The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-09-01
Eight Hundred MexicaHs Perish
In FI,od
MANY ARE HOMELESS
Great Loss OF Life and Property at
Monterey, Mexico, as q Result OF
Great Donwpour Of Rain, Which
Caused the Overflow Of . Large
River.

Word reached Laredo, Texas. late
Saturday afternoon OF one OF the
most disastrous foods that has ever
been experienced in Northern MeIi-
co. caused by the overflow OF the
Santa Catarina river. There has
been great loss OF life and property
in and near the city OF Manterey. Il
Is estimated that eight hundred per-
sons were drowned. fifteen thousand
made homeless. and at least S12.-
100000 in property destroyed. The
food struck Manterey between one
and two O'Clock Saturday and swept
everything before Il
A veTitable 6eluge OF rain had
fallen for several days. which. to-
gether with the fow OF water from
the adjacent mountains into the
Santa Catarina river. so swelled the
stream that It reached width OF
mile and a half and completely
oye7aowed certain portions OF the
city OF Monterey. wzecking houses
and causing loss Of life as It ram
PACED on i:s mad course.
Not a train reached Laredo. Texas
which is quite near Monterey on Sat
u,day. and telegraph!c conmunica-
ton was badly crippled between the
two cities. In Monterey the teie-
phone Communication IS impossible.
the electric light plant IS half under
water and out Of commission, the
entire street car service which de-
pends upon the electric plant for
its power, Is paralyzed. and the wa
ter works has been damaged.
Information reaching Laredo
through reliable sources states that
so severe was the food that the
inhabitants in the vicinity OF the
flooded 8 tcean barely had time to
fee for their lives; that the on
rush Of the waters carried away
their chattels and II many cases
drowned the occupants Of the JAG
ales Of small huts used by the nA-
,ives. II Is said that chaotic con-
d,tion exists. and that the plazas
are crowded With the poor. homeless
natives. who were provideatial!y al
lowed to escape with their lives.
The ncod conditions are not alone
peculiar to the vicinity Of