Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1890-02-26
Interesting Story of a Sur yivOr who was Lodged Eighty Feet Above
 the River Level.
Two Prospectors Relate the Thrill,
 Events at the Upper Dam.
q safe with Seven Thousand Ds',ars
 Goes Down with the Flood.
Partiai Hist of sns unfortunasss, with soma of the nanics of
 Those who Escapeds
(Frsm Mondays Daily)

I away. Forty people drowned. Mis-. | Hsnlen safe" Such was the brie telegram which flashed across thc wire, on Saturday night. It was addressed to H. s. Van Beuren, president of tn. Walnut Grove Water Storage company whe was in rhenir, and was signed b, ' J. W. keadington, one of his esgiaecrs at the lower dam. The courier who brought the news was Frank Stumbo, who llved about six miles below the the lower dam, whe reached Prescott adeut eight o'clock at night. Soon sf. ter fiiiag the abeve and other telegrams MT. Stuabo vas iennd by the JOURNAL MINER man, and interviewed ia rrgard to the great disaster. the substance of his story being as follows:
 "I was stopping at Reurke's ranch, about six miles below the lewer dam, there being two ether men stopping in tho house with me. About midnight we were awakened by great roar of water, and on locking out could faint ly see, in tks darkness, that sa im- s.erse body of water was going down the stream. We all laid down again, however, thinking that there was no danger, but about e'clsck were again awakened by much louder and more
  deafening roar. We all jumped out ef bed and lesk to the hills, barely Ieaek- jag high greusd before
 SOLID BODY OF WATER,
 Which seemed thirty feet high, rushed mally by us, sweeping away the house we had just left and everything sur rounding. The water continued to flow at sn immense height for about three heurs. At daylight, man was sent to the Walnut Grove Water ster- age Company's lower dam, tc learn ei the damage dene. aad the result was ihe above telegram, which brought te tewn."
 MT. stumbe said that the largest cottonwood trees were lifted UP bodily ty the roets. by the resistless power of the foed. After the water had subsi- ded some, hs said the banks of the stream were strewn by hundreds upon hundreds of dead fish Before he left he said that five bodies had been recovered. Among
 TH0sK REPORTED MISSING
 Were the following:
 Mir. Haynes, wife and four children.
 Mir. Boone and daughter.
 Charles Brscken.
 James Reynolds.
 Mir. McMillen, the cempany's teani- ster.
 Mrs. McCarty, housekeeper for MT. Van Beurea and family.
 An unknown man and seven China men.
 Taylor Frush, the ex-circus man, who has besn engaged in freighting, sent nete te John Ross requesting him te send a telegram to his wife and dsagh- ter in Phenix announcing the safety ei himself and son.
 The news of the disaster created the greatest excitement in Prescott, and groups of paen could be seen on every corner and in saloons and stores, dis cussing and theorizing in regard to it.
 Sheriff O'Neill and Dr. Miller started within an heSr and Q haif after the news reached Prescott for the scene of the disaster, to minister ie the wants oi the living and to attend to the buiiai of the dead.
 A subscription paper was also started, and within few sainutes Fl ,ooo had been subscribed for the aid of those in need of ii.
 Notwithstanding the positive infer. nation contained In the dispatch, 6 l feeling ei doubt existed in the minds oi many as to whether ths upper dam had gone out. It was argued that 1t was only forty miles frem Prescott, while the courier who brought the news bad come all the way around by stanton, sixty miles, to reach Prescott. "if the u,per dam had been swep. away, way had not the information reached Pres cott direct from thsrc7" was asked. 1 Many wsAt home on Saturday night l with this
 FEELING eF HOP. .t,ll in their breast. All day Sunday news were eagerly watched for, aad as no news came. this was taken as gsod and favorable omen.
 About noon, c. Arthur Allen, whs was formerly identified with the enter prise. in company with Jsha Mcdonald, of the Blue Dick mine, went cut on the Dosoris divide, where an excellent view of the dam can be had. They teck 3 telescope and pair of powerful field glasses alcng. NIT. Allen returned in the evening and reported that the wrec of the dam could be plainly seen. He said the break seemed to be on the east side of the dam. The waste water way could be plainly seen high and dry on the cliffs cl the western slope of the hill. He said ke conld also see the stum ps of trees. where the water oi the dam formerly stood.
 As the tewn si wickenburg is OF the