El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-05-25
THE WORST OVER.
THE RAGING BRAVO FELL TWO FEET
AT SELDEN LAST NIGHT.
The Canal Banks Give Way Last Night And
the South East Part of the City
Catches 1t.

| There is wide spread distress and
! lamentations On the south side this
morning, for hundreds of poor people
| have been driven out of their homes
/ by the torrents, and many are so fear
| full lest the entire town is to be lnun-
dated, CT that the south side is to be
swallowed up in an earthquake that
they have gathered up their household
effects and are camping oit on the
north side as far up as Epson Avenue,
as we'll as over the city square and on
vacant lots near the Mesa.
The river has been steadily rising.
and the last rise from Selden ''struck
the country last evening. This couple d
with the south east wind sent the water
from the river with a stronger current
than ever over the submerged flats
east of Stanton street northeast OF the
bridge. The city officials and citizens
committee realized the danger and the
work was redoubled on the weak spots
in the levees. Capt. Bendy of the
hight police had warned the squatters
on the square west of the Soutn Stan
ton bridge track that the canal banks
were weak. and were likely to give
way, therefore it was incumbe on
them to get move on themselves and
do something. No, they would not.
The HON bres would say, No mas peli-
gro, no mas peligro," and then add
mo page, no trabajo." Refusing to
even defend their own homes from the
waters unless paid for it. 1t was not
until day had almost gone that some
of these people began to scent danger
aud started in to remove their goods
and possessions to a place of safety. A
heavy cain was threatening from sew
eral din ections, and it was realized
that if there was a heavy shower, the
canal banks would melt down under it
like sugar.
About $50 the first disaster came in
the giving way of the south canal bank
about 800 feet east of the Stanton
street canal bridge. This sent the
water il the canal to running strongly
in east and west and scores of Next
cans hired by the city redoubled their
labors to save The north bank. But
about 6:30 the south bank west of STAN
ton street gave way. This let the
water into the square to the northwest
of the river bridge, and it was not long
before the entire place was under
water There was great scrambling
of squatters to get off with their house
hold effects, and there was very lively
work for some time. These efforts in
Guided some very laughable inc dents,
as the women rushed to save the fam
lily pig, the family chickens and dogs
from the water. There was a great
crowd on the spot in comparatively no
time, but it was not a very helping
crowd, and the MeXicrns were as far as
could be seen left to themselves,
although express wagons were brought
into requiSitiOn by jacal owners who
had the means to resort to such con-
vevances for escape.
Supt. Martin, of the Southern Pacif-
ic, said last evening that the Forth
banks would go out surely before long,
and they did. The fire bell rang out
an alarm from the eighth district bout
midnight, and as the apparatus did not
appear, the gathering crowds repaired
to the city hall where they wee To-
formed that the north canal banks
had given way. The crowds imme-
dia,ely put for Stanton street to
find that the bank had BROKEN under
the canal bridge, and there was anoth- |
er break 300 feet TO the east. Help |
was speedily coming this time, j, A. |
Smith furnished large number Of !
sacks which were filled with sand and |
packed under the bridge which was
torn up to facilitate the work. But |
the b. eak further on could not be stop ,
lei as it was opposite the break on the |
south bank, ana the water was rushing |
in with flood.
The rise of the waters in that part of
the towu was immediate, and occu- |
pants of numb srless jaoals rushed |
Practically hither and thither in their
endeavOrs to save what they could, and +,
the sceue5 of earlier in the night were +,
with more or less intensity. 4,
This morning, when HERALD re-