commissaries. The one at Morrellville was abandoned and consolidated with Cambria City. Those at Brownstown, Minersville, Rosedale and Coopersdale were attached to the Commissaries in Cambria and Prospect. Those at East Cone- maugh and Woodvale were consolidated with and continued in Franklin borough. Those at Walnut Grove, Grubbtown and Moxham were supplied from Johnstown and Kernville. Cone- maugh borough was continued, there being no falling off in its work.
On Monday, July 2, the Commissary Department was transferred to Captain H. H. Kuhn, and Colonel Spangler and his principal aides retired, whereupon a sword and belt was presented to Colonel Spangler for his efficient services.
The following table shows the location of the Commis- saries, the number of cards out, one being given to each family to be presented when desiring food or clothing; the number of people supplied at the first report soon after the flood, and. those on June 26, 1889:
492
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
Stations
Ist report.
Cards out,
June 26. .
Cards out
Ist report.
People supplied,
June 26 ........
People supplied,
Morrellville
504
209
2,694
1,046
Cambria
500
345
2,461
1,674
Prospect
432
427
3,068
1,484
Woodvale
179
159
861
750
East Conemaugh
228
19
324
56
Franklin
155
50
667
212
Minersville
300
200
1,425
1,000
Rosedale
90
407
50
Johnstown
1,500
536
4,340
3,522
Kernville
660
291
3,969
1,800
Conemaugh
654
700
4,500
5,131
Total
5,202
2,936
24,716
16,725
On July 22 all the Commissaries for the supply of food, clothing and furniture were closed, except the one at the Penn- sylvania railroad station. At this date the number of persons receiving assistance was 1,321, which in five days was reduced to 800. But on October 5th, this, too, ended its work, although 464 beneficiaries were still on the list.
Subsequently all people desiring household goods were no- tified to apply to the Conemaugh Valley Relief Association, and upon the approval of the ladies of that association, Clara Bar- ton, president of the Red Cross, or Captain H. H. Kuhn, chief of the Commissary, furnished the same.
On Saturday, October 13, Cyrus Elder presided over the meeting held at the Red Cross building on Walnut street, at which time the Union Benevolent Association of the Cone- maugh Valley was organized, to continue the work of the Red Cross, which was then preparing to leave. On the following Tuesday the association was in active operation.
Thursday evening of the same week, a public reception was held in the Morrell Institute in honor of Miss Clara Barton, who had done such noble work for the sufferers. On behalf of the Woman's Branch of the Union Benevolent Association, the president, Mrs. Arthur J. Moxham, presented Miss Barton with a gold pin and locket, set with diamonds and amethysts, as a testimonial from those who had been with her while in Johns- town.
493
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
The moving power in clearing the flooded district were the laws of the state relating to the public health, which were carried into execution by Governor Beaver and Dr. Benjamin Lee, secretary of the board.
The state board was in annual convention at Pittsburg on the day of the flood. when Dr. Lee and Dr. George G. Groff immediately came here to take charge of the situation. The first official act of Dr. Lee was to send the following message to the sheriffs of Indiana, Westmoreland, Allegheny and Arm- strong counties :
"Nineveh, June, 1889.
"The State Board of Health hereby directs and empowers you to immediately summon a posse to patrol the Conemangh river, tear down the drift heaps and remove the dead bodies, both human beings and of domestic animals.
"This is absolutely necessary to protect your county from pestilence."
Dr. Lee, on his arrival at Johnstown, made a thorough in- vestigation of the situation, established hospitals, and ordered disinfectants. The disaster was so much greater than the organi- zation then was that he returned to Pittsburg to make further arrangements to prosecute the work, in order to prevent im- pending diseases, here and elsewhere along the Conemaugh, Al- legheny and Ohio rivers.
One of the first acts was a request to Governor Beaver to have four thousand men to clear the blockade at the Stone bridge, as it was impracticable to break up the drift by fire, and it would necessarily require removal. The Governor acquiesced in the request, and gave Dr. Lee authority to borrow all the money necessary to continue the work of the board. They did continue the work of clearing the rivers of all decomposed mat- ter and wreckage, as well as the highways and cellars, and on October 12th they officially declared the nuisance abated.
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