那是在1889年的6月，一万人遭遇了可怕的厄运，在宾夕法尼亚州的一个大坝决堤，他们被烧死，被洪水淹死——哦!可怜他们的命运吧!堤坝的堤岸被认为是相当脆弱的，由于水的膨胀，堤岸决裂了，像一条奔涌的河流冲过山谷，吓得旁观者发抖。浩浩荡荡的洪水冲了过来，像一个咆哮的巨浪，而落水的人们拼命地抢救;但是八千人被淹死了，他们的房子被冲走了，而旁观者看着，惊慌失措。当激流冲向房屋时，它们立即倒塌，然后许多房屋着火，发出可怕的咆哮;两千人在大火中丧生，包括可爱的女孩和男孩，还有男人和他们的妻子。当无情的洪水到达约翰斯敦时，已经有五十英尺高了，而落水的人却用可怜的声音呼救;但是成百上千的尸体被洪水冲走了，约翰斯敦就像孩子们的玩具泥屋一样被淹没了。唉! there were many pitiful scenes enacted, And many parents, for the loss of their children, have gone distracted, Especially those that were burned in the merciless flame, Their dear little ones they will never see again. And among the sad scenes to be witnessed there, Was a man and his wife in great despair, Who had drawn from the burning mass a cradle of their child, But, oh, heaven! their little one was gone, which almost drove them wild. Oh, heaven! it was a pitiful and a most agonising sight, To see parents struggling hard with all their might, To save their little ones from being drowned, But 'twas vain, the mighty flood engulfed them, with a roaring sound. There was also a beautiful girl, the belle of Johnstown, Standing in bare feet, on the river bank, sad and forlorn, And clad in a loose petticoat, with a shawl over her head, Which was all that was left her, because her parents were dead. Her parents were drowned, and their property swept away with the flood, And she was watching for them on the bank where she stood, To see if they would rise to the surface of the water again, But the dear girl's watching was all in vain. And as for Conemaugh river, there's nothing could it surpass; It was dammed up by a wall of corpses in a confused mass; And the charred bodies could be seen dotting the burning debris, While the flames and sparks ascended with a terrific hiss. The pillaging of the houses in Johnstown is fearful to describe, By the Hungarians and ghouls, and woe betide Any person or party that interfered with them, Because they were mad with drink, and yelling like tigers in a den. And many were to be seen engaged in a hand-to-hand fight, And drinking whisky, and singing wild songs, oh! what a shameful sight! But a number of the thieves were lynched and shot For robbing the dead of their valuables, which will not be forgot. Mrs Ogle, like a heroine, in the telegraph office stood at her post, And wired words of warning, else more lives would have been lost; Besides she was warned to flee, but from her work she wouldn't stir, Until at last the merciless flood engulfed her. And as for the robbery and outrage at the hands of the ghouls, I must mention Clara Barton and her band of merciful souls, Who made their way fearlessly to the wounded in every street, And the wounded and half-crazed survivors they kindly did treat. Oh, heaven! it was a horrible sight, which will not be forgot, So many people drowned and burned--oh! hard has been their lot! But heaven's will must be done, I'll venture to say, And accidents will happen until doomsday!