Inside the Red Cross warehouse, relief supplies were stored for distribution to survivors. These supplies were vital to the survival of the town and its population.

Johnstown became a community of tents as survivors and relief workers began to reclaim the town.

Among the supplies to arrive were tents. Survivors had very few options for shelter since many of the buildings left standing were in danger of collapsing. In the background, rows of tents are also visible.

Once the railroad could get through to Johnstown, it continued to bring supplies for months. Due to the immense destruction, survivors were dependent on the railroad for almost everything.

The force of the floodwaters was unimagineable. Little could be salvaged from the wreckage that was of use. This total destruction is what made the help of other cities so necessary.

The resilience of survivors was amazing. Families that chose to stay in the area started their lives over with whatever they had at the time.

The Wood, Morrell & Co. Store ( building on left) took the brunt of the flood’s force, protecting the Cambria Iron Works offices (building on right). In the foreground, relief and recovery efforts constructed a temporary bridge over the Little Conemaugh River.

Railroad tracks that had been washed away were replaced as quickly as possible to allow the necessary supplies to reach the survivors. In the background, more tents are visible.

The flood had wiped out most of the area’s bridges. Those had to be replaced for the relief effort to reach as many survivors as possible. In the background, a stack of bridge trusses are waiting to span the river.

With 30 acres of debris packed against the bridge, there was a lot of work to be done. The people in this photo are dwarfed beside the amount of wreckage they had to move.

As soon as transportation lines were restored, tourists, such as this gentleman, flocked to the area to view the devastation.

Clearing debris away from the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge for immense efforts. Much of the debris has already been cleared away in this photo. Notice another temporary bridge in place here.

Clearing the stone railroad bridge took considerable work. This view is looking upriver. Notice the temporary bridge at the left edge of the photo.

Relief workers cleared and repaired the railroad tracks on top of the stone bridge as quickly as possible. Here, railcars with supplies are visible on the bridge.

Another photo of the railcars on the stone bridge. Notice the amount of debris that is still visible and consider the amount of work necessary to open the four arches that are cleared.

The rails were repaired as quickly as possible. Survivors were in desperate need of supplies. In the background on the left, several rows of white tents are visible on the hillside.

The amount of destruction still amazed people long after the relief efforts had begun.

Another stone bridge view.

Survivors were dependent on relief efforts almost entirely. They were able to salvage some items, but not enough to return to a semblence of their former lives.

Relief workers poured into the devastated town. Months of hard labor was required for the town to regain some resemblance of life before the flood.

The Johnstown Flood of 1889 was the first large scale relief effort for the fledgling Red Cross. This photo is of the infirmary they set up in the Conemaugh Valley.

Wire from the mills was twisted through the wreckage at the bridge. The only way for relief workers to remove it was to blast it lose with dynamite. In this photo, four of the seven arches have already been blasted clear of debris.

The Red Cross warehouse is flying the now well-recognized flag. This photo also shows where telegraph lines have been restrung to restore communications to the valley.

This photo of Red Cross workers and volunteers includes a “Help Wanted” ad in the background. On the building behind them on the right, it reads “Wanted 40 Men.”

The Red Cross contructed this hotel to provide lodging and shelter for the flood survivors.