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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What arrives midweek after the flood to break the jam at the stone bridge?

2. Where does Pitcairn order the reporters' train back to at the end of Chapter 6?

3. Who is known as the "Paul Revere of the Flood"?

4. How many of the 500-600 people in the bridge survive?

5. What church does the Mussante family see a raft slam into in Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does William Tice witness near the end of Chapter 5?

2. What are the three destructive thrusts made by the wave as described in Chapter 5?

3. What reasons does the author suggest for Pitcairn joining the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club?

4. What is Pitcairn's reaction after seeing debris in the muddy water at Sang Hollow?

5. What is the nature of the stories spread by the city lieutenant in regards to the Hungarian immigrants?

6. How is the use of dynamite described in Chapter 8?

7. What efforts does Daniel Hartman Hastings try and make?

8. What do the journalists from Pittsburgh do when they arrive in Bolivar?

9. What is the nature of Pitcairn's second message to Pittsburgh?

10. What are some of the efforts made by the townsfolk in regards to helping the flood survivors in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of Clara Barton and the Red Cross in the crisis. What was the nature of their portrayal? What role did they play in the success of the Johnstown relief efforts?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the townsfolk of Johnstown's initial response to the flood. What does this say about their mentality regarding the flood? What reasons did they have for reacting this way?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the author's use of perspective in the book. What methods did he use to tell this story? Was his use of perspective successful?

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