Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-06-03
RIO CRANDE FLOOD.
Adobe Houses at Ell Paso, Tex,
Melted Away by Water.
HOUSEHOLD GOODS FLOATING AROUND
over Four Hundred Homeless Families on
the Streets and Without FOOd-The
Water Running into the
County Jail.

Ell PAso, Tex, May ss.- Yesterday
morning the river showed rise of six
inches over Wednesday night and the
water was sweeping down the river at
a terrific rate. Early in the morning
the head gate of the canal, which is
above the levee, began to give way and
500 men with logs, sacks of sand and
willow bales, were put to work to pre-
vent break at the head gate, while
about 1000 men were stretched along
the improvised levee at the other side
OF the city, where the water continued
to creep up. At three o'clock this
afternoon the head gate gave way with
a rush and a roar, the river pouring
into the canal. The fire alarm was
sounded to warn the lower districts
and in an instant the city was in such
wild confusion that for half an hour
1t was impossible to make any or
ganized effort to make another stand
against the waters, which were soon
over the banks of the canal, inundating
the territory through which it passed
on both sides.
The people living along the banks
OF the canal are the poor laboring
classes and their homes were soon I'M
der water. Fathers and mothers had
to wade through the water from their
homes, taking their children in their
arms. The houses, being in most cases
built OF adobe, melted away at the
touch of the dashing torrents and
household furniture, clothing, etc,
were floating around in all directions,
while men were at work trying to keep
the waters from crossing the Santa Fe
yards, where they would food the pas
senger depot and then pour down on
the gas and electric light works and
numerous manufacturing plants and
wholesale houses located just north OF
the Santa Fe yards.
The levee at the foot of III Paso
street broke and in short time 90 lit
tie residences in that locality were
flooded. by this time the people for
three blocks north of the food we're
moving out, and the streets were
throngedwith wagons, carts and Wheel
barrows loaded with the belongings of
those fleeing from the rising waters.
For three miles across the town and
the river front everybody is moving up
into the business portion of the city |
and to the more elevated residence Sec
tions. One hundred feet of levee on |
the Mexican side has been washed |
away, and quite number of houses
are flooded. Men are hard at work
trying to save the two street railway |
bridges. Thousands of citizens are
watching the raging waters. If the
river rises ten inches more it will food
the business portion of FL Paso.
At ten o'clock last night the food
had broken through the second levee
on Fourth street, and the waters had
advanced to Second street, causing
several hundred more poor families to
flee from their homes. There are over
400 homeless families on the streets of
Ell Paso, and large number of them
are without food, as they are laboring
people who have been fighting the
food instead of earning bread for the
past 10 days. The water is running
into the county jail and around the
Texas & Pacific depot