May 31, 1889: Johnstown Flood Kills 2,200 People

The catastrophic flood that destroyed Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1889 soon became a familiar subject for amusement park dioramas.  Thousands of curious spectators thronged to this “spectacle” at Coney Island, which opened in 1902 after being moved from the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. What is interesting is that there are no surviving photographs of what the interior of the exhibit looked like. Until 9/11, the Johnstown Flood was one of the worst losses of life of any disaster in American history.

More details of the exhibits can be found here: https://www.heartofconeyisland.com/johnstown-flood-show.html

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnstown_Flood

NY Times Reports: http://www.johnstownpa.com/History/hist30.html

Coney Island Exhibit

Famous Kurz & Allison Print. This Is How Many People “Saw” The Flood In The Years That Followed.

Second Version Of the Famous Print

Artist’s Depiction Of The Unphotographed Scene At The Stone Bridge The Night Of The Flood Which Appeared In London In “The Graphic” June 22, 1889

Vignette From “The Graphic” Drawing

Vignette From “The Graphic” Drawing

The South Fork Dam

The Broken Dam

Artist’s Depiction Of The Broken Dam From “The Graphic”

Empty Bed At Lake Conemaugh

Debris At The Stone Bridge

Vast Debris Field

Stereograph Of The Stone Bridge

Following The Flood A Number Of Books Were Quickly Written About The Affair

Documentary by Charles Guggenheim On The 100th Anniversary Of The Flood Which Won An Academy Award.

Only Mighty Mouse Can Save Johnstown (Source: Johnstown Flood Museum)

Rare Footage of WIllard Scott At The Dedication Of The NPS Johnstown Flood Museum On The 100th Anniversary (Source: NBC)