El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-06-01

fOunQ ABOUT passed through the
flooded district of Ell Paso this morn
ing and gazed upon the wreck, ruin
and desolation caused by the overflow.
Whole blocks of houses have sue
cumbed to the waters and many OF
these before the flood were good large
buildings and we'll furnished. More
than sthis, many of the people did not
succeed in getting their furniture out
of the buildings before they fell in and
those people were there this morning
digging around in the ruiLs and pick
ing out pieces of furniture. The actual
value of,.the loss to ,the people of
that section will never be known.
Down in Forestville many of the
people who were driven from their
homes by the high water did not sue
coed in getting out even half of their
furniture and in some instances costly
pianos were left in the houses aud are
there yet. The ground became so soft
after once overhown that wagon
could not pass through the streets and
bring out heavy pieces of furniture, so
the heavy furniture had to be left be-
hind.
Mr.. Briggs is one of the heavy suf-
ferers from the flood. Everything he
had was lost, except a small frame
building on one part of his lot. His
green house Is unuer water ana many
rare plants are ruined while lot of
fine chickens were lost. Mr.. Briggs is
now camping out near the Mesa school
house.
Several of the MeXicans employed on
the levee work about the Guy sta LED
in to strike This morning for d raise of
wages, but they had no sooner spoken
thaa parties began taking their names
down and tJld them that the free
grub would be stopped. This brought
them to their senses and they returned
to work at 81 per day. They wanted
81 80 and many of them were then work
ing to save their own houses.
There is much talk as to the best way
to eXpend the $4,000 that has osen APP
propriaLed by the general government
and the state government for the flood
sufferers OF this city. Inc cOncenSuS
of opinion is that it would be best to
devote that amount to eXtending ID
levee from Stanton street east. with
this and a less amount from the city
and county levee could De built that
would forever protect Ell Paso from
further floods.
The dam across the canal near the
headgate was not completed last night
and IL will take all day to fill up the
gap. The dam That Is beng put in
will be permanent and will connect
the Santa Fe Ievee with the foot hill.
This Will cut the canal out of the city
and stop ali future trouble from that
direction. The canal Itself has been
the cause in most every instance of the
ievee breaking and letting the water
in on the city and the feeling Is strong
against allowing 1t to further endapger
property 10 the city limits. The first
break near the litLIe smelIer was caus-
ed by the waters of the canal weaken
ing the levee, and the break last week
under the stanton street bridge was
from the canal. The overflow of the
banks near the headgate let the water
into the city in torrents and Cd used the
most serious damage.
The levee that is being put up by
the city in the second ward VIII be
completed today and the current
thrown further east. The levee runs
from the corner OF Flnnigan's hide
house east on Seventh street 10 Stanton
north on Stanton to Sixth and thence
east on Sixth and across lots to Flor
ence street. Most of the water now
running into the second ward comes
IN through the gap on Florence street,
and a strong levee is being built across
that street 10 connect with levees and
high land east. When the gap is filled
up 10 more water can run IN there and
by cutting ditch across the L. & p.
track the water standipg there can run
out to the east.
Boats and frogs are springing up
from every point in the second ward.
People who formerly used buggies are
now taking to skitfs. The boats are of
all varieties from skitf. to d bAteaux
and even catamaran. are being used.
The East Ell Paso levee stood through
all the nigh water OF last week. The
water that caused the flood in East
FL PasO last week got around the
west end OF the dam near the T. & p
track.
A Mexican from the other side took
it into his head 10 ''snoot up'' old Fort
Bliss yesterday, and scare up the new
Inhabitants there, but before he did
much shooting he was run in and now
languishes in jail.
Many Mexicans from the other side
are trying to get to this side of the
river since they have heard of the
money appropriated by the govern
ment for the flood sufferers. The
river guards watch c.osely ard turn
all those back who are not adm sable
under the immigration laws.
Some tequila is being smuggled
across the river near old Fort Bliss
and is causing some drunkenness up
there among those who are being fed
by the city.
A couple of Missouri youths, who had
been presented with Yin wagon, a rec
and a piece of garden hose, became
am bilious to shine as firemen. After