The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-22
GREAT FLOODS IN ARIZONA.
Lives Lost. Houses Swept Away and
Railway Communication Cut on.

Lives Lost, Houses Swept Away and
Railway Communication Cut on.
BAN Francisco, Feb. IA Chronicle special
from Tempe, Ariz, says: Salt river valley has
just been visited by the greatest food on record
The storm so general over the country also swept
over Arizona with deluge Of rain, raising the
mountain streams to torrents and the rivers far
above flood levels Thursday morning early Salt
river had risen seventeen feet above the Or
binary level at q point twenty-cight miles
above Phoenix. At Tempe, on the south side of
the river, the railroad bridge was swept entirely
away, cutting of communication with Phoenix
A little south Of Phoenix the river left the chan
mel and overfowed number OF farms, cutting
out the railroad track. Many farm buildings
built OF adobe crumbled away, and others,
frame structures, fioated OF. The north
ern edge Of this flood, which was
about q mile wide and three
feet deep entered the city OF Phoenix, flooding
insane asylum had a narrow escape, the water
being banked of. The electrical works were
flooded and the town left in darkness About
tSs waite. sSu'es soaked led through tss%
and a large amount of personal
property thus was lost. The water did not pene-
Ss to the Of the Witch ds
needy have been taken, churches and public
buildings thrown open to the shelterless, and
subscriptions started for their benefit, bat many
The river began to fall IFriday afternoon and
has nearly reached its normal point. The loss IL
not less than $125.00O, of which one-third will
fall on the railroad company. About five miles
of track was washed out and the bridges de-
stroyed. They will be at once replaced. The
first boat crossed the river to Tempe this morn
ing, and the ferry will soon be running Tele-
graph wires are now being stretched across the
river and will be working tomorrow. Damage
to canals In the valley Is not great and they win
Five Pima indians At Iehi. twenty miles cast
OF Phoenix, are the only ones known to have
been drowned, though it Is believed that white
man ps aud family Living on the island north Of
Much damage 10 feared on the ella river, as
the Salt, Aqua, Fria and Harsayampa also empty
into it and are very high. The ella valley Is
surely flooded.
Acting ON the suggestion of Governor Irwin
the legislature appointed q committee in each
house to take action for the relief of the desti-
tute.
HoLBRooK, Ariz., Feb. ola disastrous food
is prevailing here. Tue Little Colorado il very
high, overlooking its banks in places, and chang
ing its channel: The railroad is washed out
in several places, causing the track to
All streams south Of here are unfordable, stages
are unable to make their trips, and mails are nc
cumulating here for points south. The ella
river is higher than it was ever known to be. At
San Carlos the telegraph line is in the river and
communication is cut off from the South.
dwelling houses. William Middleton, an old
and much-respected resident of Globe City was
drowned in Final creek, which flows through
town.
YUMA, Ariz., Feb. 2l.-The weather is still
is under water. The Colorado and CHA rivers
are rapidly rising and at Yuma there Is danger
OF disastrous inundatiOn.