[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 144 (Wednesday, October 15, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H9410-H9411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JOHNSTOWN FLOOD NATIONAL MEMORIAL BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2003
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1521) to provide for additional lands to be included within the
boundary of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial in the State of
Pennsylvania, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1521
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Johnstown Flood National
Memorial Boundary Adjustment Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. BOUNDARY OF JOHNSTOWN FLOOD NATIONAL MEMORIAL.
The boundary of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial
(``Memorial'') is modified to include the area as generally
depicted on the map entitled ``Johnstown Flood National
Memorial, Cambria County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania'',
numbered N.E.R.O. 427/80,008 and dated June, 2003. The map
shall be on file and available for inspection in the
appropriate offices of the National Park Service, Department
of the Interior.
SEC. 3. ACQUISITION OF LANDS.
The Secretary of the Interior (``Secretary'') is authorized
to acquire from willing sellers the land or interests in land
as described in section 2 by donation, purchase with donated
or appropriated funds, or exchange.
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF LANDS.
Lands added to the Memorial by section 2 shall be
administered by the Secretary as part of the Memorial in
accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
In addition to amounts otherwise made available for land
acquisition, there are authorized to be appropriated such
sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this
Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Pombo) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.
Napolitano) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo).
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1521, introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Murtha) and amended by the Committee on Resources, would revise
the boundaries of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial. The Secretary
of the Interior would be authorized to acquire approximately 15 acres
of land from willing sellers to be included within the boundary of the
Johnstown Flood National Memorial. Acquisition of these additional
lands would provide permanent protection for resources that are
integral to the historic flood of 1889.
Both property owners, Tom and Ann Furlong and the South Fork Fishing
and Hunting Club Preservation Society, are supportive of the bill and
the acquisition of their properties. One parcel of land originally in
the proposal has been removed, as the owner is no longer a willing
seller. Therefore, there are no private property conflicts with this
legislation.
The Johnstown Flood Memorial comprises nearly 165 acres in western
Pennsylvania and tells the story of the events leading up to the 1889
Johnstown flood, of the flood itself, and its effects on Johnstown and
the Nation.
My colleagues may be interested to know it was during the Johnstown
flood that Clara Barton successfully led the Red Cross in its first
disaster relief effort. H.R. 1521, as amended, is supported by the
majority and minority of the subcommittee and the administration. I
urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mrs. NAPOLITANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend
her remarks.)
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1521, sponsored by our colleague,
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), would expand the
boundaries of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial. There are several
private property owners interested in selling their land for inclusion
within the memorial, and this legislation is needed to facilitate these
acquisitions.
On the afternoon of May 31, 1889, after several days of torrential
rains, the South Fork Dam on Lake Conemaugh in southwest Pennsylvania
failed, sending 20 million tons of water into Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
The resulting flood killed more than 2,200 people, making it one of the
worst natural disasters in American history. The Johnstown Flood
Memorial is a powerful tribute to the lives lost during this tragedy,
and the parcels which would be added under H.R. 1521 would be important
additions to the memorial.
I expressly want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Murtha) for his diligence in moving this legislation through the House,
and I urge all our House colleagues to support H.R. 1521. I also want
to thank the chairman of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Pombo), for his assistance in this.
Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, this bill will authorize the expansion of
the Johnstown Flood National Memorial, a National Park Service site in
South Fork, Pennsylvania.
Specifically, the bill will enable the National Park Service (NPS) to
acquire adjacent properties and historically significant structures
that are an integral part of the story of the Johnstown Flood.
The Great Johnstown Flood, which occurred on May 31, 1889, was the
largest news story in the era next to the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln. It swept away an entire city, causing the loss of over 2,209
people. Though members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club,
which owned the earthen dam and
[[Page H9411]]
was situated above it, worked feverishly during the storm to prevent
the dam from bursting, their efforts were futile.
The Johnstown Flood Memorial was dedicated in 1964. Today the park
consists of 165 acres and receives over 126,000 visitors annually. It
preserves the remains of the old South Fork Dam which was breached in
the flood, as well as portions of the former Conemaugh Lake bed.
This bill would authorize the purchase or acquisition by NPS, from
willing sellers, an additional approximately 14\1/2\ acres. This
property holds certain related historic structures such as the
``Moorhead Cottage'' and the ``Clubhouse.'' Both of these are
significant to the story of the Johnstown Flood as they represent the
life and role of club members both before and after the flood. The
property offers a unique opportunity to use tangible resources to
interpret the events that led to the Johnstown Flood, and the club
members' response to the Flood.
These structures were built near the shore of Conemaugh Lake, by the
South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. In 1889, the Club had 61 members
who were wealthy industrialists, bankers and merchants from Pittsburgh,
including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick and Andrew W. Mellon. The
Clubhouse contained 47 rooms, where the majority of members stayed. The
cottages did not have kitchens, so the Clubhouse was the focal point of
the Club.
The Clubhouse is clearly among the most significant historical
structures not only in the Johnstown Flood story but in our entire
region. The 1889 South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club National Historical
Society has done a tremendous job over the years in preserving this
vital piece of history, but these dedicated volunteers can't be
expected to finance the cost of needed repairs, maintenance and
interpretive features. Our best alternative to preserve this vital
history is to add these structures to the National Park Service.
The Johnstown Flood story continues to fascinate people even though
the tragedy happened more than 100 years ago. There is such drama in
the story of wealthy Pittsburgh industrialists who owned the poorly-
maintained dam that collapsed, causing the worst man-made disaster in
history by claiming 2,209 lives. Adding the Clubhouse and these other
structures to the National Park will greatly enrich the interpretive
potential of this site.
I would like to thank my Colleagues for their consideration of this
bill. Thank you for your time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1521, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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