VOL.XXVIII. THK RIVERS AGAIN. More About tlic Cau.e of Their Overflow and the Remedy. to i/ Editor of llw JohmWwn Democrat. ID au article in the Tribune recently, headed "Our City and its Rivers," the writer very keenly calls to uotice our dreadful disaster, loss of life and property caused by waters. The les son was indeed one veey dearly pur. chased. But would it net be well for us, in all sincerity, to look the causes of our disaster and troubles from water squarely in the face, and in doing so we find, in the first place, it is an undenied fact that the prime cause for the loss of so many lives and thousands of dollars worth of property was the giving way of the South Fork reservoir on May 31st last. Of the resetvoir, can only be said there did exist some fourteen miles from our city a death trap longing an opportunity to sweep down and rob us of thousands of inhab itants and millions of dollars worth of property. But did we not know the res ervoir was in existence ? Were we not fully aware of its unsafely ? Was it uot a known fact that unfit material was an nually used in the breast of t hat very res ervoir, which possessed not the required resisting power for so e lormous a body of water'/ And, lastly, were we not fully familiar with the correspondence on the subject that took place between John Fulton, now Geueral Manager of the Cambria Iron Company, then Chief En gineer of same institution, and the officers of the South Fork Sportsmen and Fishing Club' We were told as plain as language could make it by our townsman that the resisting power was insufficient, taking character of material and manner of con struction as a basis for our protection. Certainly no one can deny these facts; they were well founded, and we have the evidence —a ruiued city. This is our dis aster and cause in a nutshell. Now as for our riveis. It is undoubt edly true that our channels in their present condition are insufficient to carry off the water should a large amount of rain fall. But why arc they insufficient to discharge all the waters now ? Were they not also insufficient for several years before the flood '/ It is true that a portion of our present trouble must be attributed to de posits in our channels as a result from the flood, but does the cause solely rest there ss we are lead to believe? Certainly not, xor we have had overflows for several years before the flood. We older citizens who have lived in this valley from 30 to 00 years have no recollection of troubles from high water. No other solution can therefore be given than as we know and see them, and that is a practical game of scientific taking that which does not be long, has been indulged in on the banks of our stream to such an extent that our channels have, within the last few years, been so narrowed that the space left now has been and is unable to discharge all the water and overflows are natural re sults. The Stonycreek, which now seems to so sincerely attract the attention of our would-be philanthropists, urging City Council to grant privileges to change the stream, was in former limes no source of trouble, and why ? Because it then had the average width of 225 fei't. This width our borough fathers in all there wisdom thought was extravagant by fifty feet, and assumed the questioned responsibility to reduce the width to 175 feet and grant permits to fill to that width. A corporation determined to seu the town Council with their reduction of titty fee in width and go fifty better. So that in place of leaving a channel of 225 feet as formerly we now have a channel to con vey off same amount (if rain fall at 125 feet at some points. The same ratio wdl hold good with all our streams in the City limits, and yet the question is daily asked why have we trouble from water souices now ? The lime has arrived when prompt and decided action for our relief is necessary, our City Council to whom is intrusted the task, should at once take the position that private individuals though ever so poor have equal rights with corporations that both are amen able on the same basis, and to that end should negotiate and not allow, as in former years that schemes of various kinds shall form the basis of legislation. The change of Stonycreek would not doubt be profitable at least to the projec tors, who with tears ask to be recognized. That our streams have been encroached on is now beyond a doubt. That the bed of a stream is a higliwav is equally true, If therefore a highway is encroached upon, there is a remedy. The law of Johnstown borough Council without authority narrowed our streams or allowed it to bedone then there is a remedy for restoration, and my word for it, restore to