The record-union., 1895-08-01
A Flourishing Colorado Town
Struck by Cloudbursts.
THE DISTRICT FLOODED. AND MANY
TOWNS WRECKED
Three Persons Drowned, and a Num-
Der of Others Narrowly Escape tho
Same Fate-A Hotel Carried away
by the Seething Waters, the Guests
Having to Scramble to Save Their
Lives-Floods In New Mexico.

DENVER (Col.). July 31.-Adelaide. a
fourishing mining town on the line OF
the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad +,
about seventy-five miles from Cripple
Creek, was yesterday struck by series
of cloud bursts that flooded the entire dis
trict and devastated over fifty houses.
A terrible rainstorm. accompanied by
unusual electrical disturbances, began
frightening the residents about O'Clock
in the afternoon, followed several hours
later by downpour of water uuprece-
dented in this district. So far IS known,
three persons have been drowned and
swept away by the rush of water. and
many narrowly escaped drowning, to be
rendered homeless.
Those drowned are: r. NJ. Cove, Dick
Dolan and Frank Colwell.
Injured and likely to die: Mrs. Carr,
proprietress of the hotel; Lea Tracey, a
waiter, and John Watson. cook.
The first rush Of water occurred about
z o'clock and came down Eight Mile
Creek in the shape of an immense wave.
This resulted from a cloudburt at the
head of the creek, fifteen miles north of
the town. The Adelaide Hotel was car
ried away before the vast volume of
water, guests scramblng amid their ef
fects in mad rush to save themselves.
Carried along in the seething waters
were tim bers from cabins along the
creek, which tended to make the work OF
rescue more dangerous. A prominent
citizen, Hall, saved himself by cllnglng to
his floating hen-coop. Two unknown
men are reported missing and it is inn
possible to learn OF any further loss
throughout the valley. The cloudburst
was followed by second one and again
another which raZed many buildings to
the ground, including stores and resi-
dences. The damage to the town will
exceed 100000. and in the path OF the
storm it will be days before an estimate
of the damage can be made. Railroad
and telegraph communication have been
cut off from the town and the tracks are
washed away for distance or four miles
either side of the town.
A WAVE TWENTY FEET HIGH.
SoCoRRo On. NJ. July 3l.-Late yester-
day afternoon a heavy rain from the
edst met cloud from the west near
Snake Rancho, eight miles from SOcorro.
A wave twenty feet high came down the
Arroyo and submerged Chihuahua and
Cuba, two small suburbs, washing down
houses and rushing through others.
The Arroyo also broke at Spring street,
and IN tile northern part of the town lett
women and children struggling in the
water. Several drowned bodies, one
man and six children were rescued, with
several more missing. There were many
narrow escapes. Mrs. A. Mayer and
mother were washed away by the waves,
but were rescued. The family of ii.
Hilton and many others were saved with
difficulty.
Forty houses are down, with hundred
more that will fall and others badly dam
aged The water is three feet deep, and
all the principal streets are strewn with
furniture and large boulders.
Little damage was done to stores, eX-
cept to cellars and foundations. Crops
and gardens were washed away, and from
Polvadera to Lemitar the low lands are
flooded four feet deep. a bout mile of
track is damaged on the main line of the
Santa lie road, and eight more are washed
out on the Magdelina branch. The water
main of the Socorro Water Company is
badly damaged, and no drinking water is
to be had.
Hundreds of people are in distress.
The damage to the town is estimated at
100000.
FOUR LIVES LOST.
CASPER (Wyo.), July 3l.-Four per-
sons lost their lives last night in a cloud
burst which rushed down Garden Creek
Valley. Their names are Mrs. S. Newby,
her infant child and two children OF Sam
Harrison.
The water demolished the hotel and
the buildings at the head of the creek.
The people drowned were campers, and
were swept away before they could
reach the hillside. Harrison lived at
Alliance, Neb. The forge OF the torrent
was terrific.