The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-06-09
The Floods in Colorado, Oregon, Wash
iHgtOn and British Columbia.
Immense Loss of Life and stoek-Farm-
ing Land Swept Away or Drowned
Heartrending Details.


Heartrending Details.
VANcouvER, b. c.. June 2, via seattle.-A wild
waste of waters still whrls and roars through the
| valley Of the Frazer Historical landmarks OF the
highest floods have been reached, and still the river
rises fed by freshets from what were but only
streams day or two ago. In the Frazer Valley the
ruin is complete Mission Bridge still stands, but is
today showing signs of weakening. II is a mile
long and over it the traffic for the United States
passes to the south.
The water is now a few feet from the bridge
proper and should it reach the body of the structure
the immense masses of debris which will be hurled
against the supports will sweep them away. If this
occurs the loss will be very serious TO the Canadian
Pacific Railroad 1t is estimated that the Hoods
have damaged the railroad to the extent of sI5OOO
ND to the present time Ifno further breaks occur,
there will be ten washouts forty miles OF track
between Mission City and Ruby Creek, many of
them impossible to repair until the water has sub
sided.
Nothing is known of the condition of the road
beyond Ruby Creek east as the wires have been
down since May %. with no immediate prospects Of
their being repaired. The first train east from here
will leave today, and an attempt will be made TO
transfer passengers by steamer. The Canadian
Pacific Railroad authorities are housing and feeding
bloodhound passengers, and have attempted to Sc
cure them passage over other roads. which. how
ever take passengers subject to delay on account OF
washouts. The passengers being well cared for.
The first mail for ten days will arrive from the
coast today via Ruby Creek and the ferry-the only
means of communication with the outside world
now being over one shaky railroad, which runs to
Seattle.
In Sumas Prairie the Indians sent out in
canoes under contract of IS an hour, where white
man dare go, fix telegraph wires They nailed
scantlings to l4-oot poles and restrung wires over
the prairie Yesterday word came that the waves
were washing over the elevated wires, and the In
dians present engaged in mailing more scant-
ling to poles to elevate the wires another two feet
The Canadian Pacific road today sent gang Of
telegraph operators TO the line, one lot 10 tap
wire at Ruby Creek and another at Mission, each
side of the break, and thus reduce the tremendous
accumulation of telegraph business here. The dan
ger ola meat famine is not over, and at present
there is a great scarcity of the article Yesterday
the butchers of Vancouver sent dispatches to Gtta
wa and received the following reply:
lowing TO the beef famine in British Columbia
caused by suspension of railway communication,
the government has passed order in council per-
hitting the importation of cattle into the province
from the United States, TO be slaughtered immedi-
ately upon arrival at the boundary. in slaughter
houses provided and supervised by the city,"
The procuring of the cattle, however, is another
question. From Washington state the answer comes:
"An roads are blocked by floods from Oregon. Can
promise you nothing at present"
The flour supply is also very low, and in districts
that cannot be conveniently reached numbers of
ranchers are said to be in starving condition. The
local government is sparing no pains expense in
works of public charity and the Dominion govern
ment has also allowed tugboat to be put at the
work of rescue In spite of every precauton there
is no doubt that when the subside there will
be disclosed many sad stories of death from starva
ton or floods.
At New Westminster hundreds of ruined ranchers
are being housed by charitable citizens, while con-
cers are being arranged and petitions widely circu
lated for the immediate aid of the sufferers There
is golden lining to the dark cloud, however. Sew
eral small rivers have been diverted into their an
cient channels and at the subsistence of the water
it is expected rush will be made by miners to the
empty river beds The mountain torrents are ex-
pected to bring down great quantity of gold. Can
ners profess to be jubilant, a great salmon run
like that after the floods of 1882 will surely be re-
peated.
TACOMA WASH, June 2,-Ninety-fiye miles of
Northern Pacific Railroad track between Horse
Plains, Mon, and Hope, Idaho. are under water
Hundreds of farms along Clarks Ford, never flooded
before are under from to feet of water. Settlers
rushed to the high lands, but hundreds of horses
and cattle were drowned.
BRIGHroN Col. June 1.-The river at this point is
gradually rising and is now one TO six feet deep
over thousands of acres of grain which will be en-
tirely destroyed.
MANIToU, Col, June q The storm which ended
last night was the heaviest ever recorded by the
Government Signal Service Bureau on the summit
of Pixies Peak. There is seven feet ofsnow on the
top of the mountain.
PUEBLO, CoL June 2-Three bodies were found
this morning all men. They have not yet been
identified One man standing up in his house
the water having carried enough mud and gravel
with it TO literally plant him against the wall The
number reported missing still continues to grow.
NJ j. Stewart his wife, brother, and three children
were caught in their home. The flood carried the
house away 1t was finally anchored among some
trees.
The three grown people climbed out into the
branches carrying the little ones with them. They
were in the treetop for thirtysx hours before they
were rescued this morning at O'Clock. All were
in terrible condition and utterly exhausted. 1t is
believed that the woman and two children will die.
There are now four bodies in the morgue. Three
bodies are in an undertakers establishment.
DENVER June 1.-The flood along the Platte is
have not yet been able to reach their dwellings.
The charitable societies and many individuals haze
been relieving the distress.
Mayor Cowie estimates the loss in Boulder at $3.50,
900. No lives were lost, but one man became vio-
lently insane and had to be locked up in the county
jail.
Reports from up the canon come in slowly
twenty houses at Copper Rock, three at Sugarloaf,
every building at Jfmtown the entire dozen houses
which constituted the town of salina and the town
ofCrisman were swept completely away.
In Left Hand, Glendale. Sunset and springdale
number of dwellings were destroyed. Many mines
at Magnolia and Ward were filed with water and
debris. At Loveland the home supply dam went
out which will deprive $1,000 acres under cultiva-
ton of water.
The railroads find the damage greater than they
had imagined The Gulf road Jared the worst.
The Union Pacific management cannot yet esti-
mate the losses upon the South Park road, but the
line is in terrible condition and trains will not be
running until next week.
A heavy storm occurred this afternoon at Platte
Canon, and another rise in the Platte is expected
tonight. At Lyons the Burlington lost its tracks,
yards and depot. Between Longmont and Lyons
but little track is LEFT.
James Murden, contracting freight agent for the
Union Pacific arrived in the city this evening from
Central City, having walked down the canon to
Golden.
He says that every mine in Gilpin county is
flooded, excepting those on Quartz Hill. Prominent
mining men there estimate the loss to be at least
s5OOOOO 1t will be fully ten days before trains can
reach the camp.
VANCOUVER, B. c., June Alive million dollars
will hardly the loss by the Frazer River flood
The waters are still rising and as the warm weather
continues melting the snow in the mountains there
is M immediate nrnsnect of beginning the work of