Arizona republican., 1904-08-24
THE ANGRY SALADO.
River Reaches the Highest
 Point in Ten Years
It Was Further Augmented by a New Flood at Midnight - Inhabitants of the "Island" Saved Again.

The Salt river is bigger now than it has been at any time within the last ten years but not as big as it will be this morning. It was nearly a half mile wide at the Center street cross ing yesterday afternoon and was slow ly rising as 1t had been since early in the forenoon. Yesterday evening Sup erintendent Dan McDeTmott of the ca nals received a telephone message from the dam saying that a message had just been received there by tele- phone conveying the information that there was seventeen and a half feet of water in the river at Mormon Flats. Such flood will throw water oyer the dam to q height of five or six feet. It will probably cause rise of that much in the river here. It was esti- mated by MT. McDermott that the flood would reach the river at this point about midnight.
 Most of the water in the river yes te1day afternoon came from the head waters Of the Sait, though a part of it had been poured in by the Verde Per sons who were at the foot of Seventh street where the main channel is near CT the bank, said that they saw car casses of sheep and heavy logs being carried down about noon. The sheep had been caught by the advance guard of the flood for later in the day when the water was much higher nothing was seen but the ordinary debris which accompanies a flood.
 The roaring of the water could be heard as soon as one got beyond the noise of the town. One standing at he NF
 river is in flood can get an idea of the tremendous fall in the bed. Looking up the river for half a mile he can see the shining current a great many Feet higher than the point at which he IS standing. The water came tumbling down in great rollers six or eight feet high. There Is a tin house in the river bed at the Seventh street crossing. Ii is occupied by German who stood and watched the water cut him off with out any manifestation of alarm. Late In the afternoon the water was only about fifteen inches deep between him and the river bank. As soon as it was learned that another big flood was coming word was sent to the sheriff's office urging that the old man be talk en off. Last night Deputy Sherifr Os- car Roberts and Df. c. B. Richmond went down to take the German and his family off. By the time they got there the water was so deep they could not drive across. The deputy sheriff reach ed the island by swimming his horse. still the occupant of it and his family were not alarmed, though the top of the island was only three or four feet above the water. The old man refused to leave and he was told that he could stay but that his family would be taken off. A boat was procured and hauled down to the crossing and late last night the inhabitants of the island were brought ashore. This is the sec ond time that the family have been ferrfed away from their home. The first time they might have stayed with safety but they did not know it. This time to have stayed until the head of the coming flood reaches it would have been certain death. Telephone mes sages were sent to all the ranchers down the valley who could be reached. Buckeye could not be communicated with.
 It is likely that a great deal of stock will be caught in the wide river bed and cut off by the various channels.
 Word was received from Tempe last night that that flood had almost reached the railroad bridges and it was feared the M. &, P. structure would be swept away. Later communication with Tempe could not be established.
 The precaution taken by the sheriff's S office of sending out telephone mes sages precipitated a scare in the val ley below the city. Those who received the messages which were sent out in order to put those very near the river on their guard, mistook the nature of the flood which was expected and sent runners out to warn all living any where near the river. Many of those who had been aroused from their sleep left their homes and came to town to inquire at just what time the flood would be here and how high it would be. One man nearly ran his horse to death riding about the country and warning his neighbors.