Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1900-04-13
A RAGING FLOOD N Texas.
LARGE NUMBER OF LIVES LOST,
The Raging River Is Far DeyssA 1os
HAwks-Tks Hig DAna In the COlOP-
ado River Has Gene Ous-A Tpats
Wrecked.

adO River Has Gene Oue-A Trots
Wrecked.
Austin, Texas. April o.-fhis city Sat
urday night wa. in pitch dArknsss. with
a raging river cns mile wide and sToilen
lar beyond its banks, roaring and surging
through the lower part OF town. having
spread destruction and death in its wake.
In addition 10 the vast lOss 10 property
interests, it 10 calculated that between W
and 40 iivcs have been sacrificed, and the
reports coming in from the tributary coun'
| Try do not tend TO improve mAtters lhe
| flood Is not unlike the disastrous Johns
| town floor some years ago. in that = rag
] ing river, already swollen far beyond Its
capacity, bore too heavily upon an i'm
mense dam spanning tbs river, breaking
ii and letting loose q reservoir Of water
~ miles long, hall . u. lie wide and w feet
deep, 10 aid IN carrying destruction down
the valleys of the Colorado river.
| The great dam in the Colorado river
gave way at noon from the enormous pres
sure OF wa,cr aud debris, and with roar
and crash swept the valley below the city,
wrecking the immense light and power
plant and drowning eight workmen. foi-
lowing IL 4 list OF known dead. including
those killed in the power house. Frank
kincet, Frank Kinney, Walter Flower,
Walter johnson, All rcd johnson, Frank
Fitzgerald, Walter Bic dssInAn. Joseph New
man, Dick Morris lcoloredl, John Proess,
Charles Burchsrd, six negroes
Great Wall Cav. way.
The crisis came sho rtly after II o'clock,
then suddenly. with . report like the roar
Of the ocean, the great wedge, rs lee,
high, 800 fect wide sud about eight feet
thick, rolled out Of the center section oI
the dam, down the face Of the w foot
fall. deep into the river below. This lsil
hanging gap in the very middle VI the
dam. through which the debris and water
nsrcely poured, whils the flood already
raging was threatening everything IN i''
path.
whites asA BLACKS Missisx.
A crowd of white people, numbering
about ~, living Just below the dam IN
tents. were seen At their habitations just
before the dam broke, and have not been
accounted for since. 1t Il generally be-
lieved that all Of them were swept away.
One man, In attempting 10 cross the
roadway leading to the bridge across the
river just as the by wave rolled down
was caught, and as be and his horse and
buggy went down with tho torrrnt and
were heard Of no more.
A family Of six negroes living In tn
valley south OF the city are known Il
, have been drowned.
Heavy Property Loss.
IL is estimated that more than l0'
houses have been do estroyed, and the los
to property will be great. the light an
power plant costing ~ 10000 The break
ing OF the dam engulfed the old wate
. companys plant below the city, and IT
tonigh, lying Is fe%t under water. Will
the city is in darkness and without watts
. wreck On Railsesa.
\ In addition to the lossss here, the In
4 terna tionAi Great Northern and II
= Austin 4 Norlhw ss,ern railroads. bot
entering this city, have suffered ssssssl!
4 the first named hA wing . serious wrec
:. by reason Of the floods. The southboun
y Cannon ball train from ST. Louis on III
. International 1 Great Northern va
+ wrecked at Mcneil, nine miles above her
, a. a result Of . washont The engir
r and cars plunged into . culvert. demolisl
d ing the engine. the mail car, baggage ca
D. two day coaches and one sleeper II
/. cars left the track . nd rolled over on the
sides in four feet Of water, but fortnnatel
b. no lives were lost, nor were any Of Il
ls passengers badly h prt-
u MIG Power Mosse Neat Osi.
). Austin, Texas. April e.--Ihe increase
II volume OF water which came down II
O. river undermined The power house At u
= dam and it fell into the river. csrryii
70 with il $500 900 worth Of machinery.
All Streams Are Ovssae~ tag.
Waco, Texas, April 9.--Reporss Of 10
h, Of life and damage eaused by floods d.
r. 10 the incos.ant rains during the pa
re three days continue TO pour In from
!. directions, indicating . repetition OF I
~ disasters Of last year. All s,r~ams,
y cluding the Brazos and Colorado. are ov'
n. flowing the iowlands and rising rapid
h. The crops Of eottPn and corn are nsaf
lie submerged. and viii have to be Fepisnt'