On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam in Pennsylvania collapsed after heavy rainfall. A wall of water 60 feet high roared down a narrow valley toward the city of Johnstown, 14 miles below. The water traveled at 40 miles per hour, carrying trees, houses, and railroad cars. The flood reached Johnstown in less than an hour. Over 2,200 people died in what became one of America's deadliest disasters. The dam had been owned by a private fishing and hunting club whose wealthy members included steel magnate Andrew Carnegie and banker Andrew Mellon. Engineers had warned for years that the dam was deteriorating. The club had lowered the dam's height to make a road across it and had removed the discharge pipes that could have safely released water during heavy rains. Despite repeated warnings, no repairs were made. After the disaster, the American Red Cross, led by Clara Barton, organized its first major disaster relief operation. Thousands of volunteers came from across the country. The Johnstown Flood led to new laws requiring dam inspections and established that dam owners could be held responsible for failures.