Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-03-02
ONE CENT.
ARIZONA'S AWFUL FLOOD
Hundreds of Lives Lost in the
Gila Valley. -.
A RIVER FIFTY MILES IN WIDTH.

Many People Driven Into the Tree Tops.
Exhausted by Cold and Hunger and
Drowned by the Raging Icy Waters
Into which They Helplessly Plunged.
YUMA, Ariz., March Q Over go houses
are in ruins in this place, and i,400 people
are homeless It is feared that hundreds
Of lives have been lost in the ella valley
No reliable reports can be obtained from
that locality, as the roads are impassable
and AL the wires are down. Above Yuma
the river is seven miles wide, and below the
town the water covers the country in one
grand lake over fifty miles across. Owes
1000 persons are being fed daily at tht
Southern Pacific hotel, and the town has
provisions sufficient for eight more days
The blockade OF west bound trains, Il "a
expected, will be raised in about four dasa
but il win be at least two weeks before
they can go east.
Dozens of Lives Lost.
Reports from Jakuno, fifteen miles above
here, are TO the effect that the food dirve
the people into the tree tops. Many 0cs
came exhausted from cold and hunger bx.
fore the flood abated and dropped into the
water and were drowned. 1t is estimates
that anywhere between thirty and hun
dred lives were lost in the valley. Desola
tion reigns supreme all along the valley.
losses Nearly Two million Dollars
Every house on the hills has been thiowm
| open 60 receive the homeless and hundreds
| are quartered in tents and ia the old gov
| ernment buildings. The merchants hnve
| opened their goods in the streets in or.ier to
| help the sufferers The water Is still high
for 300 miles east Of this point, and as aU
of this must pass hers many fear that tIss
worst is yet to come, especially il there
should be any further rainfall. The lossea
in this county will foot up nearly g., GOO t1o.
and the damage suffered by the railr0afH
company viii amount 10 more than $40,
600, The common loss has brought ala
classes Of citizens together and all bave
worked with will, first in trying tn ss1v@
the town by constructing rude ievec, and
when that effort proved futile, in saving as
much as possible from the ruins. The Ola
town viii probably not be rebuilt, as both
merchants and residents viii erect aheix
stores and houses on the hills in order IA
be out of reach Of any further damage.
TerribIe Loss by Drowning.
boat which arrived from Mohawk
sixty miles up the Gila river, brings re-
ports OF terrible loss OF life all the conn-,
try being under water, The greatest anl
ferers are the poor Mexicans, whose entirc
| possessions have been swept away and
who have no reserves TO fall back uu
! There is yet a vast stretch OF territory 10
be heard from, and every one fears than
) T'sen full returns are ID the loss Of iife
will prove of appalling magnitude Fsn.
] ports from the valley Of the Colorado bss.
J low this place state that hundreds Of the
} Cocop1h Indians have been drowned Thew
are located about sixty miles south OF here.
and their tribe Is about 5000 strong. Thesn
| villages are all on low land, and az there
are no hills ON which the Indians could
take refuge, an immense number of them
must have been caught in the flood ansE
swept away The water rose sixty feet i'm
twelve hours, and came on them aln,ar,e
without warning.
journalism Under Difficulties
In this city the ruin has been most COM
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. bua
J finally crumhled into ruins. The Yunef
Sentinel moved it's Office four times yester-
day, but at last succeeded in getting 0Nf
; on time The Times was less fortunsts,
and its Office and material went down 10
the wreck Fears were entertained tliah
the fine railroad bridge would be carried
away, but fortunately the piers stood the,
test and unless some extra heavy wres.h-
age should lodge ON the superstructurs
and cause a jam it will not be materials
injured. The officers OF Fort Yuma bav&
done everything in their power to ASSIST
the sufferers, and fortunately there was a
good supply Of tents on hand, and these
were at once placed at the disposal OF The.
thereby prevented.