The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-07-30
"A GREAT WAVE
OF Water Ten Feet Nigh, sweeps
Down the Canyon.
A Cloudburst Causes an Awful Cataclysm
In Colorado Thirty Bodies So Far Have
Been Recovered From the Ruins
The Loss of Property Great.

In nColorado--Thirty Bodies So Far Have
Been Recovered From the Ruins
The Loss of Property Great.
MORRISON, Col, July 27.-At o'clock
Friday evening q great wave OF water
ten feet high came tearing down the
narrow canyon of Bear creek, carrying
everything before it. From fifteen to
twenty lives are known to have been
lost, and as the searching parties have
been out but a short time, while hun
dreds were camping along the creek,
both above and below town, 1t is inn
possible to say how many have been
lost.
All of the bridges across Bear creek
were swept away. 1t is impossible to
get across to learn from people on the
other side if any fatalities are known
over there. All the people on both
sides of the creek were out with lam
terms, travelling up and down, looking
for friends or victims of the flood or
helping to gather up property.
There was a very heavy storm up the
canyon just before the great wave came
down, but nobody considered 1T dan
gerous 1t proved, however, to have
been great cloudburst, and when the
wave came down the canyon 1t found
everybody unprepared.
GOLDEN, Col, July 27.-A cloudburst
Friday night did an immense amount
of damage. Three lives are known to
be lost and thousands of dollars worth
of property lost. The dead are Mrs.
j. F. Edwards, A. A. johnson and Mrs.
A. A. johnson.
James Bishop, so years old, was car
ried half mile down stream and final
ly caught tree, from which he was
rescued some hours later. His terrible
experience has unsettled his reason.
The loss Of property can not be esti-
mated at this time The Union Pacific,
Denver & Gulf railway loses bridge
and other property. The light and
water plants of the city are disabled.
At p. m. greenish -colored cloud
was noticed hanging above Mt. Look
out. Inside of ten minutes the worst
storm which has ever happened in this
section began. The storm continued
with unabated fury for about half an
hour. AS soon as it was safe to
venture out citizens, with the
fear that all was flooded near
the creek, ran toward the stream
and saw the turbulent waters carry
ing on its surface all kinds of debris
including barns, cabins, tents, bridges,
etc. Many narrow escapes are report
ed. The Denver, Lakewood & Golden
railroad tracks were washed out below
the town. A large number of men were
living in cabins above and below the
town, engaged in placer mining, and it
is feared that the sudden rise has swept
some of them away.
No trains will be able to get up the
canyon for some days. This will cut
off the towns of Central city, George.
tawn, Idaho Springs and other mining
camps from communication with the
outside world.
The water came down in a perfect
wall, sweeping everything before it.
1t is reported that there were several
people on the Ford-street bridge at the
time it was torn from its piling and
swept down the stream. During the
time it rained, it seemed as though the
place would be deluged.
Golden lies at the end of a canyon
where it debouches into the plains.
The water caught by half dozen
mountains came into the streets and
coursed through them, taking every.
thing of movable character with IL.
There are reports Of bodies seen In the
creek.
Bowlders three feet in diameter were
rolled down on the Gulf road. Sand
covers the track to depth of three
feet in the city. The new bridge built
two years ago by the Lakewood rail
road was completely washed out, al
were all the bridges across the creek.
Reports are out that the whole coun
try east of here was flooded and the
crops cut to pieces by hail which fell
during the storm.
DENVER Col, July 25-Satu rday
morning terrible state of affairs was
revealed at Morrison, Golden, Contra
City and other points in Colorado where
Friday nights storm ragged the hercest
Dead bodies, horribly mangled, were
discovered, and at 8 o'clock 80 dead hae
been recovered, of which 81 are IL
Morrison alone. Trains left Denver
early Saturday morning with coffini
fQr the stricken district e----
MoHBisoN, Col, July 27-A second
food Saturday afternoon resulted il
completely paraiyzing all efforts to re
cover the bodies of those lost in the de
bris of Friday nights food. The people
are worn out with the excitement ant
labor of struggling amidst the rubbish
brought down the canyon by the grea,
wall of water which Friday night
just at dark surprised the camp
, | m fa oil -
town. AT dark Saturday night p
bodies had been recovered anG
identified. The others are either buried
from sight in the sand or have beer
carried further down the sire m. ant
possibly into the Platte river. Report.
! from up the canyon bring the cheering
news that none of the people there
camping We're lost.