Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-02-26
A WAVE OF DEATH.
Repetition of the Johnstown Disas er in
the Far West.

Repetition of the Johnstown Disas er in
the Far West.
PHOENIX, A. T., Feb. 24.-The town of
Wickenberg has without doubt been
swept out of existence by the bursting
Of the dam of the Walnut Grove Water
Company, as it lay on the banks of the
stream. and great loss of life must have
occurred. The town was mining set
Element, and the men worked in the
hills, SO they might have escaped, but it
almost hopeless to expect that any of
&c women and children eluded death.
The dam which held the waters back
feet at the top. 1t was 10 feet thick at
the base and II feet at the top, forming
lake miles in length by Of mile
wide. and ITO feet deep.
Anupper dam broke first. When the
wall of angry water struck the service
dam, fifteen lilies below the break, it
was checked for an instant, but the dam
was unable to withstand the terrific
pressure and soon gave way, carrying
with it the extension system of fumes
and other structures.
The news of the break in the reser-
voir was received here by messenger,
whose horse dropped dead as he en-
tered town. The courier says the val
ley below the dam for miles was swept
clean. Immense rocks were carried
away as though they had been chips.
There are many prospectors IN the
country, and this fact makes it lmpos-
sible to even estimate how many are
lost. As rule they are in the iowlAnds,
and would be swept out of existence
without moments warning.
The messenger was some distance be-
low the dam when it broke, being in a
side gulch, but he says that from the
sound the most of the huge fabric must
have given away before the millions of
tons of water almost instantaneouslv.
There was an awful crash that seemed
to shatteI the air, followed by surging
and roaring as though a hundred
Niagaras we're tearing their way through
mighty mountain range.
He ran Immediately to the top of the
Ail, where the valley was visible, and
Lie describes the scene as something
awful. Theevalley was filed with foam
capped water, that seethed and bub-
bied as it spread itself over the valley
and into the side canons. Where he
saw the valley the water was a mile
wide and not less than fifty feet deep.
Monster trees were cut off by the rocks
and water like reeds. Nothing living
was visible. -
The Walnut Grove Company was one
of the most extensive storage and hv-
draulic mining companies in the terri
tory. Their works were of vast extent,
and when in operation were expected
to reyolutlonize this district
Many families lived in the narrow
canoDs below the dam, and, if they had
| no warning, they were surely drowned.
The story is that the upper and
larger dam has gone as well as the lower
distribution dam.
Up to late hour this afternoon 10 in
| formation has been received in regard
| to the break in the Walnut Grove dam.
The fall of rain and snow has been
| very heavy in the mountains far to the
north and east, and the water here is
very high. Salt River rose sew
| enteen feet in fifteen hours
| Saturday morning. The railroad bridge
| across it is swept away for 200 feet, and
q half mile of track on the bank of the
| river is gone. Telegraphic commune
cation was interrupted, but wire was
| placed across the river last nigh t.