The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-08-01
DEAD IN THE FLOOD.
Hundred Families Homeless
by a Cloudburst- Sixteen
Missing.

ST. LOUIS, Aug. L. 1Sa5.-A special
from Socorro, N. M, says that the flood
of yesterday was the greatest In the
history of New Mexico. Sixteen per-
sons are known to have lost their lives
in the raging waters. The storm began
with a downpour of rain at 2 +. M,
and after two hours of terrific rainfall,
a cloudburst struck the mountain about
five miles above the town and in less
thar half an hour after dark, gigantic
waves, bringing bricks, mud and debris,
took their devastating course through
the streets. The bridges and at least
a mile of the grade of the Magdalona
branch of the Santa Fe Railroad was
washed away, and some damage had
resulted to the main line south of the
city. OF several houses which stood near
the hannels of the Arroyos, not a yes
tige is left, many adobe houses in diff
ferent portions of the city have fallen
and others are giving way. Water en-
tered the Catholic Church and the Con-
vent of the Sacred Heart is expected
to fall. It is impossible to save the
adobe houses when one the water has
soaked through their foundations. None
of the business portion of the city is
injured, but not a dwelling house es-
capped some damage. Many of the citi-
zens nave lost everything, and at least
100 families are homeless.
FAMINE TO FOLLOW.
The city water works are partly swept
away, and a water famine will follow the
food, as it will take a week or ten
days to epair the damage. The loss
of life among the Mexican residents is
estimated at thirteen. The father and
children of ~Ignacio Duran were drowned.
His wife attempted to escape with their
three months old baby. The torrent
tore it from her arms and dashed 1t
against a barb wire fence, and she saw
it perish, Two other bodies have been
picked up, bruised beyond recognition.
Mrs, Munsey, an American woman and
her five-year-old girl, cannot be found,
and five Mexicans so far are missing.
Searching parties are out looking for
victims in the timber along the river
bank.
HEROIC RESCUES.
There was many narrow escapes. C. T.
Brown rode his horse shoulder deep in
the current and rescued the family of
j. H. Hilton as their house was falling
above their heads. Manuel Padilla, the
City Marshal. carried a sick man through
water up 70 his neck 10 a place of safe
ty. E. NJ. Keller. at great peril. breast
ed the raging torrent and rescued a wo-
man as she was being swept by. Mrs.
Myers, in carrying her sick mother to
a place of safety, was. badly lacerated
while holding on 70 a barb wire fence,
and her mother was badly injured. Rob
ert Munroe did noble work in warning
the people and every citizen did the
utmost for his n~eighbor. Many of the
fruit and the grain crop is destroyed,
and for the first time in the hundred
years settlement of Socorro county
there will be a failure. The total loss
in Socorro and the immediate vicinity
will far exceed 500, 900.
The danger is not yet passed as the
clouds are again banking up in the
mountains and many fear that the worst
is yet to come. A mass meeting of the
citizens was held and measures taken
for the immediate relief of the destitute.
The villages ofnCunba. San Pedro, San
Antoni and a settlement adjacent to
Socorro were visited by the flood, but
the extent of the damage cannot be
aseertained, as it is impossible to COM
municate with them.lH}4t4 "