Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-06-29
Seven Hundred People Drowned.

A special dispatch from the City of
Mexico says:
photographic communication, which
has been interrupted for several days
bv the floods, has been restored and
the particulars of the terrible disaster
on the line of the Mexican Central
Railway, particularly at Leon and
Silao, are obtained. During the past
ten DAYS the table lands between ere
and Zacatecas have been visited by
unprecedented rains. Every noun
tain rivulet along the Central Railway
for more than two hundred miles has
been converted into destructive tor
rent and the valleys present the APP
pearance of lakes. Many cities and
towns have been inundated, and Leon
and Silao have been partially de
stroyed. The first intimation received
in this city of the disaster i'll the North
was a telegram from Silao dated the
18th instant. 1t said: 1T commenced
raining heavily here yesterday after
noon, and continued all night, raising
the Silao river out of its banks, break
ing at the north end of the town. and
passing through the streets with ire
sistible force and volume. Most
houses here being of adobe, as soon
as they were saturated with water
they began to fall About 325 houses
have been destroyed The station
buildings are occupied by homeless
people, who are unable to get any
thing TO eat except watermelons and
fruit found floating in the water The
rain has been general, and the whole
country around Silao is flooded. Sew
eral dykes have given away. 1t still
continues raining
ION the Goth it was learned that the
floods had been more destructive in
Leon than in SilaO. 1t seems that on
Monday, the 18th, the river broke
over its dykes and flooded the city.
As the rain fell the river rose rapidly,
its volume of water flowing into the
town, gradually wearing away the
foundations Of buildings, which com
menced to fall as night came on.
Monday night brought to that city
one of the most terrible scenes ever
witnessed in any country. People
believing themselves secure from the
flood went to bed in those parts of
the town where the water had not
found its way. The steady downfall
of rain, with the extensive watershed
of the outlying country, increased the
flow of the river and rapidly extended
its channel until over half of Leon
was under water. Houses tumbled
in rapidly, having been worn away
by the water, and as the buildings
fell the the unfortunate sleepers were
either crushed to death or drowned.
One whole night of terror followed.
Men, women and children fled to the
streets in night clothes, some TO find
shelter ON higher ground and others
to be swept away by the flood. The
destroyed houses are estimated at
over 1900, the loss at $4,000 and
the homeless families at more than
1000 More than $50 bodies have
been recovered from the ruins, and
there is no probability that the entire
number drowned will fall short OF
700"
A dispatch from Ell Paso, Texas,
says information has been received
there from the flooded district in Mex
leo that fifteen hundred lives were
lost by the inundation, and that one
thousand bodies have been recovered.
Leon is Il city of 100000 inhabitants,
and a large part of il is in ruins.