Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-10-11
Another Chapter in
A SorrowfuI Story

| w. II. Stephens. of Mayfield, Ken
lucky, brother of j. +. Stephens. The
head OF the family which was strick
en- by the flood near Watrous, ar
| rived in Las Vegas Sunday evening
on a work train. Mr.. Stephens says
the first news he received Of the ter
rible calamity which had overtaken
his brothers family was contained in
a Las Vegas dispatch in the Louis
vile Courier-Journal, on October 4th
six days after it occurred. He left
the next day or on the first train af-
ter receiving the news and was great.
ly delayed in his journey here by the
flood condition which he met after
reaching the Colorado border The
gentleman states that his brother is
improving very satisfactorily. his
temperature now being about normal
Mrs Stephens is also showing consid-
erable Improvement. The little boy
of five years, who alone Of their
three children survives the flood is
perfectly well and happy and serene.
ly unconscious of the trouble which
overlook the family.
,nn N hn TIM 80 hn
flood. Mr.. Stephens said the story
was SO unutterably sad he could
scarcely go over it again.
His brother was awakened by his
wife who had been aroused by the
noise of the water rushing by the
house. BY this time IT had already
begun rising in the room where they
were sleeping. Mr.. Stephens arose
and carried his wife TO room in an
other part of the house which was
slightly higher where he laid her on
the dining table. Both were weaken
ed and wasted with the fever. He
then returned and took the three
sleeping children in, one by one. He
was so wasted with the fever and
was so weakened by these exertions
that he was scarcely able to get the
third child safely laid beside the
others. Here he said, they felt COM
paratively secure for awhile but their
security was short lived. In little
while they heard a crash in the room
which they had just left and realized
that the adobe walls were crumbling
under the rush of the waters. Almost
Immediately there was crash almost
over their heads and portion OF the
wall fell against Mr.. Stephens. He
was compelled to remain straining
under this weight until relief came.
At the same time a large timber was
dislodged from the roof and fell
across the head of the little six-year-
old daughter. They were unable to
say whether she was killed by this
blow or whether she was drowned.
but the bruises which they found
later on her head indicated that the
blow might have been the cause OF
her death.
Mr.. Stephens had lain the little
baby in its mothers
arms where she held 1t until utterly
exhausted and rendered almost un-
conscious by her suffering, her arm
relaxed and the little one rolled from
her grip and was lost in the flood.
Mr.. Stephens said that neither his
brother nor his wife could give any
intelligent estimate of the time they
waited before help came. 1t might
have been two hours or 1t might have
been four. Undoubtedly If assistance
had been much longer delayed their
lives would have been forfeited by
the exposure and suffering which
they had endured. The unfortunate
family is being well cared for at the
ladies Home. They are we'll satfs-
fled with the climate of New Mexico
and will doubtless continue their res
idence here after they are able to
consider their future. They have no
to make over the misfor-
tunes which have overtaken them.
realizing that others Jared even worse
than they. Mr.Stephens says that he
will remain with his brother and fam
lily until they are entirely recovered
from their Illness and able to care