>>> WERE BACK WITH ONE OF THE >>> WERE BACK WITH ONE OF THE
WORST DISASTERS IN HISTORY. WORST DISASTERS IN HISTORY.
>> THE INFAMOUS JOHNSTOWN FLOOD >> THE INFAMOUS JOHNSTOWN FLOOD
THAT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF 2,200 THAT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF 2,200
PEOPLE. PEOPLE. 20 MILLION TONS OF DEBRIS DOWN A
MOUNTAIN AT 40 MILES PER HOUR, A MOUNTAIN AT 40 MILES PER HOUR,
DECIMATING THAT WESTERN DECIMATING THAT WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA TOWN. PENNSYLVANIA TOWN. IT CHANGED THE TOWN FOREVER.
>> THE WEATHER WAS A BIG STORY >> THE WEATHER WAS A BIG STORY
ABOUT THAT EVENT IN 1889. ABOUT THAT EVENT IN 1889. LETS GO TO THE FORECAST ON THAT LETS GO TO THE FORECAST ON THAT FATEFUL DAY. FATEFUL DAY. >> IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. >> IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. WE HAD A BIG STORM SYSTEM, A
WEIRD YEAR OF WEATHER.TEM, A WEIRD YEAR OF WEATHER.
HEAVY STORMS MADE THEIR WAY HEAVY STORMS MADE THEIR WAY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SUNDAY, THE STORM SYSTEM STARTED SUNDAY, THE STORM SYSTEM STARTED IN CALIFORNIA ON SUNDAY THE 26th
OF MAY, 1889. ON SUNDAY THE 26th OF MAY, 1889.
BY MONDAY, IT WAS MAKING ITS WAY BY MONDAY, IT WAS MAKING ITS WAY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, CAUSING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, CAUSING
MASSIVE PROBLEMS, INTENSE RAIN MASSIVE PROBLEMS, INTENSE RAIN
IN NEBRASKA. IN NEBRASKA.
KANSAS HAD VIOLENT WINDS. KANSAS HAD VIOLENT WINDS. AND WEDNESDAY, THE 29th INTO
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, THE SYSTEM THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, THE SYSTEM
CONTINUED TO THE EAST. CONTINUED TO THE EAST.
SEVERE RAIN, WIND FROM MICHIGAN SEVERE RAIN, WIND FROM MICHIGAN
TO TENNESSEE. TO TENNESSEE.
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY, THE SYSTEM THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY, THE SYSTEM
SLOWS UP, PARKS ITSELF OVER SLOWS UP, PARKS ITSELF OVER
PENNSYLVANIA BECAUSE OF A PENNSYLVANIA BECAUSE OF A
HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT
BLOCKED IT. BLOCKED IT.
NOW, WERE TALKING ABOUT MORE NOW, WERE TALKING ABOUT MORE
THAN A FOOT OF RAIN FALLING ON THAN A FOOT OF RAIN FALLING ON THIS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AREA
AFTER MELTING SNOWS.VANIA AREA AFTER MELTING SNOWS.
IT WAS A TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR IT WAS A TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR
THAT CAUSED A MASSIVE FAILURE OF THAT CAUSED A MASSIVE FAILURE OF
A DAM AND THE REST IS HISTORY. A DAM AND THE REST IS HISTORY.
>> WE KNOW IT CAPTIVATED YOU >> WE KNOW IT CAPTIVATED YOU
BECAUSE YOU WROTE A BOOK ABOUT BECAUSE YOU WROTE A BOOK ABOUT
IT. IT. ITS CALLED "RUTHLESS TIDE: THE
HEROES AND VILLAINS OF THE THE HEROES AND VILLAINS OF THE
JOHNSTOWN FLOOD." JOHNSTOWN FLOOD."
CONGRATULATIONS ON WRITING THE CONGRATULATIONS ON WRITING THE
BOOK. BOOK.
I DONT KNOW HOW YOU DO IT. I DONT KNOW HOW YOU DO IT.
WHAT ABOUT THIS CAUGHT YOUR WHAT ABOUT THIS CAUGHT YOUR
ATTENTION AND MAKE YOU WANT TO ATTENTION AND MAKE YOU WANT TO DELVE INTO IT?
>> I HEARD ABOUT THE JOHNSTOWN >> I HEARD ABOUT THE JOHNSTOWN
FLOOD. FLOOD. MORE PEOPLE DIED IN THAT FLOOD
THAN ANY TIME SINCE THAT FLOOD THAN ANY TIME SINCE THAT
HISTORY. HISTORY. IT WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF IT WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF RAIN. RAIN. IT WAS ALSO THE CARELESSNESS OF
A GROUP OF 1%ers.ARELESSNESS OF A GROUP OF 1%ers.
