Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-06
Most Of Victims Are Nexicans or Italians
Who Lived IN Canyon.
CONTINUOUS RAIN FOR THIRTY HOURS
Dam Breaks, Letting Vast Flood Flow
Down Narrow Valley.
PEOPLE ARE CAMPING IN THE HILLS
school Building is swept Away and
BIe sneItIng Plant and Railroad
Terminals Are Badly
Damaged.

sOLoMoNVILI.E, Ariz., Dec. 5.-As the
result OF thirty hours steady rain over
southern Arizona, the mining town Of Cliff
ton with 1900 population. is swept by
terrific dood and hundreds Of people have
fed 20 The mountains for safety.
Owing to disabled wires. details are hard
to obtain, but the known de list reaches
eighteen and will doubles. \. IN larger.
large majority of the & = on are
Mexlcans and Italians who II "a y. 'ualid
huts now inundated The town n Z. in
three sections. Chase Creek and \ q, d
South Clifton. ~
The catastrophe commenced with q =;
breaking OF a big reservoir In the mo q.
tains above precipitstlng a vast flood upo,
the Chase creek section. The principal
street is near the beautiful stream and was
completely destroyed. Il was there that
the fatalities occurred, as the flood came in
a head and engulfed the people without
warning. The dead are mostly foreigners
whose names cannot be learned. Two
Americans are known TO have perished,
one being caught on pile of wreclxage
ind drowned. North and South Clifton are
swept by the current OF San Francisco
river new school building and scores
of houses are washed away. The railway
bridge is tottering. All information is
sent out from telephone office surrounded
by water. The great smelling works Of
the Arizona Copper works are located at
clifton and the companys loss will be
heavy The Arizona & New Mexico rail-
way will also be a heavy loser. as its yards
and shops are Inundated.
Number of Dead Unknown.
Ell PASo. Tex, Dec. 5.-A special to the
Herald from Clifton, Ariz.. the first au-
thentio news out Of that city since the flood
prostrated all the wires. says: The river
is reeeding rapidly and the weather has
cleared, hence no further damage is appre-
hended Two bodies were recovered from
the wreckage along Chase creek. but the
number of deaths cannot be told. Joe
Throm, who was rescued from the food
and whose wife was lost. was taken to the
hospital IN a critical condition from bruises
received, but win probably recover. Three
Moxieana, caught IN the act of lOoting and
who refused to surrender TO officers, were
shot ana fatally wounded.
The Hood I'm Chase creek was caused by
the breaking Of the dam OF the Detroit
Copper company, impounding a vas
amount OF tailings. which ran down the
creek with a seven-foot breast,
only one business house on Chase creel
escaped damage, and many were entirel!
destroyed The loss is appalling Nortl
Clifton was badly wrecked. Nearly all o
the residences in that section were de
stroyed or damaged.
The Becker-FranE Mercantile company
in that section. was damaged to the exten
Of 10000.
The Colorado railroad suffered damage al
the way from Clifton to Metcalf and 1
wnl be several weeks before trains can pas
over its lines.
GiIa River on Rampage.
The first train out Of Clifton since tn
nOod started today. It is doubtful II I
can get as far as Duncan, as the ella rive
Is almost as high as It was in the recon
breaking January rise and is still rising,
So many restaurants and hotels hav
been destroyed that It is almost impossibl
to ind place 20 eat or sleep in the towr
but there win be no shortage Of provisions
as many stores have escaped the floods.
There is a report in circulation that tn
Arizona Copper company will remove It
plant TO some other suitable location. bu
no announcement TO that effect has bee
made BY the company. Several director
and the president are here.
All trains on the Arizona & New Mexic
are held east OF the river
The railroad bridges are so badly dan
aged that It will be impossible to use ther
for some time.
The Herald once and building was swer
away and the Era has been put out {
business for couple of weeks, its buildin
being flooded to a depth Of six feet and III
plant greatly damaged