our channels that which was without any well founded authority, taken from it from Coopersdale to the extreme limits of the City. Remove the most scrions deposits from the flood, as well as the stone railroad bridge, and arrange at proper angles the confluence of the various streams, and the result will be as in former years no trouble from water sources, without even the assistance of your extremely generous Construction Company. J CSTKI. JOHNSTOWN, CAMBRIA COUNTY. PA., FRIDAY, MAY 23, 1890. THE CASE FULLY STATED. Confutation of the Kboubiirg Herald's Charges That We Misstated .Matters in Our Kr|>ort of the Directors' Convention. The Cambria Herald, of hist week says that the DEMOCRAT misrepresented things in its report of the School Direct ors' Con vention. They quote from our paper of the 7th lust, the following: The directors from the new borough of Hast ings presented a decision of the Superintendent of public Instruction setting forth that they were entitled to a vote In the convention. The chairman read some law on the subject and In terpreted It against them, refusing to acknowl edge the decision of the State Department. The llastlugs men were not permitted to vote. Then the Herald goes on to comment, as follows: The truth of the matter Is a llrector got up In the convention and said that one of the di rectors from Hastings had received a letter from the State Department, but that lie forgot to bring It with him. The chairman read tlw school law In regard to the matter, which explicitly slates that new boards can not vote before the organization In June. And It Is not contrary to custom, as Intimated by the DKMOCKAT, to tlx the salary question after the election of a county superintendent. We do not w'sli to get into any contro versy in regard to this matter, but every word we said is true, and the "veracious" writer in the Herald. who is easily dis tinguished by his italics, either through ignorance or for the purpo-e of putting matters iu a light more acceptable to the people of the county, told in the state ments quoted above several thiDgs that are untrue. Mr. John A. Piatt, a director from Hast ings, stated that 1 e was prepared to take oath that the board from that borough had authority from the State Department to participate in the election. Mr. Piatt also stated that he had accidentally omitted bringing with him the letter from the Department. The chairman thereupou produced from a copy of the School Laws this section : That when a new district shall hereafter be formed, such district shall not be considered and recognized as a separate and Independent school district until after the termination of the cur rent school year In which It became a new dis trict, and until It have a full board of directors regularly elected or appointed and organized, except that the directors thereof shall have au thority to levy, assess and collect tax, procure school-houses, and do all other acts necessary to the commencement of the schools for the ensu lng year. Does that " explicitly state that new boards cannot vote before the organiza tion in June ?" Reader, compare the Her ald's statement with the above and see who " misrepresents matters." If the chairman, who would certaiuly make a good judge, if the dispatch with which he disposes of legal questions be a merit, had looked a moment at a decision of the department appended to the above section of the law, he would have found this: The board of a new district may do every offi cial act, during the year next before that In which It goes Into separate and Independent op eration, necessary to the putting of the schools Into full working order, except that of actual opening them for Instruction. The letter received by the Hastings board, in answer to the question whether they were entitled to vote for county Superintendent or not is as follows : DKPARTMKNT or PUBLIC INSTRUCTION,! Harrlsburg, April 29, IS!*). J John .1. Plait, Eng. DKAK SIR : You have a legal right to vote for county Suparintendent on the first, Tuesday In May. Yours Truly, HKNRV HOICK, Deputy supt. Has the Herald anything more to say on the subject ? Our reply has been de layed a little in order to gel possession of the above letter. The right of the Director's to a vote was presented at the convention by a gentleman who would not misrepresent the rnatler, and the de cision was ruled out by the Chairman, either because he aud those who were back of him didn't know any better, or because they did it for a purpose, and that purpose it isn't haul to see. On the matter of fixing the salary there is only this to say : It has been the cus tom in this county for a great many years to first settle