-9:55 A.M., Lake Conemaugh

Col. Unger sent his man, Dan Boyer, caretaker of the S.F.F.H.C. grounds, to recall the team of immigrant Italian laborers who had been working on throwing up mud and straw to raise the crest of the dam. Unger now wanted the men to dig another spillway. The Italians objected that a cut in the dam now would cause it to collapse.

"It won't matter much," Unger said, "it will be ruined anyhow if I can't get rid of this water."*

*Here it is then, the first positive statement by a S.F.F.H.C. person that the point of no return had been reached. Unger knew, John Parke knew, that there was no way to "get rid of this water" without a controlled break of the dam. If clear, unambiguous--"EVACUATE!"--warning had been sent down the valley, and received, at this hour, people could have saved themselves. Instead, ambiguous warnings were sent only later.-BH