Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-10-30

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Little Falls Transcript.
b. G. sTIvERs, Editorand Proprietor.
LITTLE FALLS, MINI
MURCIA'S DESTRUCTION.
The Devastation, Caused by the Recent
Flooded Graphic Account of tho Terrible
Y1sitatton. ;s>+.4t& ~
A dispatch from London says: Full news
has been brought to the papers this morning of
the terrible foods that have devastated the val
leys of the Mundo and Segura. Murcia is little
known to travellers in Spain. for the Mediter-
ranean steamers touch at Alicante. to the north
of it, and at Cartagena, to the south of it. The
town is full of Moorish "reminiscences. The
architectural designs of it's cathedral, the has
reliefs and heavy stone statues in its passages,
its horse shoe formed WINDOWS, its slender
spire recall the days when the town WAS one Of
the chief Moorish possessions in Spain. The
present simmer has been unusually hot. Even
this torrid region had known no such heat for
. generation. For months not q cloud had
been seen, ~tr.- .,
NOT DROP OF RAIN had FALLEN. ~
The very dust had not had power torsise itself
from the road. The river had been as the
Spaniards say, bled, and to such degree that
it's life seemed extinct: Carriages would drive
along its empty bed, through banks of tall
bamboos. On Tuesday last few people ventur-
ed into the streets during the daytime, but in
the evening there was general movement of
carriages and passengers toward the Alameda,
which stands high, and from which the view
extends over the river and the Campagna as far
AS the hills. It was about 10 O'clock when the
approach of cold and biting wind was felt
from the direction of Cartagena. The sky
rlouded over. In an instant there was gather
ppup of fans and. mantillas, and the crowd
urned hastily homeward. Soon thestorm was
bowling over the town and amid the streets,
and tore through the houses. 1t increased in
violence every minute. The rain 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
serene (watchman) was going his rounds, when,
plaza and divides the town into two portions,
he saw
BLACK STREAM OF WATER
rushing between tho arches. he found that
the river was rising rapidly. 1t had already
overlooked the banks, and was stealthily climb
ing over the stone parapet which protects the
frontage. The Waterman knew that no time
was to be lost. He hurried to a clock-tower
which gives signals of fire and other catastro-
Plies to jewellers by the water size, and set the
bell in motion. Instantly the inhabitants
rushed into the streets. Few of them had
time to do more than snatch up little cloth
ing. Down the main street, the Gale del Ca
balleros, rushed afrighted women. Bands of
swarthy Gitanos swarmed from the Gypsies'
quarters, peasants, in thei- blue velvet jackets,
STOOD HELpLEssLY
in the principal promenade. The authorities
at once proceeded to organize assistance for
that part of the town which was lying beneath
the levelSof the food. "As We walked about"
says one of the sufferers, 1--WE could hear the
distant roar of the water tearing past in the
Segura, until low rumbling crashes told of the
inundation breaking into the Streets" Sud-
denly all the gasliehts. went ont. Then every
body knew that the flood Was advancing. From
street and square, from balcony and housetop
can Q the cry, 1.-The water is risingr' The
confusion was unparalleled. Through gardens,
vineyards, and mulberry groves the Murcians
were pouring in a confused, struggling mass,
al WIN the one lQe6 OF
QUITTING THE TOWN,
and outstripping the flood. In the suburbs of
San Benito and San Lorenzo, before half the
people could get out of their beds, they had the
water over the lower floors of their houses. The
church doors we're soon forced open by the
food, which Went on its way laden w1th broken
stools and altar ornaments, with vestments of
priests and red tunics of choristers. 1t invaded
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converts, sweeping from their inches the
carved images of saints. It poured into the
cavalry barracks, where the soldiers could be
seen running up and down stairs with their
regimentals under their arms. It skirted the
great Episcopal palace and the colleges of st.
Fulgentius and St. Isidore. Many of the public
buildings and institutions it spared as it swept
on to the railway. Here it
ExTINaUIsHED THE LIGHTS
and lamps that were burning on the bare
ground outside, and carried away the small
open air buffets, where fruit, drinking water
and anisette were sold. It tore up the sheds
and embankments, DESTROYING telegraph pests
and tearing up rails. "During this terrible
night" said townsman, sour authorities,
and, in particular, our admirable civil guards
worked with q will to rescue women and chill
dren. They had to work by such glimmering
light as their torches would yield. Sometimes
they were knee deep. more often they were uI
to their waists in water. The
GALLANT FELLOWS
waded into the submerged street, Selling sucf
fugitives as they met, half drowned and fright
ened out of their wits, calming others who
were screaming at the windows, and encourag
ing those who rushe d about wildly on the house
tOps until boats, barges, and even carriages
could be brought into use, and the inhabitants
saved from abodes that were momentarily
threatened with ruin. Several times during
the night was heard the crash of
FALLING HOUSES,
and splintered trees, and above the noise rose
the Wailing shrieks of unfortunate beings that
could not escape, and were soon smothered in
the ruins or in the torrent.
ACTS OF EXTRAORDINARY HERo1sM
were performed by the authorities, the boat.
men, and the civil guards. One guard five
times braved the torrent, with the water up to
his chest. Each time he came back with child
in his arms. Then he started back on his sixth
voyage. He had left the mother in the house
with babe at her breast. He fought his way
through the water, rather swimming than wad-
ing. Before he could make another step it was
gone, and mother and babe were swept past
him on the bosom of the flood. Nor were
THE HIGHER CLASSES
less generous in their efforts to save the drown
ing people. One nOOlem8n In his carriage
rescued them by dozens until his horses, dead
beat and half drowned, could no longer pursue
F. tho work of charity and as fast as the res
oued were brought in they were carried either
into private dwellings or into the government
house. The bishop opened his palace to several
hundred, and set soup and wine before them.
ALEvEL ExpANsE OF WATER.
Where palm trees waved their branches, and
white villas lay amid bowers of orange trees,
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 oh.
tanned from the = survivors, a.
the roads were impossible. The lines of rail-
way were for miles destroyed and the tele-
graphs had ceased to exist. The scenes of dis
tress were piteous to behold. Little girls went
weeping from house to house, seeking thei,
mothers, who had been drowned. Families
there were which had
NOT ONE MEMBER LEFT g.. l-%r
to tell.the tale of that night of terror. Patrols
civil guards and volunteers of all classessallied
out in carriages and on horseback, and very
soon returned to say that the retiring waters
had left nothing but thick coating of mud
and debris. On the once cultivated Huertc