Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-03-06
wALNUr aRopE Dam.

messed the GreEt Arizona k'isaster
"A Mcnsenger Scni 90 spread aho
Alnrni Gets Drunk and Neglects
Hais Duty.
PREsoorT, ARR Feb. 27.--Two pror-
peetors, Moses and Robert Moore, VINO
have arrived from the upper Walnut
Grove dam, give the following particu-
lars of the late disaster;
We came up to the Hassayompa PROF.
peoting ind passed number Of parties
on the way who must inevitably have
been lost. Thursday we arrived OF The
dam. Friday morning the water in the
dam was rising at the rate of 8 inches an
hour with all sluices open. Supt.
Thomas Brown had Is men employed all
day in blasting out the waste waterway
TO allow the escape OF the water. Despite
the immense volume which went through
this passage tho wateF continued 10 rise
until O'Clock at night when il began to
lour over the top Of the Gam In the
afternoon Supt. Brown seeing the dam
must inevitably go sent messenger to the
lower dam to notify them of the danger
but he stopped at saloon on the road
end becoming intoxicated failed to deliver
the message. Next morning another
messenger was sent but was overtaken
and drowned by the flood Just hs no
neared the lower camp. About midnight
we were awakened by Brown calling to
his foreman, get up Phil, think the
dam has broken" Boon after there was
tremendous roar which was indescrib-
Ible and we arose and looking ont saw
the water rushing ont OF the dam. Inside
OF two hours it had disappeared entirely
from where 1t was from co TO 90 feet
deep.
Francis M. Parker was one Of the men
rescued FROM o pe,iIous position Abo1t
Gaybreak. Parker sud his partners had
gone TO bed. When he was awakened he
heard one of hi9 partners exolaim, "My
God, what was thst !" He (parker) never
the water and wps lifted to the roo: Of
the cabin, where he clurg to the rafterS
until the cabin, of or foa,ing Ground, Yves
driven against the bluff, where he scizad
nome bushes and drew himself upon thu
cliff. Que rRn was seen to start for q
place of safety, and seeing escape was
impossible, braveiy turned his face to the
flood and WEB swept away. Another mar
was seen going up steep hill and hac
Seache,i a point about so feet above til,
level OF the river bank when the mighty
volume Of water struck and killed him
Outaide towns are supplying oil needed
nReesaitisg.
PREHooTT, A. T., Feb. 2s The Journal
Miner representative returned late yee
tesday afternoon from Walnut urov
dam. He interviewed Captain Hunt lat'
of tho United States army, who was OF
watch with Superintendent Brown whei
the dam gave way. Captain Hunt say
that all day Friday 90 men being Gil VIII
could DO secured were employed in blast
ing the wahte waterway to increase ii
capacity. The sign OF the break was th
gnapping Of q large steel cable connect
ing the tower in the middle OF tho dar
with the bank. This accustomed
Youd re, ort and hs said tina
it seemed ca IL ball of fir
was ehot from it. The next instant til
tower tottered and ii seemed as if tn
entire dam containing 90 900 tons Of roc
all moved bodily ut once. The roar Q
waters and the grinding OF bonlders wa
perfectly deatening. The messenger Sol
to warn those at the lower dam and VIII
failed to do so on aocOunt of becomin
intoxicated has not bs6n seen since. Th
iirst Survivors to erriva in Prescott wi
yesterday afternoon, when J. Hardee, Et
Davis and W. II. Russell! came in, all {
them being moIe or less bruised an
skinned from climbing the steep hi
among the cacti and sharp rocks (
esosps the lJad.
John Hardee gave his experience
.yiloHs. ~ was camped on Barren cree
in . tc,t with three others. Some tin
after Midnight we were awakened by
,i.atening roar whar / jumped out
bed aud yelled At the others, The do
has broken, run for your lives
reached high ground and saw the way
at least co feet high strike the tent and
was gone. The distance between Il
bluffs at this point is about 900 var
and the water filled this space GO fe
deep. A huge boulder weighing 100 to
in front OF our tent Was swept away ~
next day went down the cut five mil
ia search OF bodies and saw no trace
it. Some lumber had been LEFT on Il
high bluff near the lower dam viii
was not reached by water. Cofins o
being made Of this and then float
down the stream to whore the bodies q
fornd. Thirty seven bodies In all ha
been recovered"
PRESCOTT, A. T., March 1.-The work
burying the victims Of the late disaster
about completed. Thirty-nine bodies We
recovered and identified, while 10 mC
persons are Known 10 nLVs Desn io5l.
Property at and below Wicksrburg v
badly damaged, but no loss OF life occur
us was feared the people being on
watch for the flood, IL Is impossible h,
TO fix the responsibility for the accid
further than tilat the dam was not prope
constructed Tor the purpose Tor whlcl
was intended. Adequate means for
escape OF water In time OF mood were
provided.
100 -
The French Troops Victorious.