Ruthless Tide by Al Roker

Ruthless Tide by Al Roker

The Johnstown Flood was the most devastating in U.S. history killing thousands of people. It was also a completely unnecessary tragedy, because it was not the result of nature, but of the failing of a poorly constructed dam. The dam was made to create an artificial lake to provide fishing for wealthy elites such as Andrew Carnegie. It’s spillways, a safety feature, were blocked to keep the fish from escaping. There were many signs for years that the dam was a disaster waiting to happen, but these warning signs were ignored because repairing the dam would have been expensive. When unusually heavy rains overpowered the dam, the escaping waters killed thousands and devastated the valley beneath it. And when survivors tried to sue the wealthy people responsible, the nineteenth century court system protected the rich. It was, however, one of the inspirations that led to early twentieth century progressivism and efforts to regulate industry.