The Springfield herald., 1897-07-16
BIG DAM GIVES WAY.
A CATASTROPHE NEAR WARD.
As Result of the Break Mrs. Matthews
and Her Child Are Drowned-Great
Damage Done by the Flood.

Damage Done by the Flood
Denver, July 1O-A special from
Ward, Colorado, to the Republican
says:
The reservoir of the Left Hand
Ditch Company went out at noon to-
day, causing the death of two human
beings and the destruction Of cOnsid-
cradle property.
The reservoir was located at Left
Hand park, four miles west of Ward,
and Its waters We're used for the irri-
CATION OF many fine farms in the val
ley around the mouth OF Left Hand
canon.
The first intImation that the banks
OF the reservoir had succumbed to the
great quantity of water stored there
in, largely augmented by IL heavy
rainfall of the past twenty-fOur hours,
was manifested to William Lowrie, an
employe of the Dew Drop Company.
Lowrie, on going to his dinner, sud
denly saw little silvery mountain
stream that flows past the Dew Drop
mill transformed into great rushing
torrent.
The first rush of the water came In
pillows six feet high and increased In
volume, forming n mountain of water
at least twenty feet high. The higher
water was preceded by n wall of rocks
and other debris borne and tossed by
the irresistible force behind it as so
much chaff before the wind. The roar
of the oncoming flood of water and
debris was thunderous In tone.
Mr.. Lowrie rushed so far as possible
in advance of the flood to warn the
people In the little homes along the
banks of the stream.
The first family to hear his warning
cry was that of Thomas Handy. con-
sisting of himself, his son. Mr.. and
Mrs Major and six children, all of
whom had just sat down to dinner.
1t required but n minute for them nll
TO rush up the precipitous hill behind
their residence. and n moment later
their house, with Its entlre effects,
was borne on the crest of the wild
waves and dashed to pieces. There was
$500 In cash on hand in the house,
which was swept away with the other
property.
Near Hnndly's house was the little
home of James Mathew. Mrs. Mathew
heard the warning and grabbing her
little 5-year-old daughter. Myrtle, her
only child. she rushed franticnlly out
of the tottering house. She attempted
to cross the then rapidly rising stream.
and In an instant herself and child
We're engulfcd in the mad flow of wa
ter and quickly carried to their death.
Their house followed them down
stream for about thirty feet and
grounded on some huge boulders. This
is the only fatality so far known.
The two new boilers recently re-
ceived by the Dew Drop Company and
standing near their stamp mill. were
picked up and tossed about like toys
on the crest of the current. and car
ried several hundred yards along
These boilers weighed eight tons each
The news of the dams breaking was
quickly carried to Ward, and hun
dreds of men, women and children
went to the creek. The search for the
bodies of Mrs. Mathew and child was
at once taken up. The body of the
drowned woman was found 600
yards below the point where she was
picked up by the water. lodged under
big pile of boulders and logs. The
body was taken out with great diff
Guilty. divested of all clothing and
badly bruised.
Up to s o'clock this evening the body
of the little girl had not been found
Mrs. Mathew was married in Den
yer eight years ago to James Mathew
who survives her. She was 27 years
of age. and has two married sisters,
Mrs. Katie Woods and Mrs. Marie
Ewing, living In Altman. Colorado.
and brother, Albert Smith, in Fort
Lupton.
Every bridge between the head OF
Left Hand creek and its mouth except
the one at the foot OF Ward gulch, is
believed to have been washed out.
The roads along the creek are COM
pletcly destroyed in very many places.
The earth is washed away around the
foundation stones of the Dew Drop
mill, and the water came within few
inchs of entering the electric power
house at Camp Brainard.
A large number of eastern visitors
stood on the hill above the Ded Drop
mill, awed by the magnificent specta-
Gle of the death-dealing flood. The
roads to the reservoir from Ward are
completely washed out. and up to this
hour 1t has been impossible to reach
the site of the washcd-out dam. The
reservoir was a lake of about thirty
acres in area.
| The officers OF the company cannot
| be reached from here. The president
| is Samuel Arbuthnut, at Altoona, Col
orado. The Colorado Telephone Com
pany's poles along the creek are
washed out. breaking the communica-
tion between Ward and Boulder.