The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-26
WALNUT GROVE DAM.
Terrible Loss of Life Through
Its Bursting.
sEvENTY-FNE LIVES LOST.
xsrrine Fore ef vass Body ~ water
Ranches swept Away-rcas Of Rock
wAirIed Like reasAerA

come IN slowly and are stu rnesrrs. Two
pros reciors arrived here late last rsvht
irom the upper dam. They state thar they
camped as the dars Friday night and that
ABOUT O'Clock Saturday morning :sse dam
osoxe and the water rnshess down toe steer
ana narrow canyon in solid body. eighty
feet high. One man was rescued from the
top u tree. The prospectors state that
not even remnant cs the dam EXISTS. The
immense body OF water. ure and q hall
miles square and sixty feet deep, was
emptied in an hour.
They had talked with many persons from
the smaller dam. fifteen miles below. who
said thAs mp 10 Saturday evening twenty
tive bodies had been recovered, bat couis
give no additional names.
survivors were IA the greatest dessitu-
ing. Coarse &. ain sscks were used in place
Of clothing.
+. The camp OF workmen engaged in build
ing the aume has not been heard from =,
ali, and II Is believed ell we're drowned.
No news has been received here from
Wickenbefg or from other settlements be-
low the dam. More definite particulars
are looked for now every minute.
The failure os q messenger TO arrive yes
terday with further particulars Of the great
di-asser on Hassavamna had a tendency
to enserder .eei;ng OF hope in the hearts
OF many thas the news was exaggerated
and that the horrible catastrophe was not
as bad as at FIRST reported. Such hopes
were. however, dispelled last nigh: when
J. J. Williams, mining superintendent,
accompanied by his brother. Ben Williams,
Of Bisbee, aud Professor James Douglass.
mining expert and capitalist, arrived at
Copper basin and related the brief story
told them by two prospecfors direct from
Walnut Grove dam.
Not only was all hope dispelied, but their
story went 10 show that half had not been
told, and that the awful disaster was
greater than had been imagined. II was
rot until after the arrival of these gentle
men after dark that any definite news was
learned OF the fate of the big storage dam,
strong hopes s,ill existing that il had not
been washed ont.
E. II. beggs. the stage agent who took
Sheriff O'Nesll and DR.. Miller to the scene
Of the disaster. = turned and reported that
messenger with fuil particulars was sent
By Sheriff 0'Neil and was due. Il Was
near midnight, however. before the mes
senger arrived giving list of the lost as far
rs known and q partial list of the survivors.
Sheriff O'Neiil writes that the country
along Has, aymps, below the sites of the
dams. presents q scene of desolation A
tornado could not have made such . com
piete wreck For miles the waters turned
free by breaking OF the dam. hare flied the
bed Of the creek with bottles and with enor-
nous ooulders. trees. caetus and every
other kind of debris.
H. s. Van Burnen and daughter. with
Lieutenant A. o. Brodle, the superintend-
ent. were in Phnnix. having lett there on
the Tuesday prec-ding.
When all casualties are asceftAined the
entire loss will probably be between fifty
and sixty lives. Many bodies were found
twenty and thirty miles below the
place where the food overlook them.
All the remains are more or less multi
ased, while In severa. cases only fragments
O. hair have been recovered. As the force
OF the GOOD was terrific. many bodies have
doubtless been buried in the sand. others
torn 70 pieces. and others carried far
South.
Those who saw il say the food came
down in an almost perpendicular wall,
ninety or 40 feet high. and apparently
crushed down instead OF sweeping away
everything before it, Immense boalders
weighing tons were thrown around as a
child might toss ball. Enormous trees
we're broken in two or torn into shreds.
iron bars were broken and twisted out Of
shape. and hat iron was picked up and car
ried Eve miles and then embedded in the
walls Of the canyon, eighty feet above the
present level of the stream. A large safe
belonging TO Mr.. Robert Brown, containing
in the neighborsood OF $500. was swept
away and 90 trace has. afler most dliige1t
search. been found Of 1t.
The GOOD struck the lower dam at so a.
m, Eve minutes later the headquarters.
i've miles below. we're swep; away. seversI
persons were at both points watching. but
notwil hstanding this, the loss ~ the rrsf
point was over thirty men and those who
escaped did SO with only " hat they bad on
their backs, many only In their night
clothes.
Early on the evening of the alst cour-
ier was sent from the upper 20 the lower
dam to warn the residents at the latter
point that the former structure was in dan
ger OF breaking. but owing TO the storm
and darkness the messenger. Wi'liam
Akard could not keep ahead OF the fiooa.
and lost his life In trying 20 cross Has
savampa, within view o! survivors OF the
camp whom be had tried 20 save.
Charles Thompson, the couFser who ar
rived from below wickenburg this alter
noon, aad xho lost his ranch above the
lover dam. reports that nine bodies have
heen discovered st wickenourg and three
above. in addition TO those already discov-
cred
The old historic Brill ranch. with sll
other ranches along the river. have been
entirely swept away