Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-27
VENTURA FOLLOWS SUIT.
FEARFUL FLOODS,
Cities Inundated and FrightfuI Loss of
Life in Mexico

anu L y iLIuA LOSS OF
Life in Mexico.
CITY or MEXICO. June 26,h-Telegraph
communication, which has been inteTrupted
several days by floods, has been restored
Particulars of a terrible disaster on the line
of the Mexican Central Railroad, particu-
larly at Leon and Silao, have been OBJ
tanned. During the past ten DAYS the
table-land5 between here and Zscatecas
have been visited by Unprecedented rains
Every mountain rivulet along the Mexican
Railway for more than two hundred miles
has been converted into destructive tor
rent, and the valleys present the appearance
of lakes.
Many cities and towns have been inun.
dated, and Leon and Silao have heen par
TALLY destroyed.
The first intimation received in this city
Of the disaster in the north was a telegram
from Silao, dated the 18th inst. It said:
1T commenced raining heavily here yes.
terday afternoon and continued all nirbt.
raising the SiiaO river out of its banks.
breaking at the north end of the town. and
ran through the streets with irresistible
force. Most OF the houses here being of
adobe, as soon as they were saturated with
water began to tall. About SO houses were
destroyed. The station buildings are occu-
pied by homeless people, unable TO obtain
anything TO eat except melons and fruit
which float in the water. The rain
has been general, and the whole country
around Silao IS Hooded. Several dykes
have given away. 1t still continues rain.
ing
THE CITY OF LEON INVADED.
On the Goth it was learned that the
floods had been more destructive in Leon
than Silao. On Monday, the 18th. the
river broke over the dykes, notwithstanding
all the efforts to check it. 1t made rapid
headway and finally flooded the CITY. As
the rain fell the river rose rapidly, follow
ing into the town, gradually wearing away
the foundations of buildings, which COM
menced to fall as the night came on.
AWFUL LOSS OF LIFE.
Monday night brought 10 that city one
of the most terrible scenes ever witnessed
III any country. The people, believing
themselves secure, went to bed in those
parts OF town where the water had not
found its way. The steady downfall of
rain, with the extensive water back of the
outlying country, increased the flow of
the river and rapidly extended its channel
until over half of Leon was under water.
The houses tumbled in rapidly, having
been worn away by the water, and a loss of
life commenced, unparalleled in the history
VI tLC 3 iuuAludtiOIJS Ol HlOIern times,
and as the buildings fell the unfortunate
sleepers were either crushed to death or
drowned.
ONE WHOLE SIGHT OF TERRoR
Followed. Men, women and children fed
to the streets in their night-clothes, some
to tndshelter on the higher ground, others
TO be swept away by the flood
On Tuesday morning the rain was still
| hos han y-r, IL
crease III the stream. The water of the
mammoth lake extended to all points of
the compass, its monstrous appearance oc.
| cssiOnally broken by half-submerged
houses and high land cropping above It's
surface. The town had a wretched look.
! Where houses had stood the night previ-
Gus, water was surging to the lower grounds,
groups of people, who had been forced by
| the impending danger TO seek fight with
out clothes, crying and deploring their
losses. Ali the houses which the food had
| left intact were open to the unfortu9ates.
who were provided with everything avail
| able.
| The loss of life up to this writing has
reached into the hundreds, but the threat
| enIng danger bad closed the channel of sor-
row, and the hushed voices denoted moth
| ing more than fear for the future. All
night it poured until Wednesday morning.
| which saw the lake surrounding the CITY
undlminlshed in size, with steady rain dis
| turbiDg the surface. In the afternoon
however, it ceased raining, and the waters
| commenced to recede. The people recov-
cred from their fright, though the water
was covering portion of the city.
BURIED BODIES.
1t is estimated that 700 persons perished.