▁in ▁the ▁long ▁run ▁to ▁satisfy ▁his ▁concerns ▁and ▁the ▁matter ▁was ▁largely ▁dropped ▁after ▁Mor rell ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁Club ▁fat ally ▁lower ed ▁the ▁dam ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 ▁feet . ▁ ▁Po or ▁rep airs ▁and ▁maintenance , ▁unus ually ▁high ▁snow ▁m elt ▁and ▁heavy ▁spring ▁ra ins ▁combined ▁to ▁cause ▁the ▁dam ▁to ▁give ▁way ▁on ▁May ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁John st own ▁Flo od . ▁ ▁A ▁screen ▁placed ▁across ▁the ▁sp ill way ▁by ▁the ▁club ▁to ▁prevent ▁fish ▁from ▁esc aping ▁also ▁partly ▁blocked ▁the ▁main ▁sp ill way . ▁When ▁word ▁of ▁the ▁dam ' s ▁failure ▁was ▁te legraph ed ▁to ▁Pitts burgh , ▁Fr ick ▁and ▁other ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁club ▁gathered ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁Pitts burgh ▁Rel ief ▁Committee ▁for ▁assistance ▁to ▁the ▁flo od ▁vict ims , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁determ ining ▁never ▁to ▁speak ▁public ly ▁about ▁the ▁club ▁or ▁the ▁flo od . ▁This ▁strategy ▁was ▁a ▁success , ▁and ▁Kno x ▁and ▁Re ed ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁f end ▁off ▁all ▁law su its ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁placed ▁bl ame ▁upon ▁the ▁club ' s ▁members . ▁With ▁a ▁vol um et ric ▁flow ▁rate ▁that ▁tempor arily ▁equ alled ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ,[ 2 ] ▁the ▁flo od ▁killed ▁ 2 , 2 0 9 ▁people [ 3 ] ▁and ▁caused ▁US $ 1