Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 3, "There's a man came from the lake," takes its title from the recollections of the South Fork telegraph operator who hears the warning of eminent trouble brought by John Parke in a Paul-Revere-like ride. The chapter follows the rising water, efforts to deal with the structural defects in the dam, and attempts to get warnings downstream.

The cold, hard rain eases off by the morning of May 31, but a thick mist hangs in the air. By 6 AM, everyone knows Johnstown is in for a bad time because the yellow-brown, log-choked rivers are rising faster than a foot an hour. By 7 AM, mill workers coming off shift are told to look after their families. By 10 AM, most cellars in the lower part of town have water; school is let out, and children are splashing in the streets. Distinguished lawyer W. Horace...