Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1890-03-01
DEAD AND MISSING
The Great Arizona Disaster-List of
the .Oead-Further Particulars of
the Breaking of the Walnut Grove
Dams.
Phenix Herald.

| A. Mills, employed by the Walnut
Grove Water Storage Company, and liv-
ing three miles below the lower dam,
reached Phenix at noon to-day. From
bis account it would appear that that
dam was washed out at o'clock Satur-
day morning, ard from the debris 10
ticed in the water the conclusion was
inevitable that the immense upper dam
had also gone, precipitating millions Of
gallons Of water upon tho settlers along
the Hassayampa.
Mr.. Mills Immediately started for
Phenix, where the company's president,
II. S. Van Buren,, and Chief Engineer
Brodie were stopping. When ne left
the scene of desolation, Saturday morn
ing, thiTty-one white people and three
Chinaman were known to have been
drowned. How many more were swept
without warning into eternity, cannot
be definitely known till the Hassayam-
pa and ella rivers, with the overfowed
lands on either side have been searched
down to Yuma, and perhaps, even then,
many soulless body will float in the
Stygian gulf of California and lie on
ocean's depths till Gabriel's HON shall
blow.
Mr. Mills walked to Brill's farm and
obtained horse. He says fully fifty
people are naked, having barely had
time to rush from their beds, up the
sides of the enclosing canyons, ere the
towering, black and roaring mass of de
vastation swept by them, tearing down
thousands of tons of boulders and
sweeping every habltation and movable
thing. down to bed rock, into the Egyp-
tian night.
AS Mr.. Mills went through the Mexi-
can camp he could see Wickenburg
lamps burning, SO he concluded that
town had not been wrecked.
The shivering victims, who escaped,
need clothing, boots, shoes. blankets
and supplies. Our people at once took
steps to forward relief party.
The lower dam, about 125 feet across
and 80 feet high was full. Upper Wal
nut Grove lake must have been full also.
DEAD AND MISSING.
The following dead and missing are
reported by MIR. Mills: Mcmillan,
Haines, aged 20, Chinaman, unknown
man found at Seymour % miles below
the dam, 3 bodies unrecognized. Mis-
sing-Company cook, a woman, father,
mother and three little sisters of young
Haines above; laborer Boone and oldest
daughter, George, the scout, George
Evarts, two Brown boys, engineers, two
blacksmiths, George Clark and partner
Charley, Chinese boarding house keeper,
three placer miners two miles below.
Just above Powell's.
Lieutenant Broadie telegraphed to
Prescott for supplies and set out on
horseback with III. B. Pratt and x-Col-
lector Cotton about $50 this p. m. for
the scene of the disaster.
DAM NOTES.
Engineer Brodie of the Walnut Grove
dam reports the loss to the company
about 100000.
Putting the reports Of the courier who |
got in to-day with the associated press
from Prescott ard it will be |
noted that the entire works of the Wal |
Iut Grove Storage Co, have been Ge5- |
troyed.
Sheriff Gray and deputy left this NOR
ming for the scene Of the Walnut Grove |
disaster with two double teams accom-
panied by G. l.. Coon, w. T. Hutchin- |
son, Geo. Hamlin and others.
1t is thought by competent engineers |
here that the vast amount Of water going |
down the Salt river now augmented by |
the mountain of water rushing down |
from the Hassayampa, will sweep out |
the bridge across the Colorado at Yuma |
without doubt.
The possibilities for water in Arizona |
are something immense if it is dry |
country.
An Italian had inst moved in a hotel |
outfit. The food fioated his cellar. But
the soaked provisions tasted we'll when |
fished out. First meal at noon Satur- |
day. 1t was the only food left IN the |
camp.
The groups Of excited people surpas-
ses anything ever known in Phenix.
Everybody is out on the streets and bus
mess has stopped practically.
The two head gates OF the Buckeye
canal went out Saturday night, and two
acres around them was washed away
Zanjero FomerOy wires Ex-Governor
Zulicx that the Highland canal was safe
and sound.
Mills walked to Bills ranch eighteen
miles, reaching thar dirk. An
adobe building ones Occupied by vii
son had washed away and the torrent
roared within few inches OF the house
He reached the Aqua F'ria yesterday.
1t was belly deep when he crossed last
night.
w. L. Hutchinson, one Of the PheniX
relief parties to-day, has daughter in
danger at Wickenburg.
On Brill's ranch at Wickenburg many
fruit trees were washed out or badly |
bent over. On some of his fields are
three To four feet OF sand and mud.
Keeper Brown, in charge of the upper |
dam, saw the water running over p. III.
on Friday evening. He sent q rider to
warn the lower dam people, but the /
messenger got lost and never reached |
his destination till next morning, after
the torrent had swept by. Then Tin at /
tempting to cross the stream he was
drowned.
L. Walloth, foreman of Brill's farm at |
Wickenberg, came in with Mills this |
afternoon. He awoke at 5 a. m. two |
hours after the food struck Lower Dam |
AS the Brill ranch is over 80 miles be- |
low, the current must havc exceeded l. |
miles an hour, Walloth reports water |
% feet high at his place. He ran for |
life, but returned and saved some house
hold goods.
VIM. Bacon and family and a Mexi- |
can family, at Wickenberg's ranch,
lost homes and everything.
Henry Eickenberg's' is said to
be nothing but sand bar.
The Vulture stage, which has not yet |
been heard from, probably did not reach |
the Hassayampa before the flood came
down as it was detained waiting for the |
stage from the north, otherwise it should |
have been ON this side of the Hassayam-
pa and have reached Phenix, as there |
was not much rise in any but Aqua |
Fria which had run down on Sunday |
evening.
The flood reached the ella river |
about pm.Saturday and there spread |
over two miles in width. Houses, pro-
visions and all kinds OF drift came down |
in great confusion.-Phenix Herald.