History of the Johnstown Flood / Including all the Fearful Record; the Breaking of the South Fork Dam; the Sweeping Out of the Conemaugh Valley; the Over-Throw of Johnstown; the Massing of the Wreck at the Railroad Bridge; Escapes, Rescues, Searches for Survivors and the Dead; Relief Organizations, Stupendous Charities, etc., etc., With Full Accounts also of the Destruction on the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers, and the Bald Eagle Creek.

A detailed contemporary narrative reconstructs the collapse of the South Fork dam and the ensuing torrent down the Conemaugh Valley, describing the sweeping destruction of villages, the accumulation of wreckage at a railroad bridge, and the devastation of Johnstown. It blends chronological reportage with vivid eyewitness testimony to record rescues, harrowing escapes, suffering, and the identification and burial of the dead, while also documenting episodes of looting and local attempts to enforce order. Chapters provide industrial and local background, depict the physical pathway of the flood, and trace the national and international relief efforts that raised funds and organized aid.