The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-02

,h,r ssSea 10 they treat me So when haye been
an american and own mipes"
captain Hs What
OF American citizens In Mexico Demands some attention DO
A City OF 1000 Inhabitants Destroyed by
Floods and WhirIwipds-Wh0lo Streets md
Hooks of Houses Swept Away-The Loss
Of Life and Destruction Of Property-various
Accounts Of the Terrible Calamity.
MAzATLAN, Nov. 8, 1868.
The city OF Alamos, situated In the southern por-
ton of the State OF Sonora has been swept out Of
existence by visitation OF nature-namely, COM
bned attack OF the two great fures wind and water
The terrible event occurred during the great sea
storm lasting from the 18th to the 18th ult. From
private letters received In this city translate the
following accounts Of the destruction and loss Of
life:-
We have endured awful SUFFERING Torrents Of
rain for fortyeght hours inundated the city during
the greater part OF the 10Th and 17th followed by an
other torrent of hours, 30 that the houses
not in the Immediate way Of being swept on by the
force OF the swollen hoods were crushed In by the
enormous quantity and the strength Of the rain fall
water In q tank and found that forty inches had
fallen in seventy-twO hours. Alamos Is no more.
You may rest assured that unless some new and
ricn mines are discovered 1t VIII be rebuilt
We are Impoverished and ruined.
Another letter says:-
A horrible event has struck us with CONSERVATION
and ruined large proportion Of the Inhabitants or
this city. On the 10Th 1t commenced 10 ram, and
after seventytwo hours at ten O'Clock at night the
sluices and dams on tho mountain broke loose
furious wind arose, the waters came dashing ike
fends from the mountain sides and brought Us face
TO face with the most terrible dangers This circum
stance made US forget ali things except that which
the lives OF our little Three minutes alter the
full tide OF the mood and everything was swept away
a. by tornado. We sought refuge in the noun.
taiIs, from where we could hear the crashing ia OF
our houses. Everything we had Is lost There must
b0 considerable loss OF LIE, out yet not able
to ascertain the truth.
former resident OF this city writes
have never seen such rams and foods In my lie
aS we have had here Tor the past three four days
commencing on the 18th. The beautiful and rich
city Of Aanos l. totally destroyed and can never be
such misfortunes. Our house, one Of the strongest
In the place and out of the way OF tho mad hood OF
weight Of the rain falling upon the roof. The prin-
cipal street exists no longer, and whore stood rows
OF stores, private residences and offices now looks
like the bank OF river lately overnown and covered
with DEBRIS. Everywhere / look destruction is
spread around me. Az yet do not know tho loss OF
The fullest and probably the most reliable account
is that by an American gentleman to one OF his
friends here. We copy from private letter.
The agony that we have all gone through within
the past lew days Is impossible TO describe. Proba-
bly, you viii have heard ere this that the city OF
Aamos IL In ruins; out as you may not have had all
the particulars will give you what know. ON the
18th it commenced 70 RAIN and on the 10th genuine
rain aud wind storm set In lasting until the 18TH IL
seemed as II the very noodgates OF heaven had
opened ana that second deuge was upon the
world. The wind too, roared with dreadful fury,
and all the eleAents seemed combined for some
dreadful carnage. We little thought what was in
store FOR our beautiful city. But soon the tale
told and tho destruction complete or almost cont
plete. The storm lasted until late the evening Of
the 18th. During Its continuance 1t appeared as f
no human being could live within its reach. The
Aiamos river swollen to q great height, and In
It's wild, headlong course carried everything be-
fore IT, Houses were swept away like many
straws and whole blocks OF buildings were
wind was no less terrible than the water. Houses
were unrooied aud blown to Skaters tiles ana
Ike material were scattered through the air like
char; and sCrong trees were uprooted as they had
been cornstalks. The best part OF the city Is totally
destroyed. About the only buildings saved worthy
OF mention are the mint, the church and the Old
State College. These stood on high grounds, and
this advantage with their sOlidity saved them. DR..
Hill, an American RESIDENT had three houses carried
away and Is loser to the amount OF about 81 900.
Mr.. 4. Robinson Bours, an American doing bank
Ing business here, had MS banking house swept
away. Others have suffered severely. The loss OF
life mas been quite large. Sixty dead bodies nave
been picked up. Some OF them were mangled fear
fully aud could scarcely be recognized. Many Of
tie bodies were found miles down the river. I'm
uoubtedly, the number found VIII be largely In
creased by other unfortunate Ones / have written
You these rev lines hurredy but do not attempt to
describe or explain this most extraordinary phe-
nomenon OF q seyenty-two hours whiriwmd and
deuge.
The ruined city OF Alamos was the Athens OF North
western Mexico, or. at least had that reputation
Its women were reputed TO be the oyelest and most
intelligent throughout tue republic, and its citizens
were highly SPOKEN OF rs contrasted with those OF
other populations. There was great deal OF wealth,
refinement and luxury among the better classes. IL
was sort OF sanctned jerusalem, where the proud
Spanish blood and brain held ascendancy and would
not be poisoned with contact with Indian and negro
mixtures. Alamos, as city, had fame before tho
great metropolis OF New York was known. liz Is old
among the many old towns OF Mexico. surround
Ing it have been some Of the richest mines In the
world and from which the city had s chief support.
At the time OF Its destruction 1t contained popuia-
ton OF about 1000 souls, though geographical die
uonaries place the number at 10 000 wc Is At least
1000 TOO many. unhapply for IT'S people, the num-
Der IL lessened through q terrible misfortune, and
the City OF Poplar Grovesp has fallen TO the dust
leven man falls) In Its strength.