Destructive Floods and Storms
It would seem that the past week or two have been almost without a precedent in the way of destructive floods and storms, the effects of which have been felt more or less in all parts of the world. During the latter part of May, a terrific hurricane swept over New South Wales, Australia, accompanied by the heaviest rainfall ever known there, causing much damage to property, and some loss of life. Devastating floods were reported from Austria, France, and other portions of Europe about the same time. Heavy rain and hail-storms in some parts of Mexico destroyed a great deal of stock, and many persons were drowned. Severe storms throughout China have also caused immense damage both to life and property. In the United States heavy snow-falls have damaged growing crops in Michigan; West Virginia and Kansas have suffered from disastrous cyclones and tornadoes, while Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois, and portions of other States have incurred much loss on account of unprecedented rainfall, doing great injury to the country. All these disasters, however, sink into insignificance compared with the terrible story that comes from Pennsylvania. The news seemed almost too horrible to be true, but later dispatches have confirmed the matter, and the details are simply heart-rending. Near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, covering what was formerly the site of Conemaugh Lake, up among the Alleghany Mountains, lies a large artificial reservoir, the largest in America, extending over thousands of acres, and formed by an immense dam over 100 feet high, which has been extended across the valley, here something like 1,000 feet wide. The extraordinary rains of the two days preceding resulted in so increasing the volume of all the streams emptying into the reservoir that the dam could no longer withstand the pressure, and in the afternoon of May 31 the entire structure gave way, allowing the raging mass of water to sweep unchecked downward through the narrow valley, carrying death and destruction in its mad onward course to the towns and cities miles away. South Fork, Mineral Point, Woodvale, and Conemaugh, were successively swept away by the angry flood. Then came the beautiful city of Johnstown, with its busy thousands, all unthinking of the terrible fate so soon to befall them. Here alone it is estimated that 1,500 people lost their lives; 1,000 houses were swept away in a twinkling, and as the great mass of floating débris lodged against the massive railroad viaduct at the lower end of the city, a second dam was thus formed and in a few minutes the water was 35 feet deep all over the plain covered but a moment before with human habitations. Two heavily loaded passenger trains, which had been delayed by the rain, were washed away, and many passengers lost. To add to the horror, the mass of buildings crowded against the viaduct to the height of 50 feet, caught fire, and it is estimated that at least 500 persons perished in the flames. The whole occurrence simply beggars description, and the loss of life has been terrible. Incredible as it may seem, it is stated that the whole number of lives lost by the calamity is not less than 8,000, while some fear that even a higher figure will be reached. The loss of property will be many million dollars. Truly it would seem that the events connected with the time of the end, as foretold by the Saviour, are coming upon the world, and that we have reached the time when there is already upon the earth "distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke 21:25, 26. Surely, the time of our redemption draweth nigh.