Gilpin observer., 1904-05-26


Strauss.
The report says: The foregoing ta-
BILE Of losses between the two cities is
the result of canvass of the situation
as made by News reporter who
worked up from Greeley to Fort Col
Inns yesterday on horseback, keeping
as near as possible to the center Of the
flooded area.
1t was the first successful attempt to
traverse this section that has been
made since the flood swept fortunes be-
fore it. Even then, however, it was
necessary to swim the river and re-
turn at times through fields of mud and
mire to the highroad which runs along
the east bluff line of the valley, to
make any headway.
Estimates Of the farmers on the loss
in crops that cannot be replaced this
year range from 81, 100000 to s., ,0O0, 900,
but more conservative figures FIX tho
loss at a little less than 81 .000, 900.
The heaviest loss in crops is near
Greeley, where the vast onion fields are
destroyed.
From Fort Collins to Greeley was a
stretch of thirty miles Of fertile plant
ed land, ranging from a mile to four
miles in width, all of which was swept
and devastated Of all vegetation. No
richer farming area Of this proportion
exists anywhere, and it is hard to esti-
mate the loss in crops.
The farmers were out to-day in wad-
ing boots, collecting such household
goods as fortune had left on their
ground. Some of them lost wagon
loads of goods, which were scattered all
the way to points below Greeley. Hay
stacks from a farm near Fort Collins
we're floated intact to points below New
Windsor, A four-room frame house
was lifted bodily from the ranch Of H.
c. McClenahan, seven miles this sido
of Greeley, and deposited by the food
in q grove of trees on the farm OF Lee
Evans half a mile away. The f0od
made a general interchange of proper
ty, real and personal, that was not de-
stroyed.
Great suffering among horses and
cattle is experienced. The pasture
lands where stock ranged and kept fat
are swept clean of vegetation. Some Of
the fields are yet under water, and the
horses and cattle are imprisoned be-
yond human aid, standing in water
which, in some instances, reaches to
their bodies. Hundreds Of others
founder about in ten to thirty inches
of glue-like alluvium, which holds their
feet in its clutches until they fall.
Then they must lie hopeless until aid
comes, which cannot be for days as q
rule.
In the lower end Of the valley the
damage was worse as general thing
than 1t was above. True. the food
spread out over a greater area. but its
volume was great enough to sweep ev-
erything but the best anchored houses
5efore 1t, and that was enough. Had IL
been a wall of water thirty feet high
instead Of twelve, as was the case
when It reached Greeley. the damage
would not have been mucn more. but
there would have been q terrible loss
of life, especially at all Of the settle
ments. "A small per cent. OF the food
ed land in the lower valley was In
'beets, and some of it can be replanted.
but the farmers say it is doubtful II any
of it will be productive this year. and
IL it should be, scarcely enough 10 held
in this class to justify the effort. Tho
onions and grain cannot be reproduced.
D Melvin Kygsr, eight miles from Gree
Icy counted eleven houses that fioated
past his house within an hour and
twenty minutes. Near Kyger's home
was the dugout occupied by John
Owen, an old trapper. No one thought
to warn the old man, or perhaps no one
had time, and to-day his dugout is sub
merged, II it still stands, and he has
evidently been drowned. He was dear.