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Throughout American history there are multiple disasters that have shaped our nation. This flood occurred  because the dam had been poorly patched with straw and horse manure.  In the Johnstown flood over 2,200 people lost their lives. As horrific as this flood was, it brought the onset of sightseers. The amount of tourists that came to see the floods aftermath was unfathomable. So why is it that Americans are drawn to trauma and disasters? American’s view tragic tourism as a form of entertainment for two reasons: the human mind is a curious thing, and this was a new form of entertainment.

After the flood an outbreak of sight seers arrived. People came down so fast and in so many there had to be signs and articles written telling people to keep away. One of the hardest things the native population had to deal with is people’s curiosity. Tours were soon held to see the ruins caused by the floods. This act of tourism, or rubbernecking took forms in large groups. People might say that they did want to see such things, but their actions told another story. Tourists were said to have even taken objects from corpses, such as shoes, and bandannas. Everyone that came to visit wanted a souvenir to remember their time at the Johnstown flood. This was not uncommon, even after the Chicago fire people wanted a relic. Just like in the Chicago fire people had and optimistic and pessimistic way of viewing things.  A new term, tragic tourism, was invented to describe the dark side of tourism. The fact that people liked to come down on their day off to see corpses, and disaster. This is human nature at its finest, morbid curiosity. The site of the Johnstown flood became a memento where people could contemplate good and evil.