THEY WANTED THEIR GETAWAY IN THE THEY WANTED THEIR GETAWAY IN THE
MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA. MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA.
THEY CREATED A MANMADE LAKE WITH THEY CREATED A MANMADE LAKE WITH
A DAM THAT WAS INFERIOR. A DAM THAT WAS INFERIOR.
AND PEOPLE SAID SOMETHING BAD AND PEOPLE SAID SOMETHING BAD
WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND MAY 1st, 1889, IT DID. AND MAY 1st, 1889, IT DID.
>> THEY DIDNT HAVE THE WEATHER >> THEY DIDNT HAVE THE WEATHER
TOOLS TO PREDICT THINGS. TOOLS TO PREDICT THINGS.
DID THEY KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE DID THEY KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE
THIS BAD? THIS BAD? >> NOT AT THE BEGINNING. >> NOT AT THE BEGINNING. THEY JUST HAD INSTALLED
TELEPHONES AT THIS POINT. TELEPHONES AT THIS POINT.
THERE WAS NOBODY AT THE CLUB TO THERE WAS NOBODY AT THE CLUB TO
MAKE A PHONE CALL. MAKE A PHONE CALL.
THERE WAS A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR THERE WAS A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR
WHO SENT MESSAGES BECAUSE WHO SENT MESSAGES BECAUSE
SOMEBODY RODE FROM THE DAM DOWN SOMEBODY RODE FROM THE DAM DOWN
THERE. THERE. ONCE THEY GOT WORD DOWN TO FOLKS
IN JOHNSTOWN, NOBODY BELIEVEDLKS IN JOHNSTOWN, NOBODY BELIEVED
IT. IT. WHEN THIS DAM BROKE AT 3:10 IN WHEN THIS DAM BROKE AT 3:10 IN THE AFTERNOON, 20 MILLION TONS THE AFTERNOON, 20 MILLION TONS OF WATER LEFT THAT LAKE IN 30
MINUTES. LEFT THAT LAKE IN 30 MINUTES. AND WITHIN AN HOUR, MADE ITS WAY
DOWN, DESTROYING THE TOWNS.S WAY DOWN, DESTROYING THE TOWNS.
>> YOU LOOK AT THE BIG STORY. >> YOU LOOK AT THE BIG STORY.
YOU FOCUS ON SOME INDIVIDUAL YOU FOCUS ON SOME INDIVIDUAL
STORIES. STORIES. THERES A 6-YEAR-OLD SURVIVOR THERES A 6-YEAR-OLD SURVIVOR WHO HAD AN EPOCH TALE.
>> GERTRUDE WAS ON THIS RIVER OF >> GERTRUDE WAS ON THIS RIVER OF
DEBRIS AND FLAME AND FIRE, BY DEBRIS AND FLAME AND FIRE, BY
HERSELF ON A MATTRESS. HERSELF ON A MATTRESS.
>> WOW. >> WOW.
>> SHE HAPPENED -- THERES A GUY >> SHE HAPPENED -- THERES A GUY
WHO IS AN IRONWORKER WHO SEES WHO IS AN IRONWORKER WHO SEES
HER. HER. HE HAS BEEN RIDING ON A ROOF.
SOMEBODY SAID, THROW US THEF. SOMEBODY SAID, THROW US THE
BABY. BABY. HE JUMPS INTO THE FLAMING WATER, HE JUMPS INTO THE FLAMING WATER, GRABS THE BABY AND TOSSES HER TO
THE OTHER PEOPLE AS HE CONTINUES THE OTHER PEOPLE AS HE CONTINUES
DOWNRIVER. DOWNRIVER. AND THEY BOTH SURVIVED.
>> YOU WONDER HOW MIN SURANYONE >> YOU WONDER HOW MIN SURANYONE
SURVIVED. SURVIVED. I HADNT HEARD OF THIS.
IT WASNT ONE OF THE WEATHER IT WASNT ONE OF THE WEATHER
EVENTS THAT YOUR AVERAGE PERSON EVENTS THAT YOUR AVERAGE PERSON
HAS HEARD OF. HAS HEARD OF.
>> CLARA BARTON, WHO JUST >> CLARA BARTON, WHO JUST
STARTED THE RED CROSS, CAME INTO STARTED THE RED CROSS, CAME INTO
PROMINENCE BECAUSE OF THIS. PROMINENCE BECAUSE OF THIS.
THEY CHANGED LIABILITY LAWS THEY CHANGED LIABILITY LAWS
BECAUSE OF THIS. BECAUSE OF THIS.
IT REALLY WAS A WATERSHED MOMENT IT REALLY WAS A WATERSHED MOMENT
IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
