The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-03-05
VICTIMS OF FLOOD.
Terrible Havoc Wrought by the In
lmdations in the ella Valley in
Arizona,
Several Hundred Human Lives
Thought to Have Been Lost in
the Rushing Waters.

YUMA Ariz, March BIN this town over
twenty-five houses are in ruins from the
flood, 1,4OO people are homeless, not sim
gle business house remains standing and it
is feared that hundreds Of lives have been
lost in the ella valley. The telegraph
wires are down into the valley and as all
bridges are gone and roads impossible,
no reliable reports can be had from there
The river above town is seven miles
wide and below the town in places the
water covers the country in one grand lake
over fifty miles across. The railroad COM
pany will not have the blockade raised for
west-bound trains for four days, and it will
be ten days or two weeks before they can
get east. The town has provisions sufficient
for eight more days and the Southern
Pacific hotel is feeding thousand people
day.
Reports from Jaquano, fifteen miles
above here, are that the food drove the peo-
pie into the tree tops and many becoming
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 80 up to 100.
All along the valley for twenty miles ev-
erything is in desolation. Costly houses
playthings, while stock and fences have
been carried down by the food, leaving the
country as bare as DESERT Men who ten
days ago were wealthy are now homeless
and paupers. Eighty miles south OF here,
where 5000 Indians live the country is
Hooded for eighty miles square, and as
there are no hills for refuge it is rep orted
that over one hundred OF them have been
drowned
The great valley OF the Colorado is one
vast sea of water as far as the eye can see
in every direction. The river has fallen six
feet six inches in thirty-six hours and is
now nearly at standstill. The weather is
thick and threatens heavy rains. The loss
in this county 1OOts up to over So 900, 900, of
which the railroad will have to suffer to
the extent of $3.50, 900. Old Yuma will ney-
er be rebuilt. The town will 20 higher up
the hills.
In the city the ruin has been most CON-
plete, the Catholic church being the only
building left standing on the main street.
The convent and adjoining school stood the
wear OF the waves for many hours, but
finally crumbled into RUNS. The Yuma
Sentinel moved its office tour times yester-
day, but finally succeeded in getting out on
the hill to-day. The Times was less tortu-
nate, and its office and material went down
in the wreck. There was a good supply of
tents on hand, and these were at once placed
at the disposal OF the homeless families,
and much suffering thereby prevented.
A boat which arrived yesterday from
Mohawk, sixty miles up the Gilla river
brings reports of terrible loss of life, all the
country being under water. The greatest
sufferers are the poor Mexicans, whose en-
tire possessions have been swept away and
who have no reserves to fall back upon.
&c Hrof woe cfr nh &c %1s
heard from, and every one fears that when
full returns are in the loss of life will
prove OF appalling magnitude. Reports
from the valley of the Colorado below this
place state that hundreds of the Cocopal
I..dians have been drowned.
They are located about sixty miles south
OF here and their tribe is about five thou
sand strong. Their villages are all on low
land, and there are no hills on which the
Indians could take refuge. An immense
number OF them must have been caught IN
the flood and swept away. The water rose
six feet in twelve hours, and came on them
almost without warning.
NO LOSS OF LIFE AT YUMA.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 1.-The report that
there has been great loss Of lie at Yuma
appears to be without foundation. General
Manager Towne, of the Southern Pacific,
has been in comm unica,ion with Yuma eli
day and he has heard nothing OF any loss
OF life. The Southern Pacific las twenty
miles of track washed out, and much of
this is floating on top of the wa.er lnr.e
hundred men are repairing the track. and
seven hundred will be put on tomorrow.
1t vii! take ten days to repair the damage
All the ranchers near Yuma were warned
in time to escape to the high ground.
MORMON SETTLEMENT DESTROYED
MAR1coPA, Ariz., March 2.-Mail advices
from Phoenix dated Feb. 81 say the
second rise in the Salt river yesterday
was several inches higher than the last
one. Neither Phoenix nor Tompe had
material damage done them. The Mormon
settlement OF Lehi is nearly destroyed. The
bridged at Florence is washed away, and
the town is supposed to be flooded. Thirty
miles of the Southern Pacific track west OF
Maricopa is under water.
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