The daily tribune., 1908-08-24
Another
Disastrous
Cloudburst
Florence and Vicinity SUept
Again By Flood -$25, 900
Is the Estimated Damage
Done.

Last Saturday evening to- fic
rainstorm and cloudburst at the head
of Chandler. Oak and Sand creeks
poured flood of water down these
usually dry channels and for two
hours residents of that part of town
adjacent to these creeks we're in ply.
steal peril and the ir property in dan
ger of destruction.
1t had been just twenty two days
before and at that time the floods
washed out bridges and distractions
which undoubtedly lessened the dam
age this time by reason of having
opened freer outlets to the river,
down which the waters poured in
raging torrents.
However. this vicinity did not
escape unscathed and considerable
damage was wrought-principally to
the railroads, coal mines and gard
eners The greatest loss is along
Chandler creek which was higher
than 1t has been for many years.
Every bridge on the d. and X. c.
branch to the Victor Fuel Co.'S.
mines at Chandler WAS washed out
| with the exception of small one
about two miles west of town. The
rails and ties of the first ono just
west of the crossing of the Santa Fe
branch to Rockvale, hang by the fish
plates and spikes, all supports having
been washed away and in five other
places the track for several hundred
feet Is gone. One bridge near the
camp was torn bodily from it's
foundation and carried several miles
where it now rests intact against a
great stump.
At Chandler the bridge near the
mine as we'll AS the track for hun
dreds of feet are gone. The water
backed to within very few feet of
the shaft and threatened to food the
mine. The men working below were
warned anG Immediately left the
work. However, the water subsidized
before reaching the shaft. The de-
struction to the tracks and switches
there will cause cessation of work
until repairs can be made and until
such time about 200 men will be tenn
porarily out of employment. In
suno houses water was over the beds
and a three room frame house occu-
pied by "Pappy' Miller was entirely
washed away.
Over the main line OF the Rio
Grande for 900 feet the sand was
washed two feet deep. AS soon AS
the water receded Section Foreman
Matt O'Brien WAS on the ground
with his crew of section men, rein.
forced by fifty-fve Greeks who have
been working on the double track.
BY O'Clock two sections of No. 4
which had been held at Brewster
since midnight we're able to proceed
this gang worl ell shoveling dirt from
the track when another heavy show.
or brought another wall of water and
the road at Chandler creek crossing
WAS again filed with sand. All
trains were hold here and at Canon
until late last evoning.
About 100 feet on tho Coal Creek
branch, near the old I'll Paso mill
site Is washed out. At this point
the road runs clofe along Sand creek
and there is n turn In the direction
of the channel On account of this
the bank supporting the road re.
ceiyed tho full force OF the stream
and being thoroughly saturated by
recent rail- = WAS readily washed
away, leaving the ties and rails sus-
rended.
Near the mouth OF Chandler creek +,
James PayDe's and W. II. Harvey's
young fruit orchards were badly
washed and Inundated. Mr.. Payne