"Run for your lives—the dam is breaking!" was a familiar threat to the people of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They had heard it too often to believe it would ever happen. But on May 32, 1889, disaster roared down from the hills, engulfing the peaceful valley. Thousands of men, women, and children fought with heroic courage to survive days and nights of horror.

In this vivid, hour-by-hour account, Hildegarde Dolson tells how the tragedy happened, and how such a disaster could have been prevented. It is an exciting story of human bravery.

From the book