The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-06-01
TOUGH AT PUEBLO.
Several Thousand People Are Rem
dered Homeless.

1eFeu h0DelSSS
Pueblo, Colo, May 31.-Pueblo was
visited last night by the worst food in
its history. Several thousand people
were rendered homeless and property
damaged to the amount of probably
$500, 000 Four breaks in the levee on
the north side flooded a large district.
While the Arkansas river was thus
coursing on its mad career, great
torrent of water was coming down the
mountain. The east approach 70 the
East Eighth street bridge was carried
away and the water main under
Fourth street bridge was destroyed
At $40 the fire alarm whistle, by
long and repeated blasts, warned the
residents on the lowlands to get out
and they did so IN a hurry, some man
zRging to carry off a portion Of their
belongings. The first break was in
the levee on the north side, just west
of Main street bridge. The efforts Of
a score of men to repair the levee
were as those of pigmies, and wider
grew the gap until it was seen TO be
useless to strive further. The water
then rushed in torrents and flooded
the entire block from the river to
Richmond avenue between Union av-
enue and Main street. Meanwhile, the
dirt approach to the West Fourth
S2eet viaduct on the north side of the
river had been slowly but surely
melting away and by $50 small
stream was trickling down the tracks
and making its way east along Fourth
street.
Hip Deep and Running MadIy.
BY 11:30 o'clock the stream was hip
deep and running madly east on First
street, carrying driftwood and debris IN
1av III, -
most impossible to wade the water. The
water commenced pouring in on the
district between Sixth street and the
river west of Main street, and in a very
short time the water was three feet
ktep and all the people in that vicinity
We're forced to leave their homes or go
up in the second story. Women and
children were taken to the waterworks
aad sat on high ground. On Sixth
UHSUfivenue small buildings south of
c etreet fell in and though there were
no passengers around the Union de-
pot. two feet of water in the waiting
room made il decidedly uncomfortable
for employees.
About 2 o'clock the water began slow
ly 70 recede, and it is believed that all
danger is passed. Hundreds of people,
men. women and children are congrega-
ted in the city hal, and the armory wait
ing until the waters go down so that
LA4Cg Cd1A ~ ~ lnSli llOiliSS, Which, VIII
be untenable for some days. Mayor
Strait issued a call TOR all men for
whom it was possible, to assemble at
the city hall at O'Clock this morning,
to begin the work of repair. The dis
astrous food vas probably caused by
the very extensive rains in the Arkan-
sas valley above Pueblo, which have
been prevalent for the last forty-eight
hours.
One Man Drowned.
A man was drowned at the lower
end of Santa Fe avenue today while
attempting to cross the water at that
point 1t is feared that several others
have persisted. All houses on Third,
Fourth, Fifth and Sixth streets are
Sect to the height of the foundations.
Weveral houses made of adobe COL
1apsed today, caused by the walls be-
ing washed out. A few minutes be-
fore II O'Clock the water commenced
running over Main street and the sud-
den rise in Water street at about this
time. soon made a river three feet
deep, running at a terrible rate from
a point above New Fourth street via
duct TO Tenderfoot Hill, below Front
street The water at the corner of
Front street and Santa Fe avenue was
nearly five feet deep and it was ut
TefSy impossible for a human being to
stand up against the terrible current
The Easements of the opera house
block, Central block, Mechanics build
ing, Central block, Mccarthy block,
Adee McMinn block, Frank Pryors,
Cans, Wilson block, Chilcott Wells
block and all the smaller buildings In
that vicinity were filled with the mud
dy torrent of water. At the water
works the flood came up and put out
the fires under the boilers at midnight,
and TO add 20 the dismal uncertainty
of the hour, the street lights went out
alsput 1890. bur came on again about
2 yIclock The basement of the city
railway power house is brimful of
w3ter and repairs will take all of to-
dlv at any rate.
Grave fears were entertained for the
Hew levee on the south side of the