The San Francisco call., 1895-10-14
HEART-RENDING SCENES
Houses Swept Away, Leaving
Many Families Without
Shelter.
STEAMERS ALSO IN DANGER
The Willamette Valley VIII Not
Arrive in san Francisco Till
Friday.

SAN DIEGO CAL, Oct. 13.-Private let
ters received here from Guaymas and La
Paz give 4 few details OF the great storm
earlv this month At La Paz on Septem-
ber 20 slight rain started in the morning,
with almost no wind, and became a gale as
the day wore on. BY P. NJ. the storm had
reached the fury of a cyclone, and Gals
Arroye de las Mendozas, running through
the southern part of the town, overtiowed
its banks.
\ small dam had been formed by the
natural action protecting the streets from
the arroyo, and this was speedily washed
away. The arroyo, which had assumed
the proportions of river, flowed through
the streets in the lower part of the town
and flooded the market-place.
House after house, adobe and frame.
crumbed and melted or tumbled as their
foundations washed out, until by dark
thirty houses were swept away and as
many families left without shelter. Some
of the largest business houses of La Paz
were in the way of the flood and several
succumbed, including large store owned
by Jose Maria Lopez. 1t was his big iron
safe that was washed half a mile from the
spot where the house stood.
The scenes among the poor families
washed out of their homes were heart
rending. as all their clothes and bedding
were lost and the rain continued to fall in
torrents, while the wind was so high that
the air was full of flying missiles.
At one time everybody in the city was
panic-stricken, as at dark the arroyo con-
tinued to rise, and threatened to flood the
entire city.
Many hastily took food and clothing,
and struck out for higher ground, believ-
ing the city to be doomed. The consterna-
ton was greater from the fact that the
creek had been dry for years. and no such
food had ever been seen. On the day fol-
lowing the food attempts were made to
get at the amount of damage done, and to
rescue many per-ons in dangeroue predIc-
aments further up the creek. The storm
still continued however, and practically
nothing was done.
Reports came in of lives lost here and
there, and several bodies were washed
into the bay and there recovered. So far
can be learned there was no tidal wave,
all the loss resulting from the sudden and
extreme rise in the arroyo, which has its
source in the high mountains and runs
rapidly downward 10 La Paz.
AT the time the letter was sent, Just
after the storm, rumors had been received
at La Paz of damage and loss of life at San
Jose del Cabo, Todos, Santos and other
little towns on the end of the peninsula,
but nothing definite was learned
a letter has also been received from one
of the officers of the Mexican gunboat
Oaxaca, at anchor in Guaymas Bay, de-
scribing the fearful hurricane and express
ing fears that the steamers Diego ard
Mazatlan have been lost. He says the
steamer Willamette Valley, due at Quay
mas Oh October 4, did not arrive until the
Sth after a terrible experience along the
coast in the gale. The Willamette Valley
Is, therefore, not expected to arrive in San
Francisco before the 18th inst. She is due
at Ensenada on the 10Th