The Johnstown Flood stained the history of the United States. Over 2,000 victims died and even more were injured. Since it happened, many people have blamed the flood. One group individually caused the flood. The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club has made self-serving changes that threaten effectiveness in holding back a water overflow. The renovation of the dam caused destruction, killing many people and causing millions of dollars in damage. On May 31, 1889, 4.8 billion gallons of water rushed down the Conemaugh Valley through Johnstown from the Conemaugh Reservoir. The flood killed over 2,000 people and caused over 17 million dollars in damage (today 17 million is equivalent to about 225 million dollars). The South Fork Dam that creates the reservoir created the problem; The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania built the dam between 1838 and 1853. Pennsylvania railroads gained shipping priority on the canals; through this Pennsylvania sold the canal and reservoir to the Pennsylvania Rail Road. Not needing the reservoir, the Pennsylvania Rail Road sold the land to speculators who wanted to build a resort. Speculators included Henry Clay Frick, Benjamin Ruff, and Andrew Carnegie. These men built a very exclusive resort and called it The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. At one point the club became known as the most exclusive club in the United States. Included in the resort's construction, Frick wanted the dam lowered to allow a road to be built above. The lower dams could not hold excess water in case the reservoir was flooded. Dams made of earth are very weak, and the South Fork Dam was built entirely with earth. From an engineering point of view it was necessary to build dams made of earth... half of paper... you don't legally have to pay for the damage caused by the flood; it was seen as an act of God. Despite this, many club members donated money to aid relief efforts, including Andrew Carnegie who donated a new library. () The large number of members made it difficult for the case to find evidence of a member's negligent behavior. After these court cases, the United States adopted the Ryland ruling which held non-negligent liability for damages caused by the unnatural use of lands. The case was never revisited at this point, but it should have been closer to the victims. Hendrick, Burten. Life of Andrew Carnegie. New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co, 1932. Print.McCullough, David. The Johnstown Flood. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968. Print.Shappee, Nathan. The History of Johnstown and the Great Flood of 1889. Pittsburg: University of Pittsburgh, 1940. Print.