, 1874-08-06
THE NEVADA CL0UD-BURST.
The Swim Destruction that Defcll The
Town Of Eureka.
Death in the Hurrying Flood.

Eureka, Nsu. la1y any, corrt.nondenes Of us Louis.
uttte tJur'er-Jour'!us.
I send yon by this afsernoon's mail granhic
statement OF = horrible calamity which beIslt
olr prosperous mining camp OIL the afternoon u
tho grandeur and hurror Of tue eoeuo. Imagine
TO yourself "ssor-si,oa1t bursting IN tho top Of
a high mountain, Q tniloa diataut from, you,
III canon 2,0Uo foot below Tue HIT. AM that
flowed through our town vas 10 and 10 feot dcep
and 200 feet wide. Houses wul.sd shuot up and
strlko ont from their foundations 'llle 8 steamer
leaving ita 1nuorings, dc. Tho report herewith
transmit will explain ali. II 10 from tho Eureka
{Nev.) Scntanet, July 25:
calamity a calamity In presence Of Which man
Stands bclplcsB nrd appalled,, oyerawed by lha
mighty forces Of Mature. Fur so1no days past
our ordinarily arid region hau witnesuou Il rar-
ralny seaaon in Oregon. DO regarded ~ phe-
nonlenal. Yesterday morning a ehnrp shower,
brokon by glI'npaes Of sunshine, gsootca
the eatly 1iaars In our toSll. About
soyero atulm; aud oven a. ttut hour conslder-
ahfo damage WAS dono by tho Hood OIL RuDy Hill.
After occasional lnlIa, al about 10 d, m. tho
shower increased in violouce the lightning
grew moro vivid aud more fire. lnont, aud still
Tho storm apparently pnssed away, aud blua
riffs Of sky, haroingers OF an unfoCudcd hope,
wele visible in the nort thorn l,eayons. Bat on
the Hills 10 the south aud weHt the halds Of tho
great and prccipltoub canosn which dobouca
in our valley, still hung gloomy aud threat
oning vast 1nasses OF black clouds. Shurtly ulter
II o'clock the effects Of tho precouins storm
were made manifest IN the vast increnHo Of
water flowing dow, tho channol constructed
along tho lpo ot Due aud Spring streets. BY
tn,s iloud, though great excitement WAS createa.
but little lanage wns dono. Some houses In
tho moro expoHed localities had their first floors
tluodod aud nuch furniture injured; aud some
If trn f+1f1 prHn 51nT7 T7aHH
wore calr!od away. This was but tho precursor
Of tho terrible visitation If few hours lalor.
Again the falling wlnd, tue baInly air, tho
growing go'sos Ut blue sly held up to III tho
threatening, as premouitory tato, hovored tho
| henry clonds over tllo southwestern peatB.
About o'clock the ran commenced, and this
/ tinlo with redoubl"d forco. Hard a,d fast tho
clouds closed down upon US, tho lightning grew.
ueater aud horcor. aud calculations closely undo
proyod pcrlou OF about one and half boconda
between t4e 1nrh and ths following thundcr-
bolt. {Ihis established au elevation OF less than
1.500 foct and our surrounding nlountain-peahs
are at least 5000 feet abovo our Lovely 4 few
1ninutea before 2 p. N. two AorHealen came gal
looping down Main, Spring, aud Bucl Streets,
warning the startled people Of tho
ArpnoAoN OF TIE MIGHTY FLOOD.
Most thought only Of their lives, and aaved
themselves regardless Of thos efYocts. Others
stood stupofed At the throat Of an appsoaohing,
undo1ned danger. Too many o!ung too late 10
their ho1idcA in vain endeayos to save their
| property by removal to higher ground.
| Close upon the heols Of tho warning horBe-
| men followed the torrent. Aud Buch torrentl
| Over tho entire ridge o1touding from Pinto to
| Baby Hill the massive clouds hal brokon. To-
ward tho summit there rain, but deluEe,
down Railroad. Eureka New York and Goodwin
| Canons tlowed tho wafer at ait almost incoa~
| oolvable rate Of speed, gathering Strength and
| fiorccness in tho descent. From tho lichmond
to the Jackson furnace, whore these CANYONS
unite, and wlere our Wiley approaches quarter
| of mile in width, tho entire ground waa covor-
cd BY terrible soothing maBs Of waters at least
! 5 feet In height, bearlng heavy timbnrs. tne
WRECKS Of caolns. and syon MASSES Of rock, ii.
its angry, headloug carcor upon our devoted
town. Az the valley narrowB toward tho centre
! Of the town tho curront Increased In llerconess
| aud power.
