Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Disaster Which Eclipsed History: The Johnstown Flood
    The Disaster Which Eclipsed History: The Johnstown Flood
    The Disaster Which Eclipsed History: The Johnstown Flood
    Ebook53 pages42 minutes

    The Disaster Which Eclipsed History: The Johnstown Flood

    By R. K. Fox

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    In "The Disaster Which Eclipsed History: The Johnstown Flood," R. K. Fox presents a meticulously researched narrative that chronicles one of America's most catastrophic disasters. The book employs a blend of historical analysis and vivid storytelling, immersing readers in the harrowing events of May 31, 1889, when the South Fork Dam failed, unleashing a torrent that ravaged the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Fox's literary style combines a journalistic immediacy with an academic rigor that brings the urgency of the tragedy to life, challenging readers to reflect on the socio-economic and environmental factors that contributed to the flood's devastation. Furthermore, the work situates the disaster within a broader context of Industrial Age America, examining the interplay between technological advancement and human frailty. R. K. Fox, an established historian and author, draws on both personal and professional experiences to illuminate this historical moment. His extensive background in American history, combined with a keen interest in the narratives that shape our understanding of disasters, has equipped him to tackle the complexities of the Johnstown Flood. His approach is informed by a desire to honor the victims while holding accountable the systemic negligence that led to this tragedy. I wholeheartedly recommend "The Disaster Which Eclipsed History" to anyone interested in American history, environmental studies, or the human experience in the face of calamity. Fox not only recounts the events with precision and sensitivity but also invites readers to ponder the implications of disaster preparedness and community resilience in contemporary society.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSharp Ink
    Release dateFeb 19, 2022
    ISBN9788028237363
    The Disaster Which Eclipsed History: The Johnstown Flood

    Related to The Disaster Which Eclipsed History

    Related ebooks

    Reference For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Disaster Which Eclipsed History

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Disaster Which Eclipsed History - R. K. Fox

      R. K. Fox

      The Disaster Which Eclipsed History: The Johnstown Flood

      Sharp Ink Publishing

      2024

      Contact: info@sharpinkbooks.com

      ISBN 978-80-282-3736-3

      Table of Contents

      Cover

      Titlepage

      Text

      "

      HORROR!

      Table of Contents

      THE JOHNSTOWN DISASTER WHICH ECLIPSED HISTORY.

      A DEATH-DEALING DAM.

      Hundreds upon Hundreds of People

      Swept Away by the Flood.

      There is not one chance in a million that the Conemaugh river would ever have been heard of in history had it not been for its action on Friday evening, May 31.

      The Conemaugh river is, or rather was, a simple little stream that meandered through Northwestern Pennsylvania and made glad by its peaceful murmurings those who dwelt by its bankside, or bore tokens of affection in the way of pleasure-seeking picnickers, moonlight parties or across-stream excursionists upon its placid bosom. It was one of those inoffensive creeks, termed by courtesy a river, that the Hudson river of the East, the Mississippi of the Middle or the Red river of the West might call a stripling.

      There are times when even the still, small voice arises in its might and asserts its supremacy, and the wee small river of Conemaugh did that self-same thing on Friday evening, May 31. All along the banks of the listless, yet ever flowing, little alleged river the farmers were preparing for their anticipated harvests; the fishermen of the section—amateur fishermen indeed, for they were only equal to the fish—small and incomplete as was the Conemaugh, such as you and I, reader, who took pleasure in flinging their worm-crowded hooks into the stomach of a log and then going home for more bait; bonny fairies, brisk young tillers of the soil, toilers, and seeming-tired miners, these and all other human concomitants that go to make up such a quiet, thriving bailiwick dwelt in the locality.

      And so went on the listless life of the denizens of the Conemaugh Valley, nestling at the foot of the Allegheny range.

      Snuggling in the cosiest nook, right where no prying reporter or trout-fishing President ever bent his way was Johnstown. The word was is used advisedly, Johnstown is no more. At four o’clock on the fateful day all was serene. At six o’clock all was desolation and destruction.

      THE OLD JOHNSTOWN.

      The big dam had broken and the little brooklet had burst its sides for very glee at being dubbed a creek, and was making itself known in history. The Brooklyn Theatre holocaust, with its dead three hundred, paled into insignificance. The Mud Run and Reading disasters had to take a back seat.

      Let me alone for horror, murmured the Conemaugh, and I’ll get there!

      It did get there.

      Right above Johnstown on the self-same Conemaugh, or rather where the North Fork glides into that erstwhile inoffensive stream, was a reservoir.

      The reservoir is on the site of the old lake, which was one of the feeders of the Pennsylvania Canal. It is the property of a number of wealthy gentlemen in Pittsburgh, who formed themselves into the corporation, the title of which is the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. This sheet of water was formerly known as Conemaugh Lake. It is from two hundred to three hundred feet above the level of Johnstown, being in the mountains. It is about three and one-half miles long and from a mile to one and one-fourth miles in width, and in some places it is 100 feet in depth. It

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1