Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-06-06
IN THE PATH OF A FLOOD.
Colorado Mountain Streams Become
Destructive and Devastat-
ing Torrents.

ing torrents.
Pueblo. Col, May 31--Pueblo was
visited last night by the worst flood in
it's history. Several thousand people
were rendered homeless and property
is damaged to the amount of
probably 100000, although it
is impossible at the present
time to estimate the exact loss. Four
breaks in the levee on the North Side
and two on the South Side have flooded
the region between Eighth Street and
the river on the west in a zigzag course,
thence to Fourth and Main, Second and
Santa Fe streets, and everythln gsouth
of and including First Street, South
Side. The flooded area extends fir ON
the West Fourth Street bridge dow
through the Rio Grande yards to Union
thing west of Union Avenue from
the river to G Street, and all
west of Victoria Avenue. Stanton
and Snyder's Addition is under water.
While the Arkansas was thus coming
on it's mad career a great torrent was
coming down the mountain which
reached almost the stage of a flood.
The East approach of the East Eighth
Street bridge was largely carried away
and the water main under the Fourth
Street bridge was destroyed. At $40
the discordant notes of the fire
alarm whistle in long and repeated
blasts warned tremulous throng that
the residents of the low lands had bet
some managing to carry off a portion Of
their belongings.
The first break in the levee was on
the North Side, just west of Main Street
bridge. Efforts of a score Of men to re-
pair 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
Avenue and Main Street.
Meanwhile the approach to the West
Fourth Street viaduct on the north side
of the river had been slowly but surely
melting away, and by $50 small stream
was trickling down the Santa Fe tracks
and making it's way east along Fourth
Street. By 11:3O the stream was hip
deep and was running madly east on
First Street, carrying driftwood and de-
brls III dangerous manner and making
it almost 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 deep, and all the people in that
locality were forced to leave their
homes or go up in the second story.
Women and children were taken to the
water works and points on higher
ground.
On South Union Avenue small build
ings south of c Street fell in, and though
there were no passengers around the
Union Depot, two feet of water in the
waiting rooms made it decidedly IN
comfortable for employees.
About 2 o clock the water began slow
ly to recede, and it is believed that all
danger is past, but at the present
rate it will be some time aft
er noon before the streets are
passable. Hundreds Of people. men
women and children are congregated
in the city hall and the armory waiting
until the waters go down and they can
go to their homes, which will be unten-
able for some days.
Mayor Strait issued call for 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 flood was probably caused by
the very extensive rains in the Arkan-
sas Valley above Pueblo which have
been prevalent for the last forty-eight
hours.
A man was drowned at the lower end
of the Santa Fe to-day while attempting
to cross the water at that point. 1t is
feared that several others have per-
ished.
All houses on Third, Fourth, Fifth
and Sixth streets are filled with water,
varying from two feet to ten according
to the height of the foundations. Sew
eral houses made of adobe collapsed
early to-day, caused by the walls being
washed out.
A few minutes before II o'clock the
water commenced running over Main
Street and the sudden rise in Water
Street at about this time soon made a
river three feet deep, running at a ter
rible rate from a point above the new
Fourth Street viaduct.