Tho entire town was aroused. Great and
certain destruction Of property waR evident and
| Bave what could be saved. but ovon up to thla
moment none imagined tho fearful loss Of prop
! erty aud Of human life which followed.
For over half an hour tho water rolled on.
One house after another toppled aud fell. and
| tho angry biIlbws beat upon tho wreck aud
| dashod Ii to pieces. Many housea (soine Of
| them dwelling houses md with families tnsiao)
ttea bodily up Ent sd wns osrfsd down the
MAGNIFICENT IN ITS TERROR.
| enrly carried uwaJ, aud added to the horror OF
tile sceno az 1t canu crashing down along sprln6
street and through to Biol street, in rear Of the
International Hotel, carrying away with it's
massive neiehs many builtl!ngs already tottor-
| lug. Az tho houses Buccunlheu 10 tho swelling
stream, many Of them would riao grandly from
| their foundationn and like stately ships turn
gracefully hcadforoluost into tue cur4o cut and
aaiI on au even keel uQttl wrecked against thu
tsss doblis. Horo WAS scen two"story honse,
| to one OF the shutters OF which clung 1lan
| with the encrgy Of despair, aa he driitod to
almoat certain DEATH Then, in q cabin, rocked
aud toased upon tho waves, wore seen q man aud
| wife struggling to escape. Here waA saen tue
detached roof vi q house bcating from side, to
eido Of the streanl, aud desperately cutching
tbs ridge. .; man striving for doar exlstonco;
| heavy wagon Rnu team, the massive structure
tossed like chip, anl th8 poor dumb boasts
acreamiug IN tlior moral agony.
Tho loss Of pruporty uas lmtnenno. The loss
| OF life was great. Up to tue present writing
twelve bodies haye beon recovered. 10 estimate
the loss Of life md property in tilno for tha iH-
sue is simply impossible. Tho entire stan Of tho
Seatinel his been during the day and night, IN
labor, saving life aud goods, and auccoring the
ui6tresaca.
Among the -...--..
sAnuEBr or THE SAD oCcunENcKs
that took place was tue drowning OF HRS. Hroy.
With ller husband, thoy soro III their house when
the soothing torro1lt burst III its fury Oh them.
They ontioayorod to eHcapc but in vain. Tho
| support to tho hnnso Hoon gayo way, ana with
tho otlen, 1t tioated down tho Htrea,n flushing
from tho doomed house, they made Que frantic
effort to reaeh place OF aafety, but tho rushing
watars mot thom OIL every sldc. Locked in each
othar's arms, they Nero carried on until tho ro-
lontlsss waters separated them, bearing her life
less form, down Tie canon. Mr. aroy was res-
ouna by some Chlnamon near tho Eurcka Con-
sotidatad f,1rnaoBs. But few short wooka ago
tAey wote married; a happier couple did not en-
list; to-day sha is dead, and ho, trazcd with hls
loss aud suffering from Hoyore in1urlca. III not
expected to BurYiya. Thor wedlea bliss Was
brief; tleir happinesa short-yod before brolon
| forever.
press, aud man OF tiue literary attanmentH, IL
among thpgo WHO became Victims Of tho Hood.
lIe wis standing In tlo roar portion Of build.
tho building was suddenly swept away. lIo
,nada lorolo effort to osoape by tho front, but
n,uausalu Of sars!ug watar baIloa all At
to,npts. lIo waA washed down tho street. struH.
| cling In 1ain mill uYorcrMn. ha tlnntnl hnlt1.