[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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