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.

L1S IN Mexico.
CITY OF MEXICO, June 26.h -Telegraphic
communication, which has been INTERRUPTED
several days by floods, has been restored
Particulars OF terrible disaster on the line
of the Mexican Central Railroad. Dartirr
larry at Leon and Silao, have been OBJ
tanned. During the past ten DAYS the
table-lands 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 a destructive tor
rent, and the valleys present the appearance
of lakes.
Many cities and towns have been inun.
dated, and Leon and Sila0 have been par
italy destroyed.
The first intimation received in this civ
OF the disaster IN the north was telegram
from Silao, dated the 18th inst. Ii said.
" 1t commenced raining heavily here yes
terday afternoon and continued all nicht.
raising the Silao 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 325 houses were
destroyed. The station buildings are occu-
pied by homeless people, unable 70 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 fiOoded. 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 pttnrtS n phppE
Roadway and finally flooded the CITY. As
the rain fell the river rose rapidly, follow
ing into the town, gradually wearing awav
the foundations of buildings, which COM
menced TO fall as the night came on.
AWFUL LOSS OF LIFE.
Monday night broueht 10 that city one
of the most terrible scenes ever witnessed
in any country. The people, believing
themselves secure, went to bed in those
parts OF town where the water had rot
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
lie commenced, unparalleled in the history
of the great foundations of modern times,
and as the buildings fell the unfortunate
sleepers were either crushed to death or
drowned.
ONE WHOLE EIGHT OF TERROR
Followed. Men, women and children fed
to the streets in their night clothes, some
to find Shelter on the higher ground, others
TO be swept away by the food.
On Tuesday morning the rain was still
| falling. There has been no perceptible de-
crease in the stream. The water of the
mammoth lake extended to all points of
the compass, its mODstrous appearance oc-
cssionally broken by haf-submerged
houses and high land cropping above its
surface. The town had 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 unfortunates
who were provided with everything avail
able.
The loss of life up to this writing has
reached into the hundreds, but the threat
enlng danger had 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
undiminished in size, with steady rain dis
turblDg the surface In the afternoon,
however, 1t 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 persisted