BY FERN YARNICK
FYARNICK@YAHOO.COM
“ ... and on this rock I will build my church ...
Matthew 16:17
One of the worst floods recorded in American history happened in May 1889 in Johnstown.
Many accounts of sadness, heartache and bravery have been told and retold through the years following the flood.
After the floodwaters receded, descriptions of the dead were distributed among the survivors hoping that the bodies could be identified.
One of my ancestors received the following:
“Child about three years, small pock above right eye (in eyebrow), well-trimmed bangs. Only clothing was gauze knit undershirt, short sleeves. A piece of a house found floating on the same spot had a street board marked Front Street.”
Front Street was near the railroad tracks in Conemaugh.
When the South Fork Dam broke, it ravaged the countryside and then headed down the valley toward Conemaugh.
The flood devastated everything in its path and very little escaped the huge wall of water.
One account described it as “an avalanche composed of more than 100,000 tons of rocks, locomotives, freight cars, car trucks, iron, trees and other material pushed forward by 16,000,000 tons of water at the rate of a mile a minute.”
As the mass of destruction moved toward Johnstown, one of the buildings in its path was the Methodist Church.
The wall of water slammed into the church with terrific force.
However, the building stood strong while the water split into two directions.
A man standing in the window of a house nearby cried out, “We have been saved by the Methodist Church!”
He was wrong.
He was saved by the solid foundation.
The church withstood the flood, but time, age and the elements will someday crumble the building.
However, that foundation will last forever, for it is the solid rock of Christ.
Floods of disappointment, illness and heartache can cloud horizons at times, yet when our faith clings to that solid rock, we can hold on and hold out.
Features
In time of trouble, cling to Christ | FERN YARNICK
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Events | Arts fitness
“Music and Art for Heart and Soul” will be held from 6 to 10 tonight at Art Works in Johnstown! 413 Third Ave. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.
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'New York City Subway Idol' | Soul, rhythm and blues singer in concert Feb. 18 at Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center
Alice Tan Ridley is just as popular above ground as below it. The singer, known as “The New York City Subway Idol,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center on the Pitt-Johnstown campus in Richland Township.
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All things afield at annual sportsmen's show
Folks who crave the great outdoors will have the chance to get a jump on their adventures by attending the 27th annual Allegheny Sport, Travel and Outdoor Show at the Monroeville Convention Center. The show, which runs from Feb. 15-19, is the only western Pennsylvania show dedicated to hunting, fishing and camping. It offers hundreds of exhibitors, dozens of live demonstrations and many seminars presented by experts in their fields of interest.
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Venue of Merging Arts to host Slovak Mardi Gras
Slovak heritage will be the center of attention at an upcoming party. A Slovak Mardi Gras, or Fasiangy, will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Feb. 19 at Venue of Merging Arts, 305 Chestnut St. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.
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Go jump in a lake | Laurel Highlands Polar Plunge at Que to raise funds for Special Olympics
It takes a hearty soul to jump into a freezing Pennsylvania lake in February and pay money to do it. But that’s what organizers of the first official Laurel Highlands Polar Plunge are counting on. On Saturday, if people donate to Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, they can go jump in a lake.
- Area high schools have scheduled spring shows
- Tom Lavis | Coming unglued when trying to peel wallpaper
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Westmont Hilltop High School has reached theatrical milestone
“The Pirates of Penzance” will mark Westmont Hilltop High School’s 50th year of presenting musical theater.
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Curtains rising | Students acting out roles in spring productions
A variety of performances that promise to be entertaining are scheduled for area high school stages.
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Tribute band to play best of Pink Floyd at War Memorial
This arena show will bring the lights and sounds of Pink Floyd. Brit Floyd, billed as the world’s greatest Pink Floyd show, will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena, 326 Napoleon St., Johnstown.
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