The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-06
Dam Breaks and Part of Clifton
 Destroyed
HOUSES ARE WASHED AWAY
The Exact Number of Deaths, Prinei- paIly Among Foreigners, Is Un- known--Hundreds of People
 Flee to the Mountains.

solomonville Ariz., December 5.-After a thirty hours steady rain over south ern Arizona the mining town of Clifton with 5000 populat ation is swept by ter rife flood and hundreds of people have fled to mountains for safety. Owing to disabled wires, details are hard to obtain, but the known dead reaches eiGh- teen, and will be doubtless much larger. A large majority of the population are Mexicans and Italians, who live in squald huts now inundated.
 The town is built in three sections, Chase Creek and North and South Cliff ton The catastrophe commenced with the breaking of a big reservoir in the mountains above, precipitating vast flood upon the Chase Creek section. The principal street is near the stream and was completely destroyed. It was there that the fatalities occurred as the flood came and engulfed the people without warning.
 The dead are mostly foreigners whose names cannot be learned. Two Ameri- cans are known to have perished, one being caught on a pile of wreckage and drowned.
 North and South Clifton are swept by the current of the San Francisco river. A new school building and scores of houses are washed away. The railway bridge is tottering- All information is sent out from a telephone office sur rounded by water. The great smelling works of the Arizona Copper works were inundated and the company's loss will be heavy. The Arizona and Mexican railway loss also will be heavy, as it's shops and yards were inundated.
 Fl Paso, Tex. December 5.-A special to the Herald from Clifton. Ariz., the first authentic news out of that town since tus. bod prosirated all the wires, is as follows:
 the weather has cleared. hence no fur ther damage is apprehended. Two bodies were recovered from the wreck along Chase Creek, but the number Of deaths canont be told. Joe Throm, who was rescued from the flood, and whose wife was lost, was taken to the hospital in a serious condition, but will probably re- cover. Three men were caught in the act of footing and when they refused to sur render to officers were shot and fatally wounded.
 The flood in Chase Creek was caused by the breaking of the dam of the Detroit Copper company. impounding vast amount of tailings, which ran down the creek with a seven-foot breast. Only one business house on Chase Creek escaped damage. Many were entirely destroyed North Clifton was badly wrecked. Near ly all of the residences in that section were destroyed or damaged
 The Coronado railroad suffered damage all the way from Clifton to Metcalf and 1t will be several weeks before the trains can pass over it's lines So many restau- rants and hotels have been destroyed 1t is almost impossible to find place tc eat or sleep in the town, but there will be no shortage of provisions as many stores have escaped the floods.
 The railroad bridges are badly damaged so that it will be impossible to cross for some time. The Herald office and build ing was swept away ard the Era has been put out of business a couple of weeks, it's building being flooded to a depth of six feet and the plant greatly damaged.