The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-02
Tia Juana Submerged, and
Many People Destitute.
SWIFT TIDE IN THE STREETS.
Late Inhabitants Of Yuma Camping
Out Among the Tombstones.
Onconnrmed Reports Of Large Loss Of
Lffe-The Mississippi River Getting
Ready to Jump the Levees and
Delugs the Bottoms.

Oelugo the B0tt0mss
SAN DrEeo, Cal, March News from
Tia Juana shows that the disaster is
greater than at first reported. People are
housed In the schoolhouse almost naked.
Neighboring farmers have used up all the
supplies of food, and the county now takes
charge Of immediate necessities. A
stream 100 feet wide by eighteen
feet deep flows through international
avenue. The current is SO swift that
rowboats can not be used to aid people.
Nothing is left in the village. Debris
covers the town to depth of six or more
feet. The people viii rebuild on high land,
back OF the old site, in the spring. Three
lives were lost. The steamer Santa Maria
arrived this evening with the first mail for
San Diego since last Sunday.
YUMA, Ariz.. March 1.-The statement
made of great loss of life here is untrue
and absolutely incorrect. One man is
known to have been drowned The death
OF others is reported but not confirmed.
News from the Mohawk valley, just re-
ceived, is that many thousands of dollars
worth of valuable property has been de-
stroyed, but although dozens of mar
row escapes are reported, no lives
are believed to have been lost.
The settlers in the Gila valley have
lost large numbers of live stock, and
nearly all are without shelter. The Yuma
Indians have lost everything they owned
by the overflow. Unless the Indians are
assisted they will suffer for food. Later
and fuller news is expected from up the
Gila valley tonight. The Colorado and
Gila rivers are now falling. The weather
is clear and cool.
The high water in the river on Thursday
was more disastrous than that of Satur-
day. The loss in Yuma is half a million.
The cemeteries are on high land, and
many people are camping in them. 1t is
reported that Mexican family have been
drowned. One body, that of . man, has
foated past town. The river here
is fourteen miles wide. Many peo-
pie are believed to be drowned in
the country. but no particulars
are received. People from the valley say
that everything is under water and much
destruction to property has resulted. The
eral places. At Gila City the railroad
1oSk 40 COvCICO lOI ulllCS Nv WdtCI VSu
feet deep. Reports of loss of life are ne
ceived, but nothing is positively known.
SANTA Cruz, Cal, March 1.-The narrow
gauge train due here at noon today was
prevented from coming by = landalide
near Alma. There is also . landslide at
Zayante about seventy-five feet long and
twenty-five feet deep. leaving the rails sus-
pended like telegraph wires. Other land
slides are reported, but no reliable in
formation can be learned as to their ex-
tent 1t has been cloudy here al day, but
no rain fell until tonight, when it began
again. The San Lorenzo river is full to
the banks, but no apprehension of an
overflow is felt.
NEEDLES, Cal, March 1.-Nine coaches
filled with California passengers delayed
by the washouts on the Southern Pacific,
arrived this afternoon via Deming and
Albuquerque, over the Atlantic IL Pacific
railroad. Most of the passengers are
destined for Southern California, many
being over a week overdue. All are well
and no suffering has resulted from the
delay, everything possible having been
done for their comfort and to facilitate
progress.
THrEsoN, Arix., March 1.-Word received
from Gila Bend reports that small cabin
floated down the Gila river last night and
passed that place. Lamps were lit and
cries of women and children were heard.
SAN FRANcIsco. March 1.-General Man
ager A. n. Towne, of the Southern Pacific,
tonight discredited the rumor that 100
lives had been lost at Yuma by the second
flood. He stated to the Associated Press
that he had been in communication with
Yuma up to half-past Z, San Francisco
time, and had received no such report, as
he surely would have had there been a
disaster So far no lives have been lost at
Yuma, except one Mexican, who was
drowned last week. In the upper Gila
valley, however, ranches may have been
flooded and some people drowned.
Mr.. Towne gave the railroad situation az
follows: Twenty-Five miles of track west
of Yuma is under water. Tomorrow 700
men will commence the work of repair,
bringing in the track which has fioated off
on the ties. and repairing the road-bed
Unless further food occurs the road will
be open in ten days.
A Chronicle special from Maricopa, Ariz.,
March 1, by mail from Phoenix, February
q. saws: The second raise in the Salt
IIvcI ycStcIUdy was cCSN10k AtsuSI
than the last No material damage was
done to Phoenix or Temple, but the
Mormon settlement of Lehi, on the south
bank of Salt river is nearly destroyed. The
Gila river raised twenty-five feet in q few
hours. The bridge at Florence is washed
away and the town is supposed to be un-
der water. The town is built of adobe, so
the loss is great. The Colorado river at
Yuma is greatly swollen, with the food
waters of the Gila and Salt rivers yet to
to come, and ii is feared the town will be,
wiped out. Thirty miles of the Southern
Pacific track west of Maricopa is under
water.
DENVER, March LA Rocky Mountain
Nems Yuma, A. T., special says: Over 80
houses are in ruins from the food, 400
people are homeless, and not single busi-
ness house remains standing. 1t is feared
that hundreds of lives have been lost in
the Gila valley. The river above town is
several miles wide, and below town IN
places the water covers the country IN one
grand lake over fifty miles across. The
town mas provisions sufficient for eight
days more. The Southern Pacific hotel is
feeding 1 900 people day:
Reports from Jakune, fIfteen miles above
here. are to the effect that the flood drove
people into the tree tops, and many be-
coming exhausted from cold and hunger,
dropped into the water and were drowned.
REPORTS from reliable sources put the loss
of life in the valley anywhere from 30 up
to 100. All along the valley for 2o0 miles
everything is desolation, houses, harms
and stock have been carried away by the
flood. leaving the country here as desert.
Eight miles south of here, where 5000
Cocopah Indians live. the country IL
flooded eighty miles square. As there are
no hills for refuge, il Is reported that over
-r skoxn hoor. drnw ned