In lives lost, the Johnstown PA Flood was the worst civil disaster the United States ever suffered. Every state in the nation sent some type of relief, and the people of sixteen foreign countries, including Russia, Turkey, France, Britain, Australia and Germany sent aid. For Clara Barton, the disaster was the first big test for her newly organized American Red Cross.
In 1875 the Pennsylvania Railroad sold the damaged dam and 500 acres of surrounding property. The new owner removed the cast iron valves and pipes and sold them for scrap. In 1879 the property was sold to a Mr. Benjamin Ruff, who wished to repair the dam and create a summer resort.
Because the discharge system had been removed and sold for scrap, the water rising in the lake found its way to the stone embankment and started washing away any earth that was mixed with the stone. Hay, straw and cut brush were placed across the upstream face to stop the seepage. Then, earth and clay were dumped over the hay and straw to create the watertight section of the dam.
RECONSTRUCTION
Ruff's plan was simple. He would fill in the gap and rebuild the dam to its original height. When the lake filled, the excess water could be carried off by the existing spill-way. On October 15, 1879 fifty men were hired and reconstruction on the dam began. Ruff convinced 15 prominent men from the Pittsburgh area that his enterprise would be one of the finest resorts in the country. On November 15, 1879, they were granted a charter under the name of the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club.
For the next eight years, the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club was one of the finest summer resorts in Pennsylvania. South Fork, the town from which it drew it's name, was the nearest place of any size. The drive from the South Fork railroad station to the dam was about two miles and visitors were always impressed by the scenic beauty.
Once the dam was reached, drivers would drive out to the center and customarily stop so that the passengers could enjoy the view. To the right, the dam dropped off abruptly and the water that had flowed through the spillway could be seen in the South Fork Creek down in the valley glistening through the top of the trees. To the left the bank sloped only a few yards to the impounded waters which ran on up the valley for two and a half miles.
At the western end of the dam the road turned left, never far from the water, and a mile further on were the main grounds of the club where the width of the lake was nearly a mile. When the water was "up" in the spring, the lake covered over 400 acres and was over seventy feet deep in places.
To all but a few, everything appeared tranquil and safe in the spring of 1889. However, conditions were ripe for disaster.
