Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-05-26

| 49,
Denver, Col. May 21.-A cloud
burst at the head Of the Cache Ia
Poudre river caused that stream to
overflow its banks and meager reports
received here indicate that great dam
age has been caused by the food. The
rush of the food caused the dam which
holds the water Of Livingston lake, 60
miles above Fort Collins, to break and
this added volume Of water swept down
the Cache Ia Poudre. practically wipins
out the towns Of Livermore and La
Porte, respectively IL and three miles
above Fort Collins. It Is reported that
one person was drowned at the former
place. At Fort Collins the river,
which normally is about the width OF
the average mountain river. is now
over q mile wide and the Russian set
Element. consisting Of about 300 fami-
lies, IL inundated. Already number Of
the frame dwellings of these people
have been swept from their founda-
lions and sent swirling along With the
flood. In several instances the occu-
pants were unable to make their es-
cape and were carried along. It has
not yet been learned whether there
was any loss of life at Fort Collins,
but 1t seems safe to predict that there
has been. Wreckage Of houses, house.
hold goods and carcasses of dead ami
mails are being carried by Fort Collins
by the food.
From Greeley. about 25 miles east
of Fort Collins, comes the informa-
ton that a number Of wagon bridges
between there and Fort Collins have
been washed away and the Colorado
G. Southern railroad bridge at Tim
nath, about midway between the two
towns wrecked. No trains were sent
out on that line last night The Colo
RADIO & Southern from Fort Collins
to Greeley is branch line. Although
the crest of the food has not yet
reached Greeley and is not expected
until midnight, ranchmen and other
jewellers along the bottoms are NOV
ing to the high ground. The Cache la
Poudre river runs through one OF the
most thickly settled and richest agri-
cultural districts Of Colorado. A large
portion of the northern part OF the
state is irrigated from this stream and
a number of immense reservoirs have
been constructed for the purpose of
storing the water. Should the force OF |
the waters rush weaken these sufl-
Gent to cause break and release the
stored water the result could be moth
ing but disastrous.
Belleview and Wellington are under
water and several thousand acres OF
beets and vegetables have been de-
stroyed and hundreds Of head of live
stock drowned The water system Of
the city of Fort Collins has been seri-
,usly damaged and all of the irrigation
canals and bitches badly washed.
Twelve big reservoirs along the Cache
"a Poudre are also threatened with de-
,truction. s.
Rescue parties were in readiness to
cave Fort Collins with the first break
II day.
Cheyenne Also Reports . Flood.
Denver, Col, May 2l.- A telephone
Message to the Associated press from
ts correspondent ct Cheyenne. Wyo..
asst night says that the Crow river,
which runs through Cheyenne, is run
ling bank-full as result Of heavy
aims yesterday. From eight to IL
niles Of the main line Of the Union Pa
life railroad and several miles Of the
'oadbed of the Colorado q Southern
Dad have been washed out. The river
n Cheyenne has spread out over the
over sections, flooding the dwellings
md business houses.
A News special from Cheyenne re-
,eived by telephone says that six per-
I