The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-24
Scores Of Lives Supposed to Have
Been Lost, but Only Mcagro
Particulars Received.
ENTIRE TOWN IN DANGER.
But It VIII Be Many Hours Be
fore Definite News Is
Rcccicyd.
Houses Uplificd by Raging Waters rs
Though They We're COrks-A Wall
OF Water Fifty Feet High That
Pushed Down n Marrow
Valley With lncredi. ,.l
bic Speed. Ja

bio Speed. TO-
PnEScorr, ARlz., Feb. 23.-The fine
large storage dam built across the Has
sayamapa river by the Walnut Grove
Water Storage Company two years ago
a! cost OF 100000, gave way yesterday
morning under tho great pressure OF a
heavy flood and swept everything be.
fore it. Forty persons are known to
haze lost their lives. ee l.G
AS the town OF Wickenburg, 80 miles
below the dam, great fears were enter
tanned for the safety OF that town.
Thesafety dam OF the company, located
fifteen miles below the reservoir, with
fifteen miles Of ilume, just approaching
completion, was also swept away. The
company had spent over SsOO,0OO on the
enterprise Of steering the water. The
hydraulic mining machine had arrived
and they had expected to commence
operations next week.
CONSTRUCTION OF TIE DAM,
Tho dam which held the water back
was Ito feet long at the base and 400
feet Mt the top. 1t was ITO feet thick at
the base and 10 feet at the top, forminca
lake three miles in length by three
fOurths Of u mile wide aud ITO feet deep.
Lieutenant Brodie, in charge of the
work, was absent at Phoenix superin-
tending the shipment OF the machinery
to the works, and was saved. RI
ALATEE REPORT.
Not the slightest doubt has been en-.
tertained for the safety OF the dam and
numerous houses had been erected by
the miners at various places along the
course OF the stream. These were up-
lifted by the raging waters as though
they had been corks and floated down
the stream until they were dashed to
pieces. The first intimation OF the an.
pelling disaster was sound re-.
sembling thunder, and Mt the
some instant n perpendicu-
lar wall Of water, fully fifty feet high
came rushing down the narrow valley
with almost incredible speed. Fortu-
nately there were but comparatively few
people living near the bottom OF the hill.
sides, and OF these large number were
warned by the awful sound and ESCAPED
to higher ground. The valley widens
above Wickenburg, and much Of the
town lies upon the low lands close to the
course OF the stream, and it salmost GER
tain that the vast body Of water which
rushed out OF the reservoir has carried
away many houses at that place.
1t is believed hero that fully as many
people were drowned there as immedi-
ately below the dam. The ruined dam
IS cut from the top almost to the bottom
as though a section had been sawed out,
and the water above is only few feet
deep: Heavy rains have fallen for sew
eral days, and last night it was apparent
that the water in the lake was approach
Ing the danger line. .'t.,ff'
The rain continued throughout the
night, and early this morning the water
rose to the top OF tho dam and cut a
small passage near the center, which
rapidly widened and depened as the
water poured over it, till in less than
twenty minutes tho little stream had
become a roaring cataract. rf-57
A DlscoURAalNd AFFAIR. q
The storage company is blamed for
not having provided sufficient outlet
Tor the water in times OF danger. The
only way OF letting off water was through
the llume, and this afforded no appreci.
able relief. This is tho first OF the great
storage reservoirs projected in the Ter
r1tory, and it is believed to.day's disas-
Ter will operate to discourage the con-
slruction Of similar dams. There can be
no estimate yet OF tho loss OF life or
property, but the latter will reach
INTO millions while the loss OF life will
without doubt be great, rs many Of the
iam!lles wero living near the stream in
INC narrow canyons. The confirmation
el the news Of the loss OF the big dam
mas heightened the excitement and more
nehnite news is now anxiously awaited,
Dlt us the wires are now down near
Prescott Junction, it is hardly probable
that any additional information will be
received tonight. 'lI-,5 < r
a courier who brought kilograms for
owners OF the Walnut Grove dam notify
ing them OF their loss, arrived about
o'clock last night and left Immediately
alter daylight this morning. He could
give but little particulars further than
70 report the number OF the missing
nvc bodies having been recovered and
identified when he left.
llorlNo AGAINST HOPE. x,
The distance to the store dam from,
Prescott by the shortest trail is 40 miles
while the service dam, where employees
were located, is 10 miles further down
inc stream. Immediately on the receipt
o. the news here, Adjutant Genera
stewart started for the scene with two
snrseonsto care for the sufferers and t
superlntend the burial OF the dead.
a representative OF the Journal. Miner,
local paper, accompanied by party,
WI send a special courier with particu'
iafs, but it will take twenty.four hours
OF longer to make tho round trip. Yes
.etday's courier came from the lower
aam, and as the road does not come by
!he upper dam, it was only surmised
!hat 1t had given away on account o
INC immense quantity OF water.
a more hopeful feeling exists thit
evening on account Of no news bein{
leeelved direct that the upper dam ha
gwen away. It is now hoped that th'
reservoir is intact ;and tho flood wa
caused by the opening OF the gate
'ofe!lsve 1t from the threatened danger
CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE. e ri ri
Engineer Luther Wagner to-day gave
some details Of the construction Of tn
great storage dam across Haasayamp
n,ver, which show that this disaster, lik
.nat at Johnstown, Pa, was, accordin
10 hin, due to the careleasness an
M,eanness Of tho New York corporation
als. Wagner was called into report O.