Arizona republican., 1901-09-13
GHosrLY WEATHER SHARP
The First Hint of the Flood on the
 San Pedro.

Col F.. r. GrIndell, commanding Foit Lowell. arrived in the city yesterday. Col. Grindell reports season of desue- tude at the fort. He has gone out of the chicken business. The population of the post and vicinity, embracing about 200 souls, can rot be said to be engaged in any productive occupation. They live by stealing from each other and thus healthy circulation of port able property is maintained. It would naturally be expected that the sub stance of the community would be worn away after a while, but some or the Mexican residents work now and then on nearby ranches; some of them have a little money, the legacy of more industrious days. so that there is an intermittent influx of prosperity from the outside.
 The late flood on the San Pedro. Col. Grindell said, was the greatest that had ever been recorded at that point. None of the old timers had the hardihood to say that they remembered greater one back in, say, 1s--. They say that the nearest approach to the late fioo1 was one which occurred the year the fort was abandoned. The river did not get so high then, but it rained more at the post Many of the adobe buildings were ruined. and that was one but not the prime reason for the abandonment. The first was that a post at that point was not needed. It would. however, have been undoubtedly maintained fog a time at least but for the Wham rob bery trial at Tucson, in which the de- fendants were acquitted on account If the overwhelming sentiment in Tucson in their favor. That sentiment found expression on the night after the yer dict was rendered in a bonfire and other expressions of rejoIcIng over the | fact that the government had been un- able to recover the S30,cO which hal | been stolen from an army paymaster | by sturdy and honest citizens who had | braved the peIils of the desert and the Apache to build up an empire in the west. Tucson believed that it was proper that the advance guard of civ ilization should be remunerated, an1 nobody was SO well prepared to remun- crate as the government. The govern ment resented Tucsons liberality at its expense and so decided to dismantle the post which had for years been Tue ! sons chief source of revenue. It was q good time to dismantle it. The rain had already started the job. It was an opportuHe time. for it had already [ been asked if the post was not d need less expense.
 The last flood, Col. Grindeu said. ere ated broad and deep lake near tine post by scooping out millions of to.Is of sand.
 Much has been heard of the Fort Lowell ghost, which was first see1
 about two years ago by Mexican resi- dents. It has often been seen by them since. Manr women have been thrown
 into spells of dangerous sickness, and one woman was frightened to death.
 TOT weeks before the flood the ghost
 had been inhabiting an adobe house
 which stood on the low land near ths
 river. On the night before the flood
 some Mexicans saw it all night long
 carrying away articles from the hut.
 There was shadowy p:ano and trans
 parent houssholc furniture. Near
 morning it completed the work os re-
 moVa1. carrying away lot of ghostly
 carpets. curtains and rugs. That night
 the flood swept down the river and that
 tcnantless adobe melted away in the
 first onrush.
 The MeXicans did rot see on the nigh.
 of the removal where the ghost went
 It vanished with its burdens into air
 soon after leaving the house The next
 night it was seen about a vacant adobs ; on the hill. and it has been there all most nightly ever since. The Mexica ns
 believe that as long as the ghost occu-
 pies that elevated suituation there will . be danger of another flood in the Sar Pedro. They will not feel assured ua- til it returns to the river bottom They
 have the most unlimited faith in it ., [ weather prophet. but they wouI; rather have a less terrifying. thougl ? at the same time a less reliable. U. $
 Weather Bureau service.