The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-31

LOST IN the disaster, but to-day It
seems that the number Of the dead
will reach 1.200 and may be more.
The river has fallen considerably. and
while still high the danger is now
over Seventeen and a half inches OF
rainfall is the official record during
FRIDAY, Saturday and to-day. This
rain was steady doVnpour and at
slo time approached the status OF
cloudb,irst. The river Was higher
than it has eevr been in the history
of Monterey and at one time the plaza
Zaragozo. the highest part Of the city,
was flooded 10 a depth Of about one
foot. This was early Saturday morn
ing. and only las ed until the ap-
proach on the south side Of the San
Lusito bridge was washed out.
Fully $4,000 people are homeless;
from the flood and are being cared tor
by the city government in the best
way possible, At noon to-day 5000
people were given bread. coffee and
soup at the municipal Offices, but
there are many more on the southside
Of the river still out Of reach OF aid
on account of the still over1owed
river.
Conservative estimates Of the prop
erty loss place the figures at $2O.OOO,-
900 throughout the city.
All through the day and up to late
tonight bodies were taken from the
debris. and ruins in the path Of tie
flood, and over five hundred have
bcen recovered.
A Sickening Sight.
The greatest loss of life occurred
Saturday morning between the hours
of 9 and II o'clock when the large
buildings on the south side Of the
river began to crumble and fall
Many of the houses had from ten to
to one hundred people on their roofs
and all disappeared in the flood. In
one school building. on the. south side
of the river. ninety women and chill
>lren were drowned when the walls OF
the building collapsed. T'is was one
cf the most pathetic incidents of the
food. The women and children fled
to the school for safety. but the wa
.or reaching there drove them from
room to room until they were all clus-
tered in one room. Two priests wer;
with them. and while in tie act CT
bles <ing them the walls fell and the
whole ninety were swallowed up in
the food.
Thousands Of people were standing
on the north bank Of the river unable
to render aid to the unfortunates on
the buildings on the south side. tor
nothing could have lived in the cur
rent Of the Santa Cat1ina. which was
half mile wide and flowing at the
rate of at least twenty miles an hour.
Watchers. saw buildings loaded with
people collapse, and the people dis
appear in the waters. 1T was a sight
never to be forgotten. and there is
practically no establishment IN the
city that has not some story OF the
loss of employees.
The electric light and power COM
nanv had 45 men employed as line
men. and Of this total ten were all
th"t rerorted for work this morning.
Drinking Water Gone.
The ci: IS without drinking water,
and street car traffic he's been aban-
doned. The lieh: and y, wer plant IS
shut down.
Thror ehGut the city ,&ouses have
been f. ling, on account Of walls hav-
mo Eeen Softened by the continuous
rains.
H. H. Reader. an American. alone
saved thirty persons. A japanese
cock saved two little boys from
tree in the middle Of the liver. after
a fight Of over three hours in the