Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-02-26
The ARIZONA FLOOD.
The Worst Fears Confirmed BY
Late Reports.
HsaTy Storms Sweep 0Ief Indiana
Ohio, PennsylIania and Teas.
Prominent Physicians In Kentucky IN
dtcted for Grave Robbins,

PREscorr, Arix.. Feb. s5.-The vors
fears in regard TO the Walnut Grove disas
ter are more than realized, the particular.
come in slowly. and are still meagre. I've
prospectors arrived late last night from The
upper dam. And say they camped near the
dam FRIDAY night.
At O'Clock Saturday morning the dau
broke and the water rushed down the mar.
row. steep canyon in 4 solid body so fee,
high. One man vas rescued from the tor
of tree. Prospec,ors state that not even
. remnant Of the dam exists, and the i'm
mense body of water, one and half miles
square and sky feet deep. WAS emp,ied in
an hour. He had talked with many from
the smaller dam Is miles below. Who said
that up to Saturday evening 25 bodies were
recovered, but they could give no addi
tiOnai names. The SURVIVORS are in the
greatest destitution. having neither pro
,isious nor clothing. Coarse grain SACKS
are used in lieu Of clothing. The camp of
been heard from at all, aud it il feared aii
are lost. No news has yet been received
here from Wickenberg or from the settle
ments below the dam.
messenger sent by Sheriff O'Neill has
AiAtsSa vim IuFtucE OI Inc us
aster. Sheriff ONeiil writes:
"RoUAHKE's RAScHE Feb. "a.
Desolxtion along HASA, ,amps river be-
low the sites Of the dame 70 complete.
tornado could not have made su COM
plete wreck. For miles the waters diled
the bed Of he creek with bodies and enor-
nous boulders, trees, and every other kind
of debris. Ihirty-three of the drowned
have been Identified.
Besides these, IL or 10 miners in the pla
Ger mines between the upper and lower
dams, with . number of ranchers along the
stream, are missing. and when all casual.
tiles are ascertained, the entire loss will
probably be between SO and GO lives. The
bodies thus far discovered. are about 4
dozen. Many were found 20 or 80 miles
from the place where the flood overlook
them all. The remains are more or less
mutilated, and in several cases only frag
ments were recovered. as the force of the
food was terrific. Many bodies are doubt
less buried in the sand and others torn in
pieces and carried far south. Immense
b)ulders weighing tons were thrown around
as Child might toss q ball. Enormous
trees were broken or torn into shreds. Iron
bars were broken and twisted out OF shape
and an ordinary fistiron was picked up aud
carried five miles and imbedded in the
walls of the canyon eight feet above the
present level OF the stream.
large safe belonging to Robert Brown,
containing in the neis h6orhood of 81 900
swept away, no trace found of it. What
ever the water struck went down. Flood
struck the lower dam at | so. Ave minutes
later headQuarte rs, i've miles below was
swept away. Several persons were at both
points watching, not wlthstsnding this the
number Of men drowned at the first point
was over 80, those who did escape did 90
with only what they had on their backs,
many only in their night clothes.
Early on the evening of the 2lst. q cour-
ier was sent from the upper to the lower
dam to warn the residents at the latter point
that the former structure was in danger of
breaking. Owing to the storm and dark
ness the messenger could not keep ahead
of the food and lost his life within view of
the survivors of the camp he tried to save.
Charles Thompson the courier who AZ
rived there this afternoon from Wicken-
burg, who lost his ranch above the lower
dam, reported nine bodies discovered at
Wickenburg and three above in addition to
those already reported. The old historic
mill with ali other ranches along the river
is entirely swept awsy.