The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1902-08-21
BIG FLOOD AT
SILVER CITY.
Main Street Now 4 Gulch Fifteen
Feet Deep AS The Result Of
Deluge.

Deluge.
From silver city Independent
Sunday evening rain fell in tho
mountains back Cf town for quite q
little while before it reached here
bat it was only little while until the
food waters came tearing down the
Main street gulch. FOR six hours an
immense volume Of water filled the
channel, and while it did not reach
the height which it has on several
occasions, it came 50 steadily As to
render that part OF town 4 scene Of
Gesolation. About II o'clock the
wooden wagon bridge broke from it,
fustculngs aud was carried Gown the
torrent. y couple o; hours later the
foot bridge went out, the large cotton
wood tree on the corner OF Broadway
and Main. to which it was fastened
and which has withstood TIE waters
since 1872, going with it. Ii was not
until daylight, however, that the full
damage became apparent. At the
/ Warren residence. the waters had eat
On away the embankment until the
washout extends up to the edge Ct the
brick sidewalk. On the next street
the emhankment had cavcd in until it
Is directly perpendicular with the east
side OF the Q. G. Hinman warehouse,
and that building is conseq dentlr in
serious danger. The breakwater on
the east side OF the gully, in front Of
the Enterprise Office. withstood the
onslaught with but Slight damage.
bnt the new one recently erected by
the city on the west side across Broad
way. was taken out entirely and sew
cral feet of the street washed away.
From this point down the street the
damage increased. With the abutt-
mcnts gone, the waters swept in un-
der the corner OF the Kilburn building
and took out so much OF the ground
that the southwest end Of The struc
turc fell in. and that portion formerly
occupied by the Midway pool room
might be -aid to be a total loss. Mr..
Kiiburn was not able to give any fig
urcs Yesterday, but e, 900 would prob
ably be reasonable estimate, as the
ground is useless, and the work Of
tearing down the building is under
way. Some small buildings owned by
the Porter estate and occupied by
Chinese laundrymeu, suffered like
fate.
on the east side the waters cut in in
from, OF the old Porter Il Crawford
building owned by Judge {. Bennett,
and the front wall fell to the street.
The large brcakwatcr erected by the
city at the lower end OF the street,
in front OF the Harry store was also
washed away.
Those living in the vicinity were up
and about, and persons thought 10 be
in danger were aroused and advised OF
the situation. Many business men
came down town from their homes
and waited until the worst was over,
fearing repetition of the scenes of
July. 1875, when nearly every mer-
camille house in the city suffered loss
Several head Of cattle were drowned,
it being estimated by those on the
ground that not less than nine were
swept down Main street.
The actual amount of damage was
small. but it is the condition that con-
fronts the people rs to the future that
Is serious. During the last two years
the city officials have expended some
thing like 1900 in putting Main
street into what they considered prop
cr shape and the results OF their efforts
were obliterated in single night.
At present there is no way of crossing
the street from one portion of the city
to the other and this is one OF the
first problems 10 be solved.
The banks of the gulch were in very
trCachcrOuS shape yesterday. and City
Marshal Brent found it necessary to
rope OF the Sightseeing crowds so
that no accident would occur. All
day long Main street was filled with
curious people, looking at the work OF
the angry waters.
Fresh vegetables always on hand
!. +. Holt.
All kinds of mining blanks at Cor
PER ERA Office.
Fire-proof lamp chimneys and pure
apple cider al De Vegas.