Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-16
THE SPANISH FLOODx
Latest Advices Toll OF the Distress in the
Stricken Districts.

Latest Advices Toll OF the Distress in the
Stricken Districts.
MADRID, Sept. I6.--Further distressing par
ticulars in regard to the flooded provinces con-
tinue to be received at long intervals. each adj
ditional report showing that the e1-
tent Of the disaster has in no way
been exaggerated. The latest informa-
ton is from Jaen, capital of the province
Of the same name Tho governor OF that
province telcgraphs that the whole commune Of
Aubeda is submerged that the damage done is
enormous, and that there has been Considera-
BILE loss of life.
CITY OF THE DEAD.
The correspondents of the Spanish and
foreign newspapers who have been able to
reach Consuegers describe it as "a city Of the
dead" 1t is wrapped in deadly silence, which
in itself is horrifying in the extreme.
Consuegers is situated thirty-fve miles
sou heast Of Toledo. and before the
food II had population of about 1000. 1t
also had number Of factories where coarse
woolens were manufactured, and boosted Of
the remains of an ancient castle and many
Roman antiquities, for Consuegers was the
carsebrum or consaburum Of ancient history.
Previous to the floods the old town presented
busy aspect. Now on every side are te rrible
signs of destruction. The rumbing Of the
death carts CRATES horribly upon the ear ns those
CHASTITY vehicles pass slowly from house
to house, from street to street, gathering q
body here and body there, heapng them
upon others already poisoning the air about
these cQuipagcs of the dead and then convey
ing their sickening loads to the common
trenches dug for their reception.
THE SURVIVORS.
The survivors of the flood as a rule stand in
groups about the ruins of their former homes
or about the places where they were accus-
toned TO earn their daily bread. and means
and cries of anguish arise from the men and
bitter wailing from the women and children as
they witness the departure. In those horrible
dead carts, of their loved ones on the way to
the public burying grounds
The streets everywhere are torn up, washed
out and filed with all kinds Of wreckage. prn-
cipally furniture the remains of down-stricken
dwellings and domestic goods Of all descrip-
tons.
Human remains. stray limbs. hcadless trunks
are sometimes seen to be protruding from
heaps OF undiscovered wreckage and half con-
cealed thereby, but painfully visible to the in
habltants OF that severely visited town.
DEPTH OF THE FLOOD.
The depth of the food at Consuegers can be
gagged from the fact that the water rose six
teen feet in the Church of ST. John the Baptist
An estimate made of the damage to property
in aud about Consuegers places the loss at
81, 500. 600, not including the money and valu-
ablos buried everywhere in the ruins of that
until recently happy and prosperous Spanish
town.
The survivors of theslisaster are only able to
give vague and confused accounts Of the rise
and onward sweep of the flooding water which
wrought such deadly havoc.
They say, however, that though the river was
noticed to be rising rapidly serious APP
prehcnsion was felt until the waters seemed
to make a sudden rush forward. threat
ening to overwhelm and eventually de-
stroy everything. Then came q wild
in hope of escaping the death which seemed
certain to overtase them.
Many climbed upon the roofs Of their houses,
hoping by SO doing to escape. but the buildings
gave way beneath them as the sudden waters
swept through the town consigning hundreds
to death in the wreckage-laden stream.
Numbers of people we're to be seen struggling
in the mud-colored water, clinging to planks.
beams, pieces of furniture, trees-anythng
they could lay hold of that would sustain
them above water. and 80 they struggled
from place to place until they either
reached secure refuge or sank exhausted to
rise no more. Some families were cooped up
| in their rooms and in danger of being drowned
without possibility Of escape, but some of them
managed to reach places of safety through the
collapse of their dwellings, the gaping walls
opening a way to safety to the terrified.
Some idea of the force of the rushing waters
can be gathered from the fact that the flood
bodily lifted from the ground the entire frame
| work of good-sized suburban residence and
carried it almost as it was taken up
for eight miles. There are numbers
of other and similar instances of the
| strength and depth OF the flood which has
plunged thousands into mourning and impov-
erished an entire country side. Twcnty-seven
dead bodies have been found in one dwelling
house.