Ruthless Tide

The Heroes and Villains of the Johnstown Flood, America's Astonishing Gilded Age Disaster

De: Al Roker

Narrado por: Mirron Willis

A gripping narrative history of the 1889 Johnstown Flood—the deadliest flood in US history—from New York Times bestselling author, NBC Host, and legendary weather authority Al Roker.

May 1889: After a deluge of rainfall—nearly a foot in less than twenty-four hours—swelled the Little Conemaugh River, panicked engineers watched helplessly as swiftly rising waters threatened to breach the South Fork Dam in central Pennsylvania. Though they telegraphed neighboring towns on this last morning in May, warning of the impending danger, residents, used to false alarms, remained in their homes.

At 3:10 P.M., the dam gave way, releasing twenty million tons of water. Gathering speed as it flowed southwest, the deluge wiped out entire towns in its path and picked up debris—trees, houses, animals—before reaching Johnstown, fourteen miles downstream. Traveling forty miles an hour, with swells as high as sixty feet, the deadly floodwaters razed the mill town—home to 20,000 people—in minutes. The Great Flood, as it would come to be called, remains the deadliest in US history, killing more than 2,200 people and causing seventeen million dollars in damage.

Al Roker tells the riveting story of this tragedy, which remains one of the worst weather-related disasters in American history. Ruthless Tide follows a compelling cast of characters whose fates converged because of that tragic day, including John Parke, the engineer whose heroic efforts failed to save the dam; Henry Clay Frick, the robber baron whose fancy sport fishing resort was responsible for modifications that weakened the structure; and Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, who spent five months in Johnstown leading one of the first organized disaster relief efforts. Weaving together their stories and those of many ordinary citizens whose lives were forever altered by the event, Roker creates a classic account of our natural world at its most terrifying.

Thank You

My dad, years later than story, worked for the featured industry out of Pittsburgh. Even in the 50s the same names
(Frick, Carnegie, Schwab) came up in my parents dinner table conversation. The presentation here has helped me understand better the persons my Dad sought to emulate. And also to maybe understand the attitude of the man soon to be 2025 US sitting president...seeking an external cloke of importance.

Excellent work, beautifully read!

Initially I had trouble keeping up with the background threads, but staying with it, I enjoyed this thorough, informative, and very well-told story.

Mispronunciation bothers me

I was born in Johnstown and have read just about everything ever written about the flood. I had family that lived through it. This is one of the best stories EVER! The only negative for me is mispronunciation of Pitcairn, the r isn’t silent, and mispronunciation of a couple towns and a river. Just me, but I loved the account

Ruthless Tide

This is a terrific book as it is historically informative and visually appealing and exciting.

Thrilling Human Drama

Dramatic account of the famous Johnstown flood from the incredible stories of tragedy and heroism. The outrage of the privileged and their negligence changed America.