The Johnstown Flood is a novel written in 1968 by David McCullough. McCullough is an American author and historian who has published multiple novels such as The Wright Brothers, 1776, and John Adams. Since he started his career he has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award twice. He has also had multiple films made concerning his books, The Johnstown Flood being one those. Both the film and the book concern a small town in Pennsylvania that was completely destroyed after a massive flood. Some lived to rebuild their beloved town, but many others were not so fortunate.
On May 31, 1889, a giant flood swept the valley in which Johnstown, Pennsylvania was located. This catastrophe came to be known as the Johnstown Flood, and …show more content…
Their beloved town stood 10ft feet under water and the levels were rising quickly. Everyone watched as the communities nearest to the dam scrambled in fear. The gaping holes in the dam’s flesh were spitting water at the few menfolk who were desperately trying to close them. Despite this, the dam continued to give to the massive weight of water which was anxiously waiting to be released. All warning signals from the valley had been ignored. The towns were void of help. As the dam creaked and the water roared, people began to evacuate their homes. Mothers grabbed their children and fathers rushed to find their families. To much relief, the neighboring communities had been fully evacuated, but Johnstown was still stocked full with potential victims. Suddenly, the dam shattered, sending a massive wave of terror over the townsfolk below. As the water poured from above, it began devouring everything in its path, becoming riddled with filth and leaving nothing but debri and despair. Just as the last drops of Lake Conemaugh were starting to seep out, the colossal wave made its way down the valley. Caught in it’s wake was the ‘ole Day Express, which was carrying a plethora of passengers. The conductor blew a very brief warning signal to warn others of the coming danger before succumbing to it himself, but it was too late. The wave was a half a mile away from Johnstown and was getting …show more content…
Within minutes the whole town was swallowed underneath a blanket of water. Everything gave way to its immense strength. Buildings with people atop got swept away in the chaos. One by one they collected atop the old bridge in the middle of town each sending a thunderous roar throughout the valley. Just as these horrific sounds rang, people were struggling to stay alive amidst this hell . Countless numbers were clinging to debri, or drowning. Many had already taken death’s cold hand and were now opening the pearly gates as their bodies rocked with the furious waves. Just as the water began to flow out of town, oil within the debri began to flare up. Instantly the flames began to spread like a wildfire, creating a living wall of yellow and orange. The immense heat was too much to bear. Some of the townspeople had the misfortune of seeing this firsthand. As the fire slowly burned their flesh, they screamed into the night. No one answered. They welcomed death’s sweet embrace, as both fire and water overran the rest of their