Johnstown Flood | Cascade | 3

Against The Odds

Wondery

Cassie De Pecol, History, Society & Culture, Dolby, Mike Corey, Dolby Atmos, Atmos

4.7 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2024

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Despite the efforts of engineer John Parke, the South Fork Dam does break. The ensuing flash flood sweeps up a vast, moving wall of debris: mud, rocks, trees, fragments of bridges and smashed-up houses. Residents in Johnstown, including Reverend H.L. Chapman and his family, have mere seconds to flee to higher ground as the floodwaters and debris crash into their homes. The lucky ones find themselves clinging to rooftops amid the raging waters, fighting to survive.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	John Park shouts to be heard over the pouring
0:07.0	John Park shouts to be heard over the pouring rain.
0:10.0	His voice is ragged with fatigue.
0:13.0	Everyone back, back away!
0:16.0	It's 3.05 PM on May 31st, 1889 in Western Pennsylvania.
0:23.9	For the last hour, Parks Workers have been straining to remove an iron grate that's clogged
0:29.2	with debris.
0:30.7	It's blocking the mouth of the spillway that runs along one side of the South Fork Dam.
0:36.0	Trenchal rains have lifted the lake behind the dam to a dangerous level.
0:40.0	Already, water is pouring over the top of the dam, and if they can't dislodge the grate and get the spillway flowing again, it's only going to get worse.
0:50.0	But the grate simply isn't moving.
0:54.0	Even using a team of horses hasn't done any good.
0:57.0	Park has lost any hope of dislodging the Great,
1:00.0	or the huge trees and branches that are blocking it.
1:03.0	So, Park is ordering everyone to back off.
1:07.0	The dam is too unstable to be anywhere near it.
1:10.0	Move back.
1:11.0	I'll get the horses.
1:12.0	Park grabs the reins of two. Move back. I'll get the horses.
1:13.0	Park grabs the reins of two horses, leads them over to a tree, and ties them up.
1:19.0	Then he joins the men. There's nothing to do now, but watch.
1:24.6	Park looks on helplessly as a cascade of water flows over the top of the dam, pouring
	...

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