THE GREAT JOHNSTOWN FLOOD OF 1889
PAGE ONE: THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE DAMN REMAINS; THE LAKEBED
On Sunday, May 9, 2010 Carl, Melanie (12), and I drove out to explore the places I'd written about in my just recently-
finished story, THE WATERS, set during the flood of May 31, 1889. I was very excited at the prospect of seeing places
like the site of the lake and what was left of the dam.
This was my first real view of where the lake had been. We'd turned off 869 up a dead-end road that leads along what
had been the southrn edge of the lake. This whole valley would have been underwater before the dam (down to the left) broke.
The small river you'll be seeing in these is the South Fork, the one that was dammed to make Lake Conemaugh.
Later, we doubled back to 869 and went up the road you see across the river, that leads to the National Memorial in the
barn to the left of the Unger farmhouse.
First view of the dam remains. The white is highway 219 and doesn't touch any of the dam. We had taken it south from Ebensburg
toward St. Michael, which is the village that's grown up around what's left of the old clubhouse.
Looking across the lakebed toward the Unger farm, which was there in 1889.
We parked just past the approach (above) to the southern dam remains. The edge drops steeply off down into the lakebed.
Looking down the top of the southern dam remains across the lakebed to the Unger farm.
I think this was my favorite moment, getting ready actually to walk out on the road that once led all the way across the dam
because my hero, Captain Stuart, has just walked from the clubhouse, which would be a mile off to the right, in his first venture
to study the dam. There were rows of trees along it then, so I'm glad they have some now as well to get the feel of it.
The roadway across the dam as it looked back then.
At the very end of the southern dam remains, you come up to a fence. Down below is the South Fork and you become aware of
the size of the gap between you and the end of the northern dam remains.
Looking toward the northern remains. Beyond the South Fork are the railroad tracks. The train did not used to come up
the South Fork river from the town of South Fork, but only up the Little Conemaugh. Now it runs right through where
the dam broke.
Looking back down part of the lakebed from the top of the southern remains.
Zooming closer to the northern dam remains.
A more distant shot showing the gap between the two ends. This is near the head of the path that leads down
to the South Fork.
Further down the trail to the bottom of the lakebed, my undeterred, broked self made my way, camera in hand.
Taking another shot just to prove they somehow kept moving the South Fork further and further away.
Part-way down, looking back up the southern remains.
They don't show well, but there's a gaggle of goslings with the two geese.
Looking upstream into the first part of the lakebed.
Looking across the South Fork at the northern remains.
Spring wasn't as far along in the mountains, so these maple leaves were very young as they framed the northern remains.
Almost in the center of the picture is the fence at the end of the southern remains.
A less-overgrown shot of the southern remains. I'm standing in what was the body of the dam at this point.
Still in the body of the dam, looking across at the northern remains.
Back to the South Fork, the lower portion of the trail begins to lead, alas, back, alas...up.
Carl and Melanie. (It was VERY windy!)
NORTH SIDE OF THE DAM REMAINS; MUSEUM
THE INCLINE, VIEWS FROM THE TOP
GRANDVIEW CEMETERY'S UNKNOWN DEAD; THE GAP
BACK TO THE WATERS (Jo's story set during the flood)
BACK TO JO'S OTHER PLACE