The Springfield herald., 1905-09-01
VERY BAD CLOUDBURST
STRIKES LAS ANlmAs COUNTY
Nine Lives Reported Lost Coal Min.
ing Camps of Tabasoo and Bcr-
wind Swept Away.


Denver, Aug. 25.-A Republican spe-
cial from Trinidad last night says: BY
cloudburst one of the heaviest that
ever fell in southern Colorado, Rhode
canon, dry arroyo in which nestle the
towns OF Tabasco and Berwind, was
transformed yesterday afternoon into
rushing torrent Nine lives and hun
dreds of thousands of dollars worth OF
property were lost in the flood. The
heaviest losers were the Colorado Fuel
and Iron Company and the Colorado &:
Southern Railroad Company. The
towns of Tabasco and Berwind are
camps of the Colorado Fuel
and Iron Company. The lat
ter was almost swept away. The peo-
pie killed in the flood were Austrians
and Italians, employees of the fuel COM
pany.
Because of the fact that telegraph
and telephone wires were laid low by
the great rush of water it is almost i'm
possible to furnish detailed account
Of the disaster and the estimate of nine
killed is made only on such facts that
can be secured in Trinidad tonight.
Crowds of people from this city have
gone TO the scene of the flood and are
tonight working with the survivors
from Tabasco and Berwind searching
for bodies. Late tonight, water was
still running in the canon and this with
the congested condition of the wreck
age, makes the work of the rescuing
parties most difficult.
The district which suffered from the
flood lies about sixteen miles north of
Trinidad. Rhode canon is a deep ar
roya. Through its center is n creek
which during the greater part of the
iS IpN hnf
since the towns We're founded there by
the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company
has there been more than few inches
of water in this creek. Many times
have disastrous floods reached the re-
sion about Trinidad. but this is the
first time so far as known, that cloud
burst has visited Rhode canon.
At the south end of the canon is sit
uated the town of Tabasco, which was
the first one to be hit by the flood. One
mile distant at the north end of the
canon is the town of Berwind. When
this town was reached, the flood had
almost spent itself and the damage was
nominal.
Through the canon runs the line of the
Colorado & Southern railroad and the
track bed lies low. The coal mines of
the Colorado Fuel G Iron Company are
scattered between the two towns, and
at both camps are extensive coke
ovens.
In building the towns. the Colorado
Fuel and Iron Company looked carefully
TO the comfort and safety of their en-
ployes, and the homelike houses of the
laborers We're twenty feet removed
from the bed of the canon on the high
est ground in the vicinity.
II about 4:25 o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon. while the inhabitants of the
town of Tabasco were engaged in their
daily occupations, the cloudburst oc
CURED and before the busy townspeo-
pie had time to realize that anything
was amiss a wall of water thirty feet
high rushed madly down the canon
sweeping everything before it.
Tracks of the Colorado & Southern
railway were torn up and contorted
from point above Tabasco into the
town of Berwind. Many of the rail-
road bridges were uprooted and borne
down the canon on the breast of the
wave. Coal and coke cars sidetracked
along the route when struck by the
wall of water careened and were left
imbedded in the mud. Forming break
waters. these trains caught debris
against which the wild waters tumbled
and foamed. The water was caused to
wash into the sides of the canon, tear
ing away tons of earth.
1t is impossible at this time to esti-
mate what will be the loss to the rail
road company, but it is known that it
will be heavy. as every inch of the
roadbed struck by the flood will have
to be regarded and new route possi-
bly, will have to be found for the
tracks.
The mines and coke Oveuc of tho
Colorado Fuel and Iron Company all
were located at a high point that was
not reached by the wall of water, and
for this reason the loss to these will
not be great. The water, however, ap-
preached near the mines. and had the
wave been few feet higher it is said
the mines would have been flooded and
the loss would have been very great.