, 1909-09-18

streak OF lightning marked dlaLIAcIly MIC
time between chaos and calm.
Stars poeped here and there through the
clouds. Subsequently two or three hight
showers came during the night, but they
bore no menace. Then came the light of
Sunday morning. It revealed the river less
than one-fourth the width it had when night
had set in. There had been q fall Of fifteen
feet.
Monterey may have learned a lesson In
architecture from this revel of rain. Be
cause adobe and sillar are cheaper than
brick they are the stuff of which the houses
are made. They serve their purpose well
enough when nature is in her mllder moods,
but when she RACES some one has to pay.
Adobe drinks it's fill of water, but when
pressed too hard and too long it softens and
crumbles. That is what it did on this oc-
casion. Practically every house and store
in Monterey let rain through from the roofs.
Walls are weakened in many instances to
the danger point. There may be other ira
gedies unless the authorities take the matter
in hand
Founded in 1860.
Monterey is a city Of possibly ninety
thousand population. 1t was founded In
1860 and nestles in a valley between hills or
mountains several thousand feet high. The
most curiously shaped hill is called Cerro de
LQsilla, on account Of it's resemblance to
the saddles used in Mexico. There were
clashes here between Americans and MeXi-
cans in the war Of the forties. On a hill
northwest of the city stand the RUNS Of the
Old Bishops palace. Here the MeXlcans
made a gallant stand against the assaultlng
Americans under General Worth. just at
this time it is pertinent to recall the legend
OF Montezuma'6 daughter, who, tradition
says, rode TO the top Of Chico, and was cured
by the waters there. The young woman
had gone a fruil, sickly girl. She drank the
waters and returned to Chapultepec rosy end
strong, and from that moment the Court of
Montezuma was the press agent for Top o
Chico Springs. Bathing is in order at the
springs, for really aud truly Top o Chico
water is hot. The kind they serve in the
hotels Of Monterey is cold and hubby.
There was an irony Of brightness in the
sunlight of Sunday morning. 1t glowed on
the sorry spectacle of homes despolIed and
families bereft. Longer than the oldest re-
sident remembers it has Geen the way of
Monterey folk to array themselves in their
brightest colors and to parade, laughing and
chatting, around the main plaza. 1t is the
rendezvous of swaethearts and the TRUSTING
place of every one who has u speck Of TO
nance in his soul, and there Is lots of that
here.
No procession Of lovers marked this Sun
day. No music came from the band ON
parade. All around the edges, but not in
truding on the area of the iood, refugees hud.
died and waited for soup and bread. Instead
Of radiant apparel were faded blankets and
thin calico gowns, their colors fused by rain,
as adobe homes were fused by food into the
muck Of the river.
The Herald correspondent had gone Town
to the river when the cathedra bells were
ringing for early mass. standing on the
river bank, not another human being in
sight from hat point, where q mar and
woman apparently q young husband and his
wife. The woman laid her head on the
mans shoulder, and both looked over the
ruins left by the flood. At the first sound
of the Cathedral bells they bowed their
heads. The picture was like another version
of the 'AngeIus." Husband and wife were
grieving for their lost children.
The Treasury Department to-day issued
orders that foodstuffs and clothing from the
United States consigned to ConsulGener
Philip c.. Hanna at Monterey shall be ad-
mitted free Of duty. Vice President Corral,
- AT:,:.Io. IS AhO T1koc;Ou hoe