Arizona republican., 1905-11-28

wooden structural work that was put in temporarily to replace one of the steel spans that was taken away by the flood of last spring The M. & P. bridge that suffered was the old wood en structure that stands, if it does still stand, just above the new steel bridge The approach at the western end of it was destroyed early in the morning together with the Western Union and railroad wires and telephone wires that still crossed the river on the old bridge. The greatest fears concerning this in- cident were that the big structure would fall and work the ruin of the new bridge just below. About dark last night, a span in the middle of the old bridge went out and about 2 o'clock the span at the north end dropped into the stream and went down. The M & F. steel structure was still intact at last reports but there were fears that the north approach to it would be gone this morning. At last report the water last night was within two or three feet of the bridge. When the story was given currency yesterday that the Gila bridge on the M. & P. was gone, there had been scarcely any raise in the river the story being founded merely on the fact that the train from Maricopa was late. As the day wore on however, the river began to rise and by last evening had approached the danger line. An engine that came from there last eVen- ling carried officials who reported the water within four feet of the bridge and rising al the rate of foot an hour. There was a report also from Graham county that the upper Gila was sweep ing away all bridges.
 The Phoenix & Eastern has also en- countered some difficulty in Pinal county. It was reported yesterday that one train was cut off on the Kelvin side of the river. Another was operating between that point and Tempe and yesterday mail and passengers were transferred from the P. & F.. at Tempe tc stub train of the P. & E. operating on the M. & P. line and using it's Salt river bridge. Men were placed at work at once connecting the two lines in Tempe, by a temporary switch and as soon as this is finished all P & E. trains bridge to this side of the river provid meet disaster.
 CAVE CREEK.
 Any story of a flood in this part of the world would be incomplete without some information of the status of Cave Creek which gave more trouble last spring than all the other more preten- tious streams. As soon as it was known that the Salt was abnormally high peo- pie began asking, How about Cave Creek?" There were wild reports ol a repetition of the inundation of last spring. It was said that the river, two miles wide, was bearing down on the fair ground but it was later learned that while there was good deal of water at Glendale it was under control
 The s. F. P. & F. train from the north did not get in until yesterday evening and it was rumored that the track had been washed out. That is not true. On account of the threaten
 ing look of the weather at Prescott on Sunday night it was decided to hold the train there until day light. As ii i turned out no time was lost after all in doing so. A rock cut has recently been made near Kirkland and on ac- count of the fresh condition of the earth large mass of rock was washed down into it. That was removed by the time the train arrived there
 HE BACKED OFF.
 Carl Buck, who carries The Republi- can from Phoenix to Tempe every morning on railroad trycycle, came 1 as near getting into it" yesterday as anybody. He was wheeling along or , the P. & E. track about daylight when he observed that the rails were be- ginning to sag beneath him, and came to a stop. Then he saw that the trestle work under the approach to the bridge was zone and he began to back off He returned to where the two tracks cross and switched his machine to the M. & P. track, continuing his journey to Tempe During the afternoon he was watching the P. & E. bridge when the suspended track finally cut loose from its mOorings on the north side. Three times the rails and ties attached sunk beneath the current splashing high on the waves very much like a huge ser pent flashing it's tail in the water Then it broke loose entirely the end drifting away down stream. When the collapse came ties were thrown twenty five feet in the air and a huge water spout splashed twice as high. In the evening when the first big span of the M. & F. went down he was up town half mile away from the bridge. But the noise it made was something ter rife. It creaked and groaned and howled, far above the roar of the river then settled down with a crash. Every body in town knew what had happen ed even if he did not see it.