Evening journal., 1890-02-24
AN AVALANCHEOFWATE
Forty Persons Swept to Death
at Prescott, Ariz.
IT WAS LIKE JOnNsrOwN's FLOOD

Il
Two Dams narst, Hurting the Water
from Gigantic Reservoir Into the
Hassayampa Rivera Valley Suddenly
Transformed Into Roaring Torrent.
PREscorr, Ariz., Feb. "a. Both dams Of
the Walnut Grove Wator Storage company,
together with their new Hune, fifteen miles /
long, were washed out at o'clock Sunday |
morning. Forty persons are known to have
lost their lives, and the property on which
the company had spent Ss00,0O0 is com
pletely wrecked Great fears are enter.
tanned for the safety Of the town OF Wick
enburg, situated on the river thirty miles
below the dam.
Partial List or the Dead.
Among those known 70 have been drowned
are:
II. Boone and two daughters.
]. Haines, wife and four children
Mrs. Mccarthy, wife o. laborer.
s. McMiller, laborer.
Joseph Reynolds, laborer.
John silby, foreman Of the nume gang.
Like the Johnstown Disaster.
The dam which formed the reservoir was
1l0 feet long at base, 40 at the top, and was
100 feet high the lake formed by it being
two and half miles long by three-quarters
Of a mile wide and ITO feet deep. Recent
heavy rain and snow storms had caused the
streams tributary 20 the reservoir 20 over.
| flow their banks, and the rush Of water was
so great that an immense assure was torn
/ about midway Of the first and smaller Of the
| two dams The flssure formed an outlet for
the water ia the reservoir, which was hurled
up against the second dam with a momen-
| tum nothing could resist. The great wall
Of masonry fell away before the rushing tor
rent and the waters spread over the valley,
carrying death and destruction with them.
An Ayalanche Of Water.
The men who worked on the Water com
| pany's 1ume had no thought Of danger and
were sleeping quietly in their camps when
| the dams burst with noise like the stimuli
| taneous explosion Of a thousand cannons,
and the water was upon them. Overwhelmed
by the avalanche Of water, they were swept
away TO death. The names Of the workmen
who lost their lives in this way cannot be
learned until the roll Of the company's em-
| ployeS is called.
The dams were built across the HASA
yampa river by the supply company two
years ago. Unusual care was taken in their
construction and when completed they were
considered strong enough TO withstand the
severest strain.
what Was wickenburg's Fafes
wickenburg is shirty miles .below Pres
cott, on the Hassaynmpa, nnd the food
probably struck that place in less than al
hour and a half after the dam burst Mes
sengers mounted on fast horses were hurrieC
out in the direction OF the doomed town
hut it is hardly possible that they coulc
have reached the place before the food, ai
they were compelled 70 make a wide detoui
70 escape the raging waters themselves
None Of these messengers have since return
cd, and it is possible that in order 70 reacl
the endangered town some OF them hav,
chosen the nearest route and been caught IN
the food. Unless tho people Of Wicken
burg received some warning Of the impend
ing danger, the loss OF life 70 be reported
from there viii be appalling, as the town q
situated right upon the bank Of the river.
Meagre Details from wickenburg.
Another dispatch says. s'The number OF
people drowned at Wickenburg by the
bursting Of the dam across the EIissayampl
river, near here, is not definitely known. a
number Of houses were certainly carries
away ana unuy We're drowned, but oWlnt
60 the lack Of telegraphic communication
the exact result OF the disaster cannot be as
certained. The ominous rush Of water from
the broken dam gave a warning TO thi
, people of the valley that many took ad
vantage of and had time to escape RAN
had been falling heavily for several day
) past, and the dam was split from top {,
bottom by the force Of the waters. 10 i
thought that the number drowned Is yer,
great. The property loss is immense"