Griggs courier., 1888-09-07
a CLOuD-BURST.
An Unprecedented Rainfall Causes "A Flood
Which sweeps Through Hot Springs.
Ark. with Awful Ehect-Thirteen Lives
Lost. and Damage Done to the Extent


of 100000.
LITTLE Rock, Ark, Sept 1.-The tiaseste's
Hot Springs (Ark.) special says: To-day
is an epoch in the history of Hot Springs
The city is Quilted. Ruin and wreck meet
the vision everywhere. and nothing like it
mas ever been known to compare with the
result OF Thursday nights storm. which
occurred too late 10 be telegraphed. 1t
was waterspout and the valley was
swept with Il mighty tidal wave. The loss
to property is fearful. while the sac
ritice to human life is, under the circun,-
stances, appalling. Swift and terrible
was the visitation. Without warning
people were awakened from slumber 10
ind themselves threatened with destruc.
ton ny mad waves. Strange to relate few
people We're conscious of horrible disaster.
till they awoke to look upon the desolate
scenes this morning and drag the drowned
from drifts.
The storm struck the town at ii O'Clock
Thursday night from I; northwesterly
direction. 1t was accompanied by stiff
cool winds. though not strong enough To
produce damage. Rain fell in tor
rents from II to O'Clock w tn
ont ntermission or cessation Indeed.
those who were up and witnessed the
awful scene describe il as one never
before seen by them The vivid flashes OF
lightning displayed, as it We're great
sheets of falling water. AT the close of
the storm a great and omuous sound
mingled with ,he shouts OF people and cries
OF distress, went up from the valley. ana
such people us We're il. tae vicinity of the
creek aud raVines Went FORTH to render as
slstance.
/ The Hood on Central avenue, the priuci
p thof@Nghfare. assumed an angry river.
whose rushing tide swept every tnlng NOV
able on It's bosom. For over half an houl,
the avenue was transtorlne! into a
torrent fifty yards wide Barrels. bones
and parts OF houses came down on the
Z tde. an'i We're left strcwn on the side
\ walks. several iarge hotc.s were flooded
I TO the depth OF four fee, with luurly
/ water. and many buildings We're totally
/ destroNe" Up to THIS hour SIX persons
are known to be missing, five of whom
have been found dead in wrecked build
lngs. The damage To property IS estimated.
at sl0o.uO.
1t Is imposs bic to accurately estim tie
the damage to property. both public ant;
( private, bu- il goes away up in the thou
sands. The greatest damage wa, from
| Malvern crossing up To the northern sub
! urbs
/ lHS ucStl uctiOH was augmented bN the
/ formation NJ drifts at the upper ends of the
/ creek arch. The mouth OF the arch on
/ both w arlington and Park avenues thokell
comp ctclv, which threw the main body of
! the flood over tho streets ami down Central
avenue, and also caused back wa,erto flow
pp the two creeks above the two arches
TN hlt1lngton avenue there was but little
damage done until the flood reached the
Josephine Hotel The office floor of this
n use is considerably lower than the
street, hence the flood rushed in through
4 the front do DIS. and when ut the highest
stood at least -four feet deep on the lower
| floor, completely covering the counter in
| the office ani. the billiard tables in the
| b lizard room.
| The da mage along the line from Upper
| Park avenue TO the Junction with WHIT
| tngton avenue proved grave on iuvcsti@a
| ton, The first building moved from its
! foundation in tie north part of the tow
! was one OF the small dwellings owned by
Hon. Nicholas Bel, and occupied by IA col
! orea family named Fletcher. 1t was swept
away. and the mother of a family Matti.
Fletcher, and her four children wcr,
drowned The husband ha, u tliraculou-
escape
4 w hen the rain was heaviest cries fo,.
help were heard in the creek back of Dr
Franklin S residence The dark was i'm
prnetiable, and the r%in came down in
sheets Through the roaring and crashin.
the voice Of tn" man c"llltt be heard grow
ing fainter. JACK Franklin hastily drew on
some clothing and w;,dinp into tnc torrent
i'll the direction of the erie sUrraeried in
drawing the man ont. disabled bv the fall
OF his house, and landed h!min his father $
residence He gave the man Wine and kept