The Club fatally lowered the dam by more than 3 feet . Poor repairs and maintenance , unusually high snow melt and heavy spring rains combined to cause the dam to give way on May 31 , 1889 , resulting in the Johnstown Flood . A screen placed across the spillway by the club to prevent fish from escaping also partly blocked the main spillway . When word of the dam 's failure was telegraphed to Pittsburgh , Frick and other members of the club gathered to form the Pittsburgh Relief Committee for assistance to the flood victims , as well as determining never to speak publicly about the club or the flood . This strategy was a success , and Knox and Reed were able to fend off all lawsuits that would have placed blame upon the club 's members . With a volumetric flow rate that temporarily equalled that of the Mississippi River , 2 the flood killed 2,209 people 3 and caused US$ 17 million of damage ( about $ 450 million in 2015 dollars ) . Although Cambria Iron 's facilities were heavily damaged , they returned to full production within a year and a half
Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
Henry Clay Frick