The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-10

4 ~
But ever since / came to mans estate baYe
had O great love and regard for Cork city.
You now give me an additional reason 70
have a love and regard for Cork. Loud
tapplausel
| The depniation then withdrew Cores
pondence Ne,1 York NJ ord.
The Nevada Cloud-Bnrss.
AdRlPHIC NARRATIVE OF TIE SWIFT DBsTRUc-
TIoN THAT BEFELL TIE TOWN OF EUREKA
correspondence Of tie Courier-Jo urnal
EUREkA. NEVADA, July 90, SID send
you by this afternoons mail graphic state.
fnent of o horrible calamity W bicn befell our
nrosperous mining camp on the afternoon Of
| the oath instant. Words are inadequate to
express the grandeur and horror of the
| scene. Imagine to yourself q water-spout
| bursting on top Of q high mountain, three
miles distant from you, in O capy on two thou
sand feet below. The stream that flowed
| through our town was twelve and fifteen feet
deep and two hundred feet wide. Houses
| would shoot up aud strike out from their
| foundations like steamer leaving its moor.
ipgs, &C. The report / herewith transmit
will explain all. It is from the Eureka Me-
| vada) Sentinel, July 25th: IS.
Our community has been visited by a
great caamity-a calamity in presence OF.
which man stands helpless and appalled,,
overawed by the mighty forces of nature.
For some days past our ordinarily arid re.
gion has witnessed rainfall which would
even in the height Of the rainy season. 10 Ore
gon be regarded as phenomenal. Yesterday
morning, a sharp shower, broken by glimpses
of sunshine, greeted the early risers in our
town. About 81 &. NJ. it assumed proper
tions threatening q severe storm, and even at
that hour considerable damage was done by
the flood on Ruby Hill. Alter occasional
lulls, at about 10 a. M. the shower in.
creased in violence, the lightning grew
more vivid and more frequent, and still
more closely followed by the ominous thun-
der.
The storm apparently passed away, and
blue riffs Of sky, harbingers of an unfounded
hope. were visible in the northern heavens.
But on the hills to the south and west the
heads of the great and preclpitous canyons
which debouch into our valley. still hung
gloomy and threatening vast masses of black
clouds. Shortly after II O'Clock the effects
Of the preceding storm were made manifest
in the vast increase of water flowing down
the channel constructed along the line OF
Buel and Spring streets. BY this flood,
though great excitement was created, but
little damage was done. Some houses ID
the more exposed localities hsd their first
floors flooded and much furniture injured;
and some Of the smaller bridges and few
out-houses were carried away. This was
but the precursor of the terrible visitation
of few hours later.
Again the falling wind, the balmy air, the
growing glimpses of blue sky, held up to US
81 nh n
gloomy and threatening, as premonitory
fate, lowered the heavy clouds over the
southwestern peaks. About l O'Clock the
rain commenced, and this time with re.
doubled force. Hard and fast the rain
poured down, Mingled with hail. The
black clouds closed down upon US, the light.
ming grew nearer and ticrcer, and calcula-
tions closely made proved period OF about
one aud half seconds between the flash and
the following tbunderbot. (This established
an elevation Of less than 1000 feet, and our
surrounding mOQntain peaks are at least
| 1900 feet above our level)
A few minutes before z. NJ. two horse
men came gallopng down Main, Spring. aud
Buel streets, warning the startled people OF
the approach of the mighty flood. Most
thought only Of their lives, and saved them
selves regardless of their effects. Others
stood stupeied at the threat of an approaching
underlined danger. Too many eung too late
to their houses in vain endeaYor TO save
their property by removal to higher ground.
The recent disasters in New England eX-
cited universal horror, not unmixed with
! righteous Indignation. In our misfortune
nougGt but sympathy can be felt for our in
dusLrious people, suffering under the ire
sstble hand which has almost destroyed US.
Close upon the heels Of the warning horse
men followed the torrent. And such tor
rent! Over the entire ridge extending from
Pinto TO Ruby Hill the massive clouds had
Extraordinarily broken. Toward the sum-
mits there was no rain. but deluge, and
down Railroad, Eureka, New York, and
Goodwin canyons flowed the water at an al |
most inconceiyabe rate Of speed, gathering
strength and 6erceneSs in the descent. From
the Richmond to the Jackson furnace. where
these canyons unite, and where our valley
approaches quarter OF mile in width, the
entire ground Was covered by terrible,
seethipg mass of waters at least three feet IN
height, bearing heavy timbers, lhe wrecks of
cabins, and even masses Of rock, in its angry,
headlong career upon our devoted town. AS
the valley narroWS toward the centre of the
town the current increased in ferceness and
power.
The entire town was aroused. Great and
certain destruction of property was evident,
and manfully did most Of our citizens strug-
gle to save what could be saved. But even
up to this moment none imagined the fearful
loss of property and OF human life which
followed.
For over half an hour the water rolled on.
One house after another toppled aud fell and
the angry pillows beat upon the wreck and
dashed it to pieces. Many houses Some of
them dwelling. houses and with families in
side) were lifted bodily up and carried down
the mighty stream. The sight was magnifi.
cent in its terror. The Eureka Hall, a build
ing one hundred by twenty five feet, was
early carried away, and added to the horror
of the scene as 1t came crashing down along
Spring street and through to Buel street, il
rear of the international Hotel, carrying
away with its massive weight many
buildings already totteriDg. As the
houses succumbed to the swelling
stream, many of them would rise grandly
| from their foundations, and like stately ships
turn gracefully headforemost into the current
and sail on an even keel until wrecked against
| the first Debris. Here was seen two-story.
house, to one Of the shutters Of which eluDg
q man with the energy of despair, as ne drift
| ed TO almost certain DEATH. Then, in cabin,
| rocked and tossed upon the waves, were seen
man and wife. struggling to escape. Here
| was seen the detached roof of house beating
| from side to side OF the stream, and desper-
ately slutching the ridge, man striving for
3oor ax;sfanoa CIoon anon this heart.rend-