Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-22
SWOLLEN STREAMS.
Arizona Rivers Overflow
Their Banks.
PhGnix and Other Towns Badly
Inundated. sd
A Great Deluge Expected in the Gila
Valley.
Heavy Rains on Both Sides OF the
Rockies-successive Floods In
the Ohio Valley.
Associated Press Dispatches


SAN Francisco, Feb. 21.-The Chron-
icle's special from Tempe, Ariz., says:
Salt River valley has just been visited
by the greatest flood on record. The
storm 80 general over the country also
swept over Arizona with a deluge of
rain, raising the mountain streams to
torrents and the rivers far above food
levels. Thursday morning, early, Salt
river had risen seventeen feet above the
ordinary level at point twenty-eight
miles above Phoenix. At Tempe, on
the South river the railroad
bridge was swept entirely away,
cutting off communication with Phoenix.
A little south of Phoenix the river left
it's channel and overfowed number OF
farms, cutting out the railroad track.
Many farm buildings, built Of adobe,
crumbled away. Others, frame struct-
ures, were floating off. The northern
edge OF this flood, which was about
mile wide and three feet deep, entered
the city of Phoenix, flooding out many
of the poorer families. The Territorial
Insane asylum had narrow escape
the water being banked off. The elee-
trio works were flooded, and the town
left in darkness. About one hun
dred adobe houses fell in
as soon as they became water
soaked, and large amount of personal
property was thus lost. The water did
not penetrate to the business part Of
town, which is built on high land.
Measures for the relief of the needy
have been taken. The churches and
public buildings have been thrown open
to the shelterless, and a subscription
started for their benefit, but many fam
lilies are still without protection. The
river began to fall Friday afternoon, and
has nearly reached the normal point.
The loss is not less than $125, 900,
Of which one-third will fall to the rail
road company. About five miles of
track was washed out, and bridges de-
stroyed. They will be at once replaced.
The first boat crossed the river to Tempe
this morning, and the ferry will soon be
running. The telegraph wire is now
being stretched across the river, and
will be working tonaosrow. The dahd-
ages to canals IN the valley are hot
-great' and they will soon be working
ing near Lehl, twenty miles east
known to have been drowned,
though it is believed white man and
his family living on an island north of
Phoenix, perished. Much damage is
feared on the Gila, as the Salt river,
Aqua Fria and Hassayampa all empty
into it, and all are very high. The Gila
valley will surely be flooded. Acting on
the suggestion OF Governor Irving, the
legislature appointed a committee of
each house to take action for the relief
of the destitute.
HoLBRooK, Ariz., Feb. 21.-A disas-
trous flood is prevailing here. The Lit
tie Colorado is very high, and overflow
ing its banks in places, and changing
its channel. The railroad is washed out
in several places, causing the track to
be moved, and trains are DELAYED. All
the streams south of here are un-
fordable. Stages are unable to make
their trips, and mails are accumulating
here for points south. The Gila river
is higher than ever known to be. At
San Carlos the telegraph line is in the
river, and communication is cut off
from the south. The flood at Globe
City destroyed several dwelling houses.
William Middleton, an old and much
respected resident of Globe City, was
drowned in Pinal creek, which flows
through the town.
YUMA, Ariz., Feb. 21.-The weather is
stormy. The track twenty miles east of
Yuma is under water. The Colorado
and Gila rivers are rapidly rising. At
Yuma there is danger of disastrous
inupdation