the salary and then elect the Superintendent, and the man who wrote the article for the Herald knew he was writing an untruth when he wrote it. If what we say is not correct will he state in what instances for the last fif teen or eighteen years has the Superin tendent been elected before the salary was settled ? Is not that long enough to establish a custom ? Reduced Kates to German linptlsts at Nortq Manchester, Inil,, vial'enusylvanla Rail road. For the benefit of visitors to the meet ing of the Old German Baptists at North Manchester, Ind., the Pennsylvania Rail road Company will sell excursion tickets to North Manchester at one fare and a third for the round trip. Tickets will be sold May 20th to 25th, valid for return until June 25, 1890, inclusive. The exceptionally good facilities af. forded by the Pennsylvania's through trains to the \Ve9t, commend this route most strongly to the patronage of visitors to this mcetiDg. The specific round-trip rate from Johnstown to North Manches ter is $17.39, Conemaugh $17.48. Further information will be given by ticket agents or upon application to Thos. E. Watt. Passenger Agent Western Division, 110 Fifth avenue, Pittsbugh. HOARD GF TRADE. Proceed intra ol die Regular Meeting I.*t Evening—Chances for a Public Building Not (ioml. The regular meeting of the Board of i Trade was called to order last evening by Vice President .Mos'-s. The roll was called and a quorum an swered to their names. G. W. Mcses, G. VV. YVagner, James Quinn, Scott Dibert, 8. Dean Cannan, Geo. K. Shryock, P. S. Fisher, John Hannan, G. A. Hager, Chas. Suppes, J. M. Shumaker, Cbas. H. Griffith, P. L, Carpenter, were present. The minute of the last regular anil special meetings were read and approved. Reports of Committees being called for the Committees on Manufactures, Real Estate, Finance, Municipal Affairs, Sta tistics, Publication and Arbitration had no report. The Treasurer's report was read as fol lows : Dh. • To amount on hand at our last meeting, $1270 72 'To amount received from the secretary. 54 on Total $1321 72 CR. By amount-paid c. T. Frazer $25 uo By amount paid Johnstown Elec tric Light Co. 8 13 $ 33 13 Balance $1291 SB GEO. A. HAGER, Treasurer. The report was received and ordered tiled. The secretary read a letter received by the Special committee on Public Building for Johns town, from Hon. Edward scull, as follows: HOL'SE OK REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON, D. c., April 28, lsuo. lion. 1,. I). Woodruff', MY DEAR SIR: I have the letterof yourself and colleagues, a committee of;the Board of Trade, relative to an appropriation for the erection of a Government building In your city, of course, 1 stand ready to do all In my power to meet; your wishes In this matter, but 1 do not think this Is an auspicious time. You will observe on an ex amination of the House calendar, a copy of which I mail you, that It contains a very large number of bills of a similar character. The Com mittee or. Public Grounds and Buildings has had Its day, or rather two days, during which It pro cured the passage of a number of bills, four of which were for buildings in our Slate. It Is not probable that It will get another day dur ing this session, but If It does, It will call up bills In their order on the calendar. Apart irom this there Is no other way of getting a bill considered except by "unanimous consent." The objection of a single member prevents the privilege being granted, and gentlemen having bills on the cal endar will, In defense of their own rights, object to have bills below them taken out and passed- It is current rumor at this time that the enor mous sums of money which would be required to erect but a tithe of the bulldlugs that are asked for, and bills for wblch are on tbe calen dar, has attracted the attention of the Execu tive. and that, If passed, will not meet with his approval. The committee has now on Its tile a large number of bills not acted upon, and probably will not be during this session. If, howeer, on due consideration, your committee thinks It would be In the Interest of the project to have a bill Introduced, at tbls session, It will afford me pleasure to do so. Truly yours, EDWARD SCCLI.. Tbe Secretary read tbe following bills, wbicb were approved aud paid : A. E. Blain, janitor, $8.33; C. T. Frazer, rent for April, $25 ; L. D. Woodruff, $3.00; Ramp & Horan 75 cents; W. J. Rose, $1.02, Tbe names of Win. C. Kreiger, Assistant Casbier of tbe Liizens Bank and Wm. A. Donaldson, were proposed for member ship and under tbe rules were laid over until tbe next regular meeting. The river question was freely discussed. They Hud Heller Aequlc*ett. To the Editor