The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-11-06
A TERRIBLE DEVASTATION.
The Recent Floods In SPAIN Whole
Towns swept Away, and Thousands
of People Swallowed up i'm Watery
avcs-Thrilling Incidents.

The Recent Floods In spain Whole
Towns Swept Away, and Thousands
of People Swallowed up i'm Watery
Graves Thrilling Incidents.
A London special Of the oath to the
New York Herald gives the following
graphic account of the terrible effects
of the recent heavy rains and floods in
Spain:
Full news has been brought to the papers
this morning of the terrible floods that devas-
tated the valleys of the Mundo and Seglera.
Murcia is little known to travellers in Spain,
for the Mediterranean steamers touch ut ALI
c;ntc, to the north of it. and at Cartagcna. to
the south of it. The town is full Of Moorish
"reminiscences, the architectural designs Of its
Cathedral, the bas reliefs and heavy stone
statues in its passages, its horseshoe-formed
windows, its slender spires. recall the days
when the town was one of the chief Moorish
possessions in Spain. The present summer
has been unusually hot. Even this torrid re-
gion had known no such heat for Il genera
not drop of rain had fallen, the dust had not
had the power to raise itself from the road
The river had been, as the Spanarts say. bed
SEEMED sna to such rSsnct dsgres that its life
along its empty bed through banks of
tall bamboo. On Tuesday last few people ven-
tlrcd into the streets during the daytime, but
in the evening there was a general movement
of carriages and fOOt-passengers toward the
Alameda. which stands high, and from which
the view extends over the river and the CAM
O'Clock when the approach of Il cold and biting
wind was felt from the direction of Cartagena.
The sky clouded over. In an instant there was
gathering of fans and malltillas. and the
crowd turned hastily homeward. Soon the
STERN was bowling over the town and amid
the streets, and tore through the houses. 1t
seemed to be falling in broad sheets of water.
No such tempest had been seen within the
memory of the inhabitants.
Shortly after midnight the serOnO watch
mani was going his rounds, when, us he passed
over the bridge that leads to the plaza and
divides the town into two portions, he saw Il
black stream of water rushing between the
arches. He found that the river was rising
rapidly. 1t had already OverflOwed the banks,
and was steathily climbing over the stone
paislpct which protects the frontage. The
He hurried to Il clOck-tower which gives sig
nails of fire and of other catastrOphies to
dweilers by the water-sidc and set the bell in
motion. Instantly the inhabitants rushed into
the streets. Few of them had time to do more
than snatch up a little clothing. Down the
main street. the Gale del CaballerOs, rushed
atfrighted women. Bands of swarthy gitana
in their blue velvet jackets stood helplessly
i'll the principal promenade. The authorities
at once proceeded to organize assistance for
beneath the level of the flood. LAS we walked
about says one of the sufferers, 1--WE could
hear the distant roar of the water tearing past
in the Seguera until low rumbling crashes told
OF the inundatiOn breaking into the streets
Suddenly all the gas-lights went out. Then
everybody knew that the flood was advancing
From street, from square, from balcony and
The confusion was Unparalleled. Through
gardens. vineyards, mulberry groves, the
Murcians We're pouring in confused, strug-
Cling mass, all with the one idea of quitting
the town and Outstrlpping the flood.
In the suburbs of San BenitO and San Lo-
renzo, before half the people could get out of
their beds, they had the water over the lower
soon forced open by the flood, which went on
its way laden with broken stools and altar or
naments, with vestments of priests and the
neries and hermitages, the OratOries and con-
vents, sweeping from their inches the carved
images Of saints. 1t poured into the cavalry
running up and down stairs with their regi-
mentals under their arms. 1t skirted the
great Episcopal Palace and the Colleges of ST.
Fulgentius and st. Isidore. Many of the pub
lie buildings and Institutes it spared as it,
swept on to the railway station. There it ex-
tinguished the lights and lamps then burning
in the grounds outside, and carried away the
small open-air sbuffets where fruit, drinking
water and ailfsette were sold.5 1t tore up the
sheds and embankments, destroying telegraph
posts and tearing up rails. .
During this terrible night said towns
man, "our authorities, and, in particular,
our admirable civil guard. worked with will
to rescue women and children. They had to
work bysuch glimmeriDg light as their torches
would yield. Sometimes they were knee-deep,
more often they were up to their waists, III
water. The gallant fellows waded into the
submerged streets, Selling such fugitives us
they met half drowned and frightened out of
their wits, calming others who were screaln4
ing at the windows, and Encouraging those
who rushed about wildly on the hOuse-tops,
be brought into use, and the inhabitants saved
from abOdes that were mOmentarily threaten
ed with ruin: Several times during the night
splntering timbers, and above the noise rose
the waiting shrieks of unfortunate beings that
could not escape, and were soon smothered in
the ruins or in the torrent"
Acts Of extraordinary heroism were per-
formed by the authorities, the board and the
civil guards One guard five times braved the
torrent. with the water up to his chest. Each
Then he started back on his sixth voyage. He
had left the mother in the house with a babe
at her breast. He fought his way
wading. AS he neared the house he
saw it totter. Before =, he could -. make
another step it was gone, and the mother
and babe were swept past him on the bosom of
Nor were the higher classes less generous in
their efforts to save the drowning people, One
nobleman in his carriage rescued them by
dozens, until his horses, dead-beat and half
drowned, could no longer pursue the work of
charity. And as fast as the rescued were
Drought IN tney were carried either into pri-
waite dwellings OR into the Government House.
The Bishop opened his palace to several hum
dred, aud set soup and wine before them.r
q When the day broke, with Il gloomy, over
cast sky. the Murcians almost forgot the hor-
rors of the night as they gazed on the plain
which the day before had been a lovely trOpi.
cal garden. As far as the eye could reach
there was seen level expanse of water; where
palnl-trees waved their branches, and where
villas lay amid the bowers Of orange-trces, a
swollen, muddy stream went hurrying along,
carrying the debris of farms and cottages.
Villages and farms all shared the same fate
No intelligence could be obtained from the
survivors,, as the roads were impossible. The
line Ut railroad was for miles DESTROYED. and
the telegrsphs had ceased to exist. The
scenes of distress were piteOus to behold Lit
tie girls went weeping from house to house.
seeking their mothers who had been drowned
FamliltB there were which had not one mem-
Der left to tell the tale of that night of terror
Patriots, civil guards and volunteers of ali
classes sailed out in carriages and On Norse-
Dack, and very soon returned to say that the
retiring waters had left nothing but n thick
cOatihg of mud and debris on the once
cultivated ihuerta. FRA ALTA Tore aaad
MOnduernlas were u heap Of ruins. from
the midst of which rose the spires of their
churches and the gables of q few OF the LARGEST
houses, whose inhabitantS. had eScaped IN
spending the night upon the roofs. Beniaiain.