Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-10-27
MURCIA's DESTRUCTION,
The Devastation Caused by the Recent
Floods-A Graphic ACCOUNT of the Terrible

dispatch from London says: Full news
has been brought to the papers this morning Of
the terrible floods 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 it's 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 summer has been unusually hot. Even
this torrid region had known no such heat for
generation. For months not q cloud had
been seen, - 1.
NOT DROP OF RAIN HAD FALLEN
The very dust had not had power to raise itself
from the road. The river had been "a the
spaniards say, bled, and to such degree that
Its life seemed extinct: Carriages would drive
along its empty bed, through banks of tall
bamboos. On Tuesday last few people ventnr-
ed into the streets during the daytime. hut 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 IA 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 skv
clouded over In an instant there was a gather
ing up OF fans and mantillas, and the crowd
turned hastily homeward. Soon the storm 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
failing IN broad sheets of water No snch
tempest had been seen within the memory of
the lnhabltants Shortly after midnight the
serene (watchman) was going his rounds, when.
us ne passed over the bridge that leads to the
plaza and divides the town into two horizons
he saw
| A BLACK STREAM OF WATER
rushing between the arches. He found that
the river was rising rapidly. It had already
overhowed the banks, and was stealthilv 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-towe,
which gives signals Of fire and other catastro.
Plies to jewellers by the water side, and set the
bel! IN motion. Instantly the inhabitants
rushed into the streets. Few of them had
time to do more than snatch no a little cloth.
ing. Down the main street, the Gale del Ca
balleros, rushed afrighted women Bands ot
swarthy dltanos 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 fo,
that part of the town which was living beneath
the level of the food. Gas we walked abont )
says one of the sufferers, ''we could hear the
DISTANT roar OF the water tearing past in thu
segura' until low Rubbing crashes told of thu
!nunuato N breaking into the Streets" Sud.
denly all the gaslights went out. Then everv
oody knew that the flood was advancing. From
street and square, from balcony and houseto1
cane the cry, 1.-The water is risingr' Th'
confusion was unparalleled. Through gardens
vineyards, and mulberry groves the Murcian,
were pouring In confused, struggling mass
all with the one idea of
QUITTING THE TOWN,
and outstripping the food. In the suburbs @
San Benito and San Lorenzo, before half tn,
people could get out of their beds. thew had tb,
water over the lower floors of their houses. TIL
church doors were soon forced open nv tn
Hood, which went on its way laden with broke,
STOOLS and altar ornaments, with vestments O.
priests and red TUNES Of choristers. It invaded
the nunneries and hermitages, the oratories anl
converts, sweeping from their inches tn
carved images OF saints. 1t poured into tn
cavalry barracks, where the soldiers conId h.
seen running up and down stairs with the;
regimentals under their arms. It skirted th
great Episcopal palace and the colleges of ST.
Fulgentius and st. Isidore. Many of the publ
buildings and institutions it spared as it SVEN
on to the railway. Here it
ExTINGU1sHED THE LIGHTS
and lamps that were burning on the bar
ground outside, and carried away the small
open air buffets, where fruit, drinking waite
and anlsette were sold. It tore up the shed
and embankments DESTROYING telegraph pest
and tearing up rails. During this terrihi<
night said a townsman, ':our authorities
and, IN particular, our admirable civil guards
worked with will to rescue women and chill
dren. They had to work by such glimmerin,
Light as their torches would yield. Sometime
they were knee deep. more often they were a,
to their waists in water. The
GALLANT FELLOWS
waded into the submerged street, seizinp suc]
fugitives as they met, half drowned and fright
ened out of their wits, calming others VIII.
were screaming at the windows, and enconrao
Ing those who rushed about wildly on the house
tops, until boats, barges, and even carriage
could be brought into use, and the inhabitant.
! saved from abodes that were momentaril,
threatened with ruin, Several times durint
the night was heard the crash of
FALLING HOUSES,
and splintered trees, and above the noise ros,
the wailing shrieks of unfortunate beings tha
could not escape, and were soon smothered in
the ruins or in the torrent.
| ACTS OF EXTRAORDINARY HERo1sM
we've performed by the authorities, the boat
men, and the civil guards. One guard fv,
times braved the torrent, with the water nm +,
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 hons
with babe at her breast. He fought his wa,
! through the water, rather swimming than wad
ing. Before he could make another step it wa
gone, and mother and babe were swept pas
| m fha hnoov of $boQ &c.,
THE HIGHER CLASSES
less generous in their efforts to save the drown
ing people. One nobleman in his carriap
rescued them by dozens until his horses. deaf
beat and half drowned could no l,nger pursu,
| the work of charity and as fast as the req
cued were brought in they were carried eitne
into private dwellings, or into the government
house. The bishop opened his palace to severa
hundred, and set soup and wine before them
LEVEL ExPANsE OF wATEB.
Where palm trees waved their branches. anc
white villas lay amid bowers of orange trees
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 OBJ
tanned from the survivors, as
the roads were impossible. The lines Of rail.
| way were for miles destroyed and the te]e-
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
to tell the tale of that night of terror Patrols.
civil guards and volunteers of all classes sailed
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 Huerto
| Fra. Alta Tore and Mondurmas were heap of
ruins, from the midst of which rose the spires
Of their churches and the gables of few of
the larger houses, whose inhabitants had es-
capped by spending the night upon the roofs