South Fork Dam

Johnstown Flood National Memorial
	Destruction in Johnstown
Location:	Pennsylvania , United States
Next city:	Johnstown
Founding:	August 31, 1964
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The South Fork Dam with its “Lake Conemaugh” reservoir was located near South Fork in the US state of Pennsylvania near today's Saint Michael . On May 31, 1889, after heavy rains lasting several days , the dam failed, causing 20 million cubic meters of water to race 23 kilometers down the valley and causing a devastating flood in Johnstown. Around 2,200 people were killed and there was damage of $ 17 million. It was the first disaster in which the American Red Cross , led by Clara Barton , was used. Aid for the victims came from all over the United States and 18 foreign states. It was one of the greatest disasters in American history.

The city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Johnstown was founded in 1794 and had a population of about 30,000 in 1889. In the industrial city known for its steel, floods had previously occurred. The first flood was recorded in 1808, with at least one flood occurring in every decade up until the 1880s. In the nine years up to 1889 there were seven floods, but the flood of 1889 was undoubtedly the largest. The area around Johnstown has always been at risk of flooding because it was located near rainy and snowy mountains at the confluence of the straightened Stony Creek and Little Conemaugh River to the Conemaugh River .

The South Fork Dam and Lake Conemaugh

High in the mountains near the small town of South Fork, Pennsylvania, the South Fork Dam was originally built by the State of Pennsylvania between 1838 and 1853 as a reservoir for the Johnstown canal system. It was abandoned by the state, sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad , and later resold to private individuals.

The speculators who bought the abandoned reservoir repaired the old dam badly, raised the water level, built cabins and a clubhouse, and created the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club . Members of the exclusive and secretive mountain retreat included over 50 wealthy Pittsburgh steel, coal and railroad industrialists, including Andrew Carnegie , Andrew Mellon , Henry Clay Frick , Philander Knox and Robert Pitcairn .

Conemaugh Lake on the club's premises was 450 feet ( 137 meters ) higher than Johnstown. It was about three to five kilometers long, about 1.6 kilometers wide and about 18 meters deep at the dam. The lake was eleven kilometers in circumference and contained 20 million cubic meters of water. When the water level was high in the spring, the lake covered over 1.6 square kilometers (400 acres).

The barrier structure consisted of a dam made of earth and rock, 22 meters high and 284 meters long. Between 1881, when the club opened, and 1889, the dam had frequent leaks that were patched with earth and straw. Passers-by sometimes expressed concern about impending failure, but nothing was done.

The great flood of 1889

Debris and rubble at the railroad bridge after the Johnstown flood

The main street in Johnstown

On May 28, 1889, a storm hit Nebraska and was moving east. When the storm hit the South Fork and Johnstown area two days later, it was the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in that part of the country. The US Signal Service estimated that 150 to 250 millimeters of rain fell across the area in 24 hours. During the night nine small brooks became torrents that upset trees and carried with them debris. Telegraph poles were torn down and railway lines washed down. The Conemaugh River , flowing through Johnstown, overflowed its banks.

Then on May 31, around 3:10 p.m., the South Fork Dam broke 14 miles above the city and the tidal wave came down the Little Conemaugh River . She destroyed several places on her way.

The residents of Johnstown were taken by surprise when the water rushed towards the place at around 40 miles / h, reaching 18 meters in some places. Some realized the danger, tried to escape, but most were taken off guard. Many people were slain by debris and others were caught in barbed wire from a wire factory further above. Those who sought shelter on roofs or were able to save themselves on debris had to wait hours for help.

In Johnstown there was the "Stone Bridge" , an arched bridge for the railroad over the Conemaugh River. 80 people were killed in a fire there when the wooden debris that had accumulated in front of the “Stone Bridge” caught fire. The fire on the bridge burned for three days. The rubble later covered an area of 120,000 square meters.

The Schultz house after the flood. All six residents survived.

Aftermath

The flood is considered to be a 500-year flood, which means that according to statistical probability such an event occurs every 500 years. The accident claimed a total of 2,209 lives, including 396 children. 99 families were completely wiped out. 124 women and 198 men lost their spouses. More than 750 victims could no longer be identified and had to be buried in a communal grave in Grandview Cemetery.

1,600 houses were destroyed in the disaster. There was $ 17 million in damage (about $ 500 million at today's prices) and 10 square kilometers (4 square miles) of Old Town Johnstown was razed to the ground. The clean-up work lasted for several years. The echo in the newspapers was tremendous, and the flood was - along with the murder of Abraham Lincoln - the largest media event of the late 19th century.

The collected donations from the USA and 18 other countries such as Russia, Turkey, France, Great Britain, Australia and Germany amounted to 3,742,818.78 dollars, which corresponds to a current euro value of around 85 million euros.

The members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club were never brought to justice by the judiciary for their negligence. However, some club members supported the population with generous donations. For example, Andrew Carnegie built a new library for the city.

The Johnstown Flood National Memorial

Since 1964, the former clubhouse of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club has been designated as a National Memorial under the administration of the National Park Service . Visitors can find out more about the disaster and its consequences in a small museum.