The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-26

DENVER. Colo. July 25.-The cloud
burst in the foothills west of Denver
last night, resulting in floods in which
twenty-nine persons are known to
have been killed, was followed this
afternoon by another terrible storm.
which has seldom been equalled in this
vicinity.
About 1870 p. m. dark clouds gathered
in the northwest and rapidly rolled
toward the city.
A little before o'clock rain and hail
began to fall furiously.
According to Weather Observer
Brandenburg, seventy-hundredths of
an inch of water fell in ten minutes.
beating all local records. The down
pour continued with somewhat dimin-
ished severity for half an hour, and it
rained at intervals all the afternoon.
The storm was accompanied by fire.
Quent
SEVERE FLASHES OF LIGHTNING,
but so far as yet known there was no
/ loss of life in this city and the damage
was confined principally TO the break
| ing Of window lights and the destruc-
ton of growing crops. The storm
! played havoc with flowers and shrub
| berry at the city park and various
| greenhouses throughout the city suf-
! tered severely.
! At Morrison, seventeen miles from
Denver, in the foothills. where twenty
two persons were drowned in the food
last night, people were terror-stricken
when they saw the second storm ap-
preaching this afternoon.
/ Hail began to fall soon after 1
o'clock. The storm continued with
steadily increasing force until nearly
o'clock. when a black cloud of I'M
usual density began to gather in the
vicinity of Mount Vernon, a few miles
| from Morrison. There the cloud burst
and in an instant
A WALL OF WATER
came down the gulch fully six feet
higher than was ever seen before.
Everything in it's path was washed
away. The raging torrent carried
along with it houses, barns, trees and
| debris of all kinds. The flood in this
gulcn last evening was but light COM
pared to this. 1t is hoped, but it is
by no means certain, that the resi-
dents and campers in the gulch, re-
alizing their danger. had all escaped
to places of safety before the flood
came. Every house in Morrison is
flooded, water having spread out all
over the place. Rain is still falling
furiousIy and the elements are making
such an uproar that it is impossible
to move around to judge just what
damage has been done. Below the
town there has been searching parties
along the creek seeking for the I'M
recovered bodies of the dead in last
nights disastr, and there are fears
that members of these parties have
been caught in this last tidal wave.
Morrison is indeed
A STRICKEN CITY,
and fear is expressed that the end is
not yet Families are afraid to oc-
cupy their homes, not knowing at
what time they may be overwhelmed
in a flood. Happily. the rumors of
greater loss of life than that already
reported in the floods last night at
Morrison, Golden and Mount Vernon
have not been confirmed. The dead
number tWenty-nine, there being no
changes in the lists telegraphed last
night and today.
Numerous parties from Denver
camping out at Evergreen, Idlewild,
Idledale and other places in the noun
tainS near Morrison, are safe. Many
hairbreadth escapes and thrilling
rescues are reported. OF the
TWENTY TWO PERSONS DROWN
ED
at Morrison, only thirteen bodies have
been recovered. Some may never be
found, having been carried away many
miles down the stream and buried
under debris Mrs. A S. Proctor and
her four children. Mrs. T. F. Casey
and five children, Mrs. Anthony HERES
and four children, Annie Hansen, SER
want, and Thomas McGough, a cousin
of Mrs. Casey, eighteen in all, were
living in large cottage on the banks
of Bear creek. A great bank of water
struck the house before the occupants
realized their danger and carried it
bodily away. All the inmates persisted
except Irene Proctor, aged 10, whose
long hair caught in the driftwood, hold
ing her uncH aid came.
J. G. Longnecker's house was washed
away and dashed to pieces against a
rock. Mr. and Mrs. Longnecker and
three of their children were thrown
high and dry on a hillside One child
was drowned. One of those saved was
badly injured, but will recover. The
WALLS OF BEAR CREEK CANYON
at places rise almost perpendicularly
!, 500 feet and nearly every summer it is
u the scene of a flood. but in spite OF
, the danger it has been a favorite re-
sort for Denver people.
g The damage to the Denver & Rio
: Grande and the Santa Fe and the
main line of the Gulf railroad will be
n quickly repaired, but there are ex-
S tensive washouts on the Cuffs branch
i in Clear Creek canyon and on the
e Florence & Cripple Creek road.
r
d LIST OF THE LOST.
!. DENVER, July 26.-As far as can b
: ascertafned up to- o'clock this morn
d ing the following is the list of person
D whose lives were lost in the grea
), floods that swept down upon the town
: of Morrison and Golden in the foot
5 hills near Denver last night:
In, III n.ir.r,rn 1Ir.n