Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-09-02
SANTA cATARlNA RIVER CARRIES
AWAY PEOPLE TO SUDDEN
DEATH DURING NIGHT.
OVER $4,000 MADE HOMELESS
Property Loss is $12,o oo, ooo-Strieke,
Mexican Town, Where GO Hours
Rain Continues, Appeal to the
Unitd States for Aid

persons drowned, 5000 homeless and
property damage to the extent of $12,-
000,0 is the result of a food which
struck this city when the Santa Clara
river oyerfowed.
The CITY is in darkness. Some OF
the losses are:
The Montery Steel company, $1,000
900; the Mexican Smelter and Lead
company, $4,000, 900.
The city begs aid from the United
States.
Hundreds of persons were awakened
in the night to be swept to death as
the river, which reached a width of a
mile and a half, became swelled by the
water from the mountain sides, fol-
lowing seventy-two hours of continu-
Gus rain.
Most of the houses are built of adobe,
which could not withstand the waters,
and were washed away, dissolving as
they went, while the hapless families
trapped in their dwellings,, drowned.
Not one chance in a thousand for es-
cape was given them.
Twenty Inch Rainfall.
Other thousands fed to safety, clad
in a single garment and carrying their
children and what belongings they
could gather up. These are the home
less ones. .
One by one these homes, built of
adobe and stone, are collasping and
carrying tenants to death. The flood
is the worst in the history of any
one living here.
No train has come into Monterey
for twenty-four hours. Railway and
telegraph lines are down and many
miles of track are washed away. The
fate of trains and passengers is not
known, but it is feared many persons
are in danger.
1t is estimated twenty inches of rain
fell in seventy-two hours. Water
works and electric light plants are out
of commission and street car wires
have fallen into the streets.
TGdTCu TCSLlICHCG VIII TOllOWs
It is greatly feared pestilence will
follow the flood. Police and soldiers
are doing their best to relieve the suf-
fering, but the visitation was so unex-
pected no formal organization was pre-
pared to combat with the situation.
Poorer classes from the river dis
trict are huddled by thousands in
churches, hospitals, public places and
city buildings, waiting for the rain to
cease. They are hungry and thirsty
and blindly waiting for something tn
end their distress.
The scene in the f1ood-swept section
Four city blocks on the south side
have disappeared completely, and it is
believed the tenants drowned.
For seventy-two hours rain has fal.
len in unprecedented volume through.
out this section, and the Santa Gaia.
rina rose gradually all day Friday, the
crest Of the flood reaching Monterey
early Sunday. At first it was thought
there would be no loss of life, but the
water had a height never before at
tanned, and swept buildings from their
foundations by the score.
The electric light plant was put out
Of commission last night and the com
plete darkness was an added horror
Cries of the drowning could be heard
but the on-lookers were powerless tt
render aid.
When daylight came the scene wal
indescribable. All through the flooded
district, groups could be seen huddlet
on the tops of two-story buildings, en-
tirely surrounded by a tumulting
seething mass of water.
One by one these houses disap
peared with their human freight
: Nothing could live in the wild curren
of the Santo Catarina river, which wa
running at the rate of twenty miles al
hour.
During the early morning hours thu
water remained stationary and it wa
) noon before a fall of four feet began
BY 4 o'clock this afternoon the rive
was back in its banks, only to go GU
Of them again at 6 o'clock because 0
the continued downpour of rain.
The great steel plant at Montere,
suffered a loss of nearly a million dol
> lars by the flood, and the smelter O
!, the Mexican Lead Company is cut Of
:, from the city and submerged. 1t is es
\ timated that the loss at this plant vii
= be more than 3,000f000.
!, The Santa Catarina river runs a
), most directly through the center @
Monterey. Along its right banks /
located the suburb of San Luisito, ii
habited by the poorer element.
1t was in this section the creates
loss of life occurred, for the create
D part of the suburb is composed of one
story adobes.
@ Collapse Like Paper.
When the flood waters struck thes
. buildings they collapsed as thong
. composed of paper, and buried the
n inmates beneath a mass of debris |
d such a manner they had absolutely n
y opportunity to escape and wer
- drowned. Forty families persisted |
this manner in n house.
Many families having experience
i other floods, remained in their dwell
is ings until compelled to seek refuge o
Is the roofs, but TOO late, for they foun
+ themselves entirely surrounded /
!. water and were at the mercy Of ii
It raging stream.
It For many months throughout II
year the San Catarina river is a di
bed, absolutely devoid Of water. b,