The San Francisco call., 1895-10-18
THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY BRINGS
TIDINGS DIRECT FROM THE
SCENE.
LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY
HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES LEFT
HOMELESS, AND MANY THOU
SAND DOLLARS DAMAGE.

satisfactory account yet received of the
great storm and flood on the western
coast of Mexico was obtained to-day at
Ensenada from Captain ]. Won Helms and
passengers of the steamer Willamette
Valley. The steamer arrived to-day and
sailed this evening for San Francisco. She
sailed from Guaymas on the Sth inst, but
stopped at Altata on the 9th, and there
particulars were obtained of the fearful
devastation in the interior along Humaya
and Tamazula rivers, and including the
city of Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa. Cap
tain Won Helms said:
eve thought we had heard of the worst
of the storm at La Paz and San Jose Del
Cabo, but vastly more property was
destroyed on the mainland in the region
of Altata and Culiacan. We reached
Altata on the 9th and beheld the fearful
scenes of destruction and suffering. 1t
made my heart bleed to see family after
family utterly shelterless, hungry and
wretched
''Some of the leading men of Altata esti-
mated the loss in that section along the
Humaya and Tamazula rivers to be about
500, ,000 but this l believe is not adequate.
1t will take years for that country to re-
cover from the fearful hurricane and
flood"
From Captain Won Helms and several
Mexican passengers on the Willamette
Valley the following details of the great
storm were learned: At La Paz forty YES
sells were driven upon the beach and
twenty-one are a complete loss. The
American schooner Car, loaded with mer-
chandise and dynamite for the Progreso
Mining Company at Ell Triunfo, is on the
beach and badly damaged.
i A total of 1S4 houses were swept away
and a man, woman and boy were drowned
Francisco Dea Gonzales, a well-known cit
izen of La PaZ, was carried down by the
river, but was saved by Felipe Manriquez,
who swan out and drew Gonzales from
the tremendous current.
Joseph Lopez is one of the heaviest
losers, having lost several houses and a
| large store. His safe, containing $1,000,
was washed down the river but was re-
covered the next day. The Governor,
Colonel Rafael Martinez, has extended all
aid possible to the victims, assisted by the
Sociedad Philantropid and by Miguel
Gonzales, merchant and capitalist who
has given relief to scores by donating
houses and provisions.
The little town of San Pedro on the
peninsula was entirely swept away. though
no lives were lost. At Palo Alto ranch,
near San Pedro, house and land were
carried into the sea and two children
drowned. The mother and daughter were
saved. The father looked on and saw his
children drowned and was unable to help
them. At the mining camp of Ell Triunfo
houses were carried away by the wind and
several people hurt.
At San Jose del Cabo the Santa Anita
River carried away nine miles of orchards
and sugar cane plantations and the Will
lamette Valley, passing that portion of the
coast on the return trip, sailed through a
sea of sugar cane washed out by the river.
narrowing stories of suffering and star
vation were reported from San Jose del
Cabo, Todoes, Santos Cabo, San Luis, San
Pedro and other little towns on the end OF
the peninsula.
At Altata, on the mainland, the people
reported that the storm began on the
morning of October l, speedily growing
into hurricane. On October 2 st noon,
with the wind from the south and south
east, the storm reached a terrific force, and
the sea entered the lower streets of the
town, covering the plaza.
At AranZubias the steamer Diego ran on
the bar and was seriously injured and
freight sacrificed. The steamer was in the
lee OF Venado Island during the height OF
the storm in company with the steamer
Romero Rebio, but ran aground at Altata
and broke her rudder post and suffered
other damage. The schooner Cometa ran
on tie rocks at Alturmura Island, and is a
total loss.
The railroad and telegraphic communi-
cation between Altata and Culiacan was
destroyed by the storm and Bebelama
bridge was carried away. Trains stop at
Navolato and Cofradia. The scene at
Altata during the height of the storm was
described as terrible. House after house
was washed away and the roofs of others
were raised by the hurricane and dashed
into the streets. The sea was lashed into
fury and the breakers dashing against
the wharf finally demolished that struc-
ture, scattering the debris all along the
beach and carrying it to sea. The sea out
side of Altata was full of timber, coming
from the houses at that town and from the
Culiacan River, indicating that great dam
age had resulted in the interior.
Pia1tla. San Ignacio, Sinalo Fuerte and
Culiacan rivers were flowing great yellow
floods into the sea when the steamer
passed that coast. and in all were masses
of debris, trees, timbers, sugar cane and
cattle.
Mayor Tavela at Altata organized re.
lief corps and is doing all he can to aid the
sufferers. Twenty houses were lost and
fifty to seventy-ive families are homeless
and suffering. No lives were reported lost
at Altata. but one woman was found
drowned at Navolato, and child at Mo.
holo. Several entire families are missing
from Navoato and searching parties have
been in the woods since the storm.
Two cables were rescued from the top OF
high trees by canoemen, indicating the
immense height of the food. Word was
received from Culiacan just before the
steamer sailed from Atlanta, a courier
having crossed the gap in the railroad be-
tween Navolato and Cofradia by swimming
the river at Bebetama bridge. He brought
the most disheartening news from the city