The Great Flood Of 1889 - 1385 Words

Also known as the â€Å"Great Flood of 1889,† the Johnstown flood occurred when a local man-made dam failed, unleashing millions of gallons of water and causing utter destruction in its wake. On May 31st, 1889, at around 3:10 p.m., about 14 miles from Johnstown, PA, the South Fork Dam was overcome by several structural shortcomings and failed. This allowed millions of gallons of water to surge through the Conemaugh Valley, leaving little in its wake (NPS). There were a total of 111 days of rainfall within the year preceding the dam’s failure. This level of rainfall was very unusual for the community of Johnstown, let alone the entire state of Pennsylvania. Just before the dam broke, 6-8 inches of rain had fallen throughout the region, turning†¦show more content†¦These changes had disastrous effects on the structure of the dam (ASDSO). †¢ As large amount of rain fell, debris began to collect in the mesh netting, contributing to rising water levels, as the spillway was blocked (ASDSP). †¢ The lack of an underlying water relief system, as the previous one had not been replaced after the reconstruction, increased the pressure of the reservoir (ASDSO). †¢ The pressure of the added volume compromised the structure of the dam and it overtopped. The structure was overcome and the dam burst (ASDSO). †¢ Due to the nature of this dam break, the water traveled at high velocity- estimated at 64 km/hr or about 40 mph (National Geographic). †¢ The average amount of water discharged was around 318,000 cubic feet per second (JAHA). †¢ The flood killed approximately 2,209 people. This included 396 children and 99 local families (Begos, 2014). †¢ As many as 750 corpses remained in â€Å"river towns downstream† and â€Å"Johnstown morgues† awaiting family identification, which never happened (Begos, 2014). †¢ 1,600 homes were lost and whole communities were swept away (Begos, 2014). †¢ Trains were dislodged from their tracks and were swept downstream about 4,000 feet (JFM, 2013). †¢ The flood debris spanned â€Å"30Show MoreRelated Johnstown Flood Essay1199 Words   |  5 Pages McCullough presents a meticulously researched, detailed account of the Johnstown Flood of May 31st 1889, which provides arguments for why the disaster was both â€Å"the work of man† and â€Å"a visitation of providence†. However, it is apparent that McCullough believes that man was more responsible than nature/god for the extent of the catastrophe. In McCullough’s opinion, the storm that caused the flood was no more than the inevitable stimulus of the disaster, whereas the deferred maintenance and poor repairsRead More The Unconventional Kate Chopin Essays718 Words   |  3 PagesIf It Might Be in January 1889 marked Chopins first appearance in print. Many of Kate Chopin’s writings wave a backward glance to her childhood. Kates grandmother, Madame Charleville, spent much time telling Kate stories that stirred her interest about peoples lives, minds, and morals. Madame Charlevilles favorite saying was, One may know a great deal about people without judging them. God does that (Oscar 17). Young Kate must have paid a great deal of attention. Three decadesRead More History of the Video Game Industry Essay examples1234 Words   |  5 Pageshuge job market in video games ranging from programming to sales. 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The rest of Egypt is nearly empty. (Photograph from NASA) pg.3/Streets Agriculture Why is there such a large concentration of people along the Nile River? The answerRead MoreNintendo : A Video Game Company1642 Words   |  7 Pageshistory that can be traced all the way back to 1889, and as the article titled Nintendo Company states, â€Å"†¦founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi (Fusa-hero Yama-oo-chee) as Marafuku Company to manufacture playing cards†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nintendo Company). Later when his great grandson, Hiroshi Yamauchi (Hero-she), took over, Hiroshi changed the name of the company to Nintendo. As stated in an article titled Nintendo of America Inc., â€Å"Hiroshi Yamauchi took over for his great grandfather in 1949†¦Marufuku also existed underRead MoreEssay on Chesapeake and Ohio Canal1587 Words   |  7 PagesGeorge Washington was the founder of the Patowmack Company; He created a series of skirted canals and riverbed improvements from Georgetown to Harpers Ferry (Chesapeake). 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