The herald., 1894-06-01
AWFUL FLOOD AT PUEBLO
The Loss of Property Will
Be Immense.
Several Lives Are Lost in the
Raging Waters.
Four Square Miles of the City Are
Inundated.
In Oregon the Column b "a also Floods the
Country and Makes All Inter.
communication a Matter
OF ImpossibiIity.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PUEBLO, COL, 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
$500 900, Four breaks in the levee on
the north side and two on the south
side flooded large district While the
Arkansas river was thus coursing OF it's
mad career, great torrent of water was
coming down the mountain. The east
approach to the East Eighth street
bridge was carried away, and the water
main under Fourth street bridge was
destroyed.
At 8:l0 the fire alarm whistle, by long
and repeated blasts. warned residents
on the low lands to get out, and they
did 80 in a hurry, some managing to
carry off portion of their belongings.
! The first break was in the levee on the
north side just west of Main street
bridge. The efforts of q 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 furthero
The water then rushed in in torrents
|
river to Richmond avenue, between
Union avenue and Main street. Mean
while the dirt approach to the West
Fourth street viaduct on the north side
oi the river had been slowly but surely
melting away, and by $50 a email
stream was trickling down the tracks
and making it's way east along Fourth
street. By IL 80 o'clock the stream was
hip-deep and running madly east on
First street, carrying driltwOod and
debris in dangerous manner, and max
ing it almost impossible to wade the
water. 1t commenced pouring in on the
district between Sixth street and the
river, west of Main street, and in very
short time the water WAS three feet deep
and all the people in that vicinity were
:" forced to leaye their homes or go up ia
the second story. Women aud children
were taken to the water works and put
on high ground. On South Union ave-
nue. small buildings, south OF @ street,
fell in, and though there were no pas
sengers around the Union depot, two
feet of water in the waiting room made
it decidedly uncomfortable for the en-
ployees.
About 2 O'Clock the water began slow
| ly to recede, and it is believed that all
danger is past. Hundreds OF people are
congregated in the city hall and armory
waiting for the waters to go down so
they can go to their homes, which will
be untensble for some days.
Mayor Strait issued a call for all men
who could to assemble at the city nall at
7 a'clock this morning to begin the work
of repair.
The disastrous flood was probably
caused by the very extensive rains in the
Arkansas valley above Pueblo. which
have been prevalent for the last 43
hours.
A man was drowned at the lower end
of Santa Fe avenue today while attempt
ing to cross at that point. 1t is feared
that several others have perlshed.
All the houses on Third, Fourth,
Fifth and Sixth streets are filed with
water, varying from two feet to the
height of the foundation. Several adobe
houes collapsed today, the walls being
washed out.
few minutes before IL o'clock the
water commenced running over Main
street, ana then a sudden rise in Water
street at about the same time soon made
a river four fset deep, running at ter
rible rate from point above New Fourth
street vladuct to Tenderfoot hull, below
Front street. The water at the corner
OF Front street and Santa Fe avenue was
nearly five feet deep, and it was utterly
impossible for human being to stand
up against the terrible current.
The basement OF the Opera House
block, Central block, Mechanics build
ing, Mccarthy block, Adee Nc Minn
biock, Frank Pryor's, Wilson block,
CnlIcott Weli's block, and all the small
{ buildings in that vicinity were filled
WIN the muddy torrent OF wafer at
| the water works the fl 'od came up and
| pnt out the nres under ne boilers at
midnight, and to add to the dismal un-
| certainly of the hour, the street lights
went out az II 80. but came on again
aoout 2 O'Clock. phs basement OF the
| City Railway power house ia brimtul of
water, and repairs will take all OF today
| at any rate.
Grave fears were entertained for the
new levee on the south side OF the river
from above the santa Fe bridge to West
Fourteenth. street viaduct. Sag had
Ueen put on it part way up. aud its top
was the danger line. This WAS soon
reached and the earth began to crumble
away. Its fail was rapid aud practically
the whole work has disappeared. The
water gained a foothoid, and when it
Was master OF the situation began its
| course, running east at furious pace.
! All the land vest OF Victoria avenue was
soon a sea of water Down all the cross
street it crept, filling cellars ant base
ment. The Missouri Pacific tracks and
| the streets south were a great avenue
tor the water in its further advance east,
and soon the lots OIL both sides Of Main
street and eaat were under water.
At noon the waters we're gradually re-
reating, but nearly four square miles of
the city were still inundated, and the
use of steam pumps will be necessary to
drain the foundations OF the buildings
"a this oistfsct.
Two fatalities nave come to light. The
BODY OF an unknown man was iound to-
day two miles west OF the city. About
| 10 Q'clucg Joseph Coppa, a smeller la
| borer, with his wife and i've children.