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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the name of the girl who climbs in a cupboard to stay safe from the flood?

2. What do Johnstown residents see catch fire around 8 p.m. the day of the flood?

3. Where does Pitcairn leave Pittsburgh for in a private upholstered car?

4. What is the name of the man who brings three carloads of supplies and 300 men to help the relief efforts?

5. How many doctors and nurses did Clara Barton bring with her to help the relief efforts?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the nature of the journalists' first reports of the flood?

2. What happens to a man and two women seen riding a barn roof in Chapter 6?

3. What are the three destructive thrusts made by the wave as described in Chapter 5?

4. How is Henry S. Brown's journey to Johnstown described?

5. How is Victor Heiser described when the wave reaches his family's property?

6. Describe the donations made to Johnstown from other cities.

7. How is the work of the 200 photographers visiting Johnstown described?

8. How are the first arrivals of supply carts described?

9. How does the author describe the sightseers at the flood site?

10. What is the nature of the stories about Daniel Peyton?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the nature of the author's depictions of the flood victims in the book. What methods did he use to obtain these descriptions? What evidence is there to suggest they are accurate accounts?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the author's use of tone in the book. In what way did the author insert his own perspective into the tone of the book?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the role of the train engineers during the crisis. What impact did they have on the outcome of the flood?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 634 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample