Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-08-14
GRANT COUNTY FLOODS.
Wagon and Foot Bridges Swept
Away--PTopsrty Damaged.
~LIGHTNlAG'S FRANKS.

From the Silver City Independent.
The heaviest rain which has visited
this section since the one which re-
suited in the disastrous food of July,
1896, commenced falling between 9 and
10 O'Clock Sunday evening and contin-
ued a steady downpour until nearly
daylight Monday. The fall was gen.
eral throughout the country, and Silver
City again suffered loss.
The lain fell in the mountains back
of town for quite a little while before
it reached here, and it Vas onlya little
while until the flood waters came tear
ing down the Main street gulch. For
six hours on immense volume of water
filed the channel, and while it did not
reach the height which it has on sev-
eral occasions, it came so steadily as
to render that part of town a of
desolation. About IL o'clock the
wooden wagon bridge broke from its
fastenings and was carried down the
torrent. A couple of 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 the waters
since 1872, 5oing with it. 1t was not
until daylight, however, that the full
damage became apparent. At the War,
rem residence, the waters had eaten
away the embankment until the wash
out extends up to the edge of the brick
sidewalk. On the next street the en-
snankment has caved in until 1t is di.
rectly perpendicular with the east side
of the o. C. Human warehouse, and
that building is consequently in serious
danger. The breakwater on the east
side of the gully, in front of the Enter
prlse office, withstood the onslaught
with but slight damage, but the new
a recently erected by the city on the
west side across Broadway was taken
out entirely and several feet of the
street washed away.
From this point down the street the
damage increased. With the abutments
gone, the waters swept in under the
corner of the Kilburn building and
took out so much of the ground that
the southeast end of the structure fell
in, and that portion formerly occupied
by the Midway pool room might be
said to be a total loss. Mr.. Kllburn
was not able to give any figures yes
terday, but $4,000 would probably be a
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 laundrymen
suffered a like fate.
On the east side the waters cut in In
front of the old Porter & Crawford
building owned by Judge c. Bennett
and he front wall fell into the street
The building has not been occupied fol
several years past. The water mair
across Main street was broken on, anc
the people of that portion of the city
are consequently without water unit
Superintendent Nichol gets matters
shaped up.
While the flood was coming dowr
quite a little excitement prevailed
Those living in the vicinity were vi
and about, and persons thought to be
in danger were aroused and advised Of
the situation. Many business men came
down town IRON their homes and wait
ed until the worst was over, fearing 9
repetition of the scenes of July, 1895
when nearly every mercantile house In
the city suffered loss. Several head OF
cattle were drowned, IL being estimat
ed by those on the ground that not less
than nine were swept down Main
street. A heavy flow of water also
came down from Chloride Flat, but be
sides filling in Yankie street with
rocks and loose sand, did no harm,
There was but little water on Billiard
street, the business thoroughfare, al
any time during the rain.
The actual amount OF damage was
small, but il is the condition which
confronts the people as 10 the future
that is serious. During the last two
years. the city officials have expended
something like $4,000 in putting Main
street into what they considered prop
er shape, and the result of their efforts
were obliterated in a 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 TO be solved. In this connec-
tion, II was fortunate that the new