The Johnstown Flood

The Johnstown Flood - by David McCullough

I’ve read two biographies by David McCullough that I enjoyed immensely.  I’ve read one book by David McCullough about an “event” (the building of the Panama Canal) that was o.k., but was weighted down by too much fact and detail.  Fortunately, this book succeeds in areas where the Panama Canal book was a bit lacking.  The main asset that this book has is that it’s fairly short.  It’s only 304 pages long - very short by David McCullough standards.  He could have easily extended this book to twice its size, but he restrains himself.  Or so it seems.  That’s a good thing in this instance.

The Johnstown Flood is one of those true stories of history where it takes a tragedy to occur before the masses truly respect nature and mankind’s limits.  In short, a man made lake is built on a highly elevated area - mainly as a recreational spot for the very rich.  Down in the valley, there are several small communities, including Johnstown, that are home to a few thousand people.  Everyone believes these communities are safe, of course.  After all, the mammoth lake does have a man made dam that will hold together.  In the 50 years or so during the lake’s existence, there are those who warn of impending doom, and that the darn thing simply isn’t strong enough, but nobody seems to want to listen.

This book is very nicely divided into sections that manage to tell a very good story about an event that happens, basically, in a matter of minutes.  First, we read about the town before the tragedy, the surrounding communities, and many of the people that inhabit this quiet community.  We then shift gears and read about the wealthy patrons that develop a recreational private resort - the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.  A dam is constructed around the nearby Lake Conemaugh, and paradise is recreated for the privileged few.

Then one night it rains. And rains.  And pours.  The questionable structured dam gives way, and the communities down in the valley are flooded in a matter of minutes.  The book actually does a very good job recreating this brief, yet horrific incident.  You have to wonder how reliable many of the accounts are, but regardless, the author tells a good recap.

Then, for me, the best part of the book is the aftermath.  Being that this is the nineteenth century, word of the disaster travels slower than what modern man is used to, but at the time, this was the tragedy of all time, and the good Samaritans come from all corners, donating money, supplies, adoption, and anything else possible.  It really warms the heart to read of such philanthropy.  Of course, there’s also many factions of the yellow press that arrive, and in eagerness to sell papers, there are many exaggerated, preposterous stories that circulate after the event. Much of these stories describe the incident as much worse than what actually happened (even though the tragedy was devastating in and of itself).

So a very well balanced book.  Heartbreaking?  Sure.  As I’ve said, though, it’s a sad aspect of human nature that people don’t learn harsh lessons until after such events happen.  It’s always incredibly encouraging, however, to read about people rising to the occasion and helping their fellow neighbor, and a book like this really does give one faith in humanity.