, walked along the
platform with the help of a cane. His face was covered with a beard, and
his head was bowed so that his chin almost touched his breast. One foot
was partially covered by a cut shoe, while on the other foot he wore a
boot from which the heel was missing. This was Stephen Johns, a foreman
at the Johnson Steel Rail Works at Woodvale. He was a big, strong man,
but his whole frame trembled as he said: "Yes, I am from Johnstown. I
lost my wife and three children there, so I thought I would leave."

It was only by the greatest effort that Mr. Johns kept the tears back.
He then told his experience in this way: "I was all through the war. I
was at Fair Oaks, at Chancellorsville, in the Wilderness, and many other
battles, but never in my life was I in such a hot place as I was on
Friday night. I don't know how I escaped, but here am I alone, wife and
children gone. I was at the office of the company on Friday. We had been
receiving telephonic messages all morning that the dam was unsafe. No
one heeded them. I did not know anything about the dam. The bookkeeper
said there was not enough water up there to flood the first floor of the
office. I thought he knew, so I didn't send my family to the hills.

"I don't know what time it was in the afternoon that I saw the flood
coming down the valley. I was standing at the gate. Looking up the
valley I saw a great white crowd moving down upon us. I made a dash for
home to try to get my wife and children to the hills. I saw them at the
windows as I ran up to the house. That is the last time I ever saw their
faces. No sooner had I got into the house than the flood struck the
building. I was forced into the attic. It was a brick house with a slate
roof. I had intended to keep very cool, but I suppose I forgot all about
that.

Swept Down the Stream.

"It seemed a long time, but I suppose it was not more than a second
before the house gave way and went tumbling down the stream. It turned
over and over as it was washed along. I was under the water as often as
I was above it. I could hear my wife and children praying, although I
could not see them. I did not pray. They were taken and I was left for
some purpose, I suppose. My house finally landed up against the stone
railway bridge. I was then pinned down to the floor by a heavy rafter or
something. Somehow or other I was lifted from the floor and thrown
almost out upon the bridge. Then some people got hold of me and pulled