The Globe-republican., 1891-03-04
DEVASTATION.
Reports From Yuma and the ella
Valley.
LIVES LOST By The HUNDRED.
a Flood of Water Fifty Miles Across
RatiOns Running Out-Mexicans and
Indians Suffer Greatly-Damage,
S2,OOO,OCO.


1,400 people are homeless and not a
single business house remains standing.
1t is feared that hundreds of lives
have been lost in the ella valley. The
telegraph wires are down in the val
ley, and as all bridges are gone and
roads are impossible no reliable -e-
ports can be had from there.
The river above town is seven miles
wide, and below in places the water
covers the country in one grand lake
over fifty miles across.
The railroad company will not have
the blockades 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 Pa
cifc hotel is feeding Il thousand people
q day.
Reports from Jakuno, fifteen miles
above here are that the flood drove the
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
thirty to 100.
All along the valley for 200 miles
every thing is in desolation. Costly
houses and barns have been washed
away like playthings, while stock and
fences have been carried down by the
food leaving the country IS bare as
desert. Men who ten days ago were
wealthy are now homeless and paupers.
Eighty miles south of here live 5000
Cocapah Indians. the country is flooded
for eighty miles square, and as there
are no hills for refuge, it is reported
that over 100 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 stand
still. The weather is thick and threat
ems heavy rains.
The losses in this county foot up to
over S2,O0O,OO0 of which the. railroad
company viii have to suffer to the ex-
tent of S25O,OOO.
Old Yuma will never be rebuilt-the
town will go higher up the hills.
In this city the ruin has been most
complete, the Catholic church being
the only building standing on the main
street. The convent and adjoining
school stood the wear of the waves for
many hours, but finally crumbled into
ruins. The Yuma Sentinel moved its
Office four times Saturday, but finally
succeeded in getting out on time. The
Times was less fortunate and its office
and material went down in the wreck.
Fears were entertained that the fine
railroad bridge would be carried away,
but fortunately the piers stood the test,
and unless some extra heavy wreckage
should lodge on the superstructure and
cause Jam it will not be materially in
terfered with.
The officers of Fort Yuma have done
everything in their power to assist the
sufferers. Fortunately there was
good supply of tents on hand, and these
were at once placed at the disposal of
homeless families and much suffering
thereby prevented.
SnOulu De no luTIllcT IL
is hoped that there will be little further
loss and that with the restoration of
with the west sufficient
rations will be brought in from San
Francisco and Los Angeles to prevent
any serious trouble.
"A boat which arrived yesterday from
Mohawk, sixty miles up the ella river,
brings reports of terrible loss of life, all
the country being under water. The
greatest sufferers are the MeXicans,
whose entire possessions have been
swept away and who have no reserves
to fall back upon.
Mail advices from Phoenix dated Feb
ruary - say: The second rise in the
Salt river yesterday was several inches
higher than the last one. Phoenix and
Tompe had no material damage done
them. The Mormon settlement of Lehi
is nearly destroyed. The bridge at
Florence is washed away and the town
is supposed to be flooded
May Contract For Works.