Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-30

The Recent Floods in the PuebIa Qua
renta and San Gabriel


The CldfjR, paper printed atGaudala-
jara, Mexico, gives an interesting account
OF the disastrous floods that visited Pue-
bla Cuarenta and San Gabriel recently
Itsays: "These two villages are. or were
situated in canada, or narrow valley
through which passes the highway to San
Luis Potosi, and at few leagues to
the eastward Of the town Of Lagos. The
villages stood Immediately upon the banks
OF little river that flows through the
valley, its margins lined with we'll
cultivated helds, gardens, orchards, cane
plantations, and supporting many domes-
TIC animals that furnished subsistence to
and were the only patrimony of many
families. Cuarenta was q station where
the drrleU0S, in their journeys over the
mountains, generally passed the night
Fifty or sixty of those Industrious per-
sons were lodged in the two public houses
OF the village that fatal night, the MAORI
ty OF whom and their animals persisted.
Between 4 and of the morning, while
the peaceful inhabitants were stiil tran
gully sleeping, many families were awak-
ened by such terrible and continuous de-
donations of thunder as they had never
witnessed. This frightful but pr0Viden-
catastrophe was the cause of re-
ducIng the number of victims. Upon
the mountains called La Media
Luna, La Mesa, and others, toward
the east, was witnessed a surprising and
terrifying spectacle, like nothing ever
seen before. 1t is described as resembling
an eruption OF VesuYius; the continuous
electric discharges among the vast black
masses OF cloud that whirled above the
mountains cleaning III red flashes
of fire and yellow streams Of
gold, forming an ingenious mosaic
in the sky, so to say, that though
gorgeous beyond description as physical
phenomenon, filled the behOlders with
terror. Enormous sleeves or water
spOuts descended from the clouds, and
seemed 10 grasp the mountains. Sud
denly a great noise like the roar and on
ward rush of great waves of the sea an
nounced the awful approach OF the
deluge, a tidal wave that filed the little
river, overlooked the valley, and
swept from It's path with resistless force
whatever 1t encountered. Great logs Of
wood brought from the neighbOring noun
tains, trees. thick magueys torn up by the
roots, shrubs. COWS, swine, burros, fowls,
were carried upon the enormous mole Of
water. The stone bridges that had with
stood all former floods were demOl-
ished. The obstruction formed by
their piers diverted the current in
other directions. Sweeping laterally
through the streets, 1t occupied houses on
both sides Of the river, destroyed many,
and damaged all. The rapidity OF the in
vasion and its duration Of almost three
hours did not permit the occupants to
save more than their lives by precipitate
flight. In the desperate efforts of men
II. 4. a IN
ties occurred. A father, having
carried his little children TO a
place Of safety returned to save his wife.
Both persisted. Many were saved by the
prompt assistance of relatives and chart
table persons that had earlier warning Of
the catastrophe. Some escaped by taking
refuge on the roofs of houses that with
stood the rushing deluge, where groups
of women and terrified children waited
in mOmentary expectation that the struc-
ture would follow the fate of those they
saw disappear around them.
The whole valley, that yesterday
smiled with the homes and fruits OF indus
try, is a desolation. The survivors are
homeless, prOpertyless-reduced from
comfort to beggary. II would be impos-
sibe to describe in detail what has &C.
Cured or what is now witnessed. One
hundred and seventy bodies have been
found where the two villages stood or
along the stream below them. The tenn
pest was accompanied with an enormous
fall OF hail."