Ah, Johnstown. A quiet little Pennsylvania town that in 1889 became the unwilling host of one of the worst disasters in American history—all thanks to some rich guys who thought “dam maintenance” was more of a suggestion than a necessity.

It all started with the South Fork Dam, a once-sturdy structure that had been… let’s say “modified” by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Members included Carnegie, Frick, and other steel tycoons, who, instead of ensuring the dam’s safety, prioritized things like widening it for carriage access and adding fish screens—because heaven forbid their trout escape. Meanwhile, leaks? Cracks? Pfft, what’s the worst that could happen?

On May 31, 1889, after days of relentless rain, the dam finally gave up. The result? A 40-foot wall of water traveling 40 mph, obliterating everything in its path. Houses, trees, trains, and even a steel mill were swept away. Some residents were literally surfing their rooftops down Main Street (not voluntarily, of course). The debris pile at the Stone Bridge caught fire—because why settle for just a flood when you can have a floating inferno?

When the water receded, over 2,200 people were dead, making it the deadliest flood in U.S. history at the time. And the club members? They denied all responsibility, weren’t held legally accountable, and went right back to fishing.

The moral? If billionaires are playing civil engineer, maybe don’t live downstream.

Sources:

Books:

The Johnstown Flood - by David McCullough

Articles:

https://www.britannica.com/event/Johnstown-flood

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-johnstown-flood

https://www.nps.gov/jofl/index.htm

https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/floods/papers/Johnstown_flood.pdf