The Red Cloud chief., 1890-02-28
FRlGHTFUL FLOOD.


vsssy q nses livss IAsssAs - ~ Lsss-
The Dssasess Thssghs " ~
Dee - Criminal Msas-
PREsCorT. A. T., Feb 2+.-Ths Ono
largo storage dam built seross the
Hssaysmpa river BY the Walnut drove
Wstsf Storage Company two years ago
st . cost Of SOD. 900 gave way saturday
morning uadcs the pressure Of = heavy
hood and swept every thing before H.
Forty pcrs0ns arc known ~ have Lost
their 1iveA
AZ tho town Of wiokenburg. thirty
miles below the dam, was on the same
stream fears wsro entertained for the
safety Of that town. but ~ there 10 no
telegraph communication no certain
news can bc obtained st preseat.
The service dam Of The company. 10
Gated 6ftcen miles below the reservoirs
and dfteen milos Of fume, Just sp
preaching completion wcre also swept
away, although the company hsd spcat
over goo, 900 On the enterprise Of storing
wster. Tho hydraulic mining machine
had arrived. and thcy he'd expected -
commence operations next week.
The dam which held the water bsck
wss 10 feet long ct ~ base snd forty
at tho top Il WAS 10 feet thick u the
base and ten feet at tho top, forming .
lake thrco miles In length BY three.
fourths Of mile wide and 10 feet deep
Lieutenant Brodic. In charge Of the
work, Was absent st Phonix superia.
Tending the shipment Of machinery 70
the works and was saved.
Those known IN have bccn drowned
are j. HaineA wife and four children,
II. Boon and dsughtcrA, John Silby,
Joseph Reynolds, Mrs. Mccarthy and N.
Hands McMiller.
Arthur Allen, formerly In the enter.
prise, and John Mcdonald, owner Of the
Blup Lick fninc, have Just returned
from the Doxoris divide. fourteen miles
south Of the town. from whore q view OF
tho dam could be had. The wash Of tho
water could b plainly een with their
powerful glasses high up on the side Of
the cliff, while the break in the stone.
work Of tho dam was alsO plainly seem.
The break In tho dam In sloped to the
eastward. leaving tho impression that
tho main break WA on tho east side.
There cen DO no estimate yet Of the
loss Of life Of property. but the latter
will reach into millions, while the loss
OF life will without doubt hS great ~
many Of the families live near the stream
In tho narrow canyons.
The confirmation Of the news Of tho
loss Of tho big dam has heightened the
excitement and more definite news 10
anxiously awaited. but the wires arc
now oil down near Prescott Junction.
The courier who brought kilograms for
the owners Of the Walnut Grove dam
notifying them Of their ioss left imme.
diately sftcr daylight yesterday morn.
Ing. He could give but little particulars
further than ~ rccitc tho number Of
missing. ive bodies having been n.
covered whom hc left Tho distance
10 the storage dam from Prescott by the
shortest route In forty miles, while the
service dam, where the employees were
located. IL hitecn miles further down
the stream.
Immediately on receipt OF tho news
here Adjutant-0cncral O'Ncil started
for the scens Of tho disaster with two
surgeons " caro- for the sufferers and ~.
~perintend the burying Of tho dead. A
representative Of the Journal-M Mines. Q
local paper. accompanied the party. and
will send . special courier with particu.
lara but u will take twenty.fouP heurs
or losGcr - make tho round Tip Sstus.
days courier came from the lower
dam. and - the road doca not rome BY
the upper dam IL was only surmised
that ID had givon away on account OF
the immense quantity Of water.
fisR Huti.Dxiw IN ntAAR.
San FRAxCiscu. Feb. 9<-Luther
Wagner yesterday gave some details Of
tho construction II the great storage
dam scsusa Hasaysmps river which
show that this di~Astcr. like that Of
J~ohnstown, was according 70 him. due
- carclessneaa ana meanRcsa Of the New
York corporation that built t.
Wagner Was called In 10 report on the
dam about . year and . halt ag0 IL
- have been faced with stone four.
teen feet thick ~ the base and four feet
o. the top and filled with loose rock snd
msds wster tight with wooden sheath.
ing. II WAS about half done when
Wagner inspected Il and he found
that thc stone had been allied IL
csreicssly and was high In the
center. making the structure unstable
Tho juaction Of hcsthing and beA rock
was intcndcd 10 be secured BY thick
layers Of Portland cement but this
work was noe we'll done bsNause oe the
cos ot getting cement ~ the works.
Thus . dangerous crcvicc was formed At
tho base Of tho dam and the leakage
wAs heavy, being i.S ischcs With seven
feet Of water In the dam. The lumbsr
used wss ALSO full Ut knotholea 81
Wagner ordered the dischasge Of the
contractors and engineers - hs regard.
I'd them ~ worthless. but this wss Aos
done. The company, however, setting
On his sdvicc, cut . lArgc wasteway ard
strengthened the weak plsceA Wagner
warned then tbs dam would ~ unsafe
unle~A noMo Of thu voPk wns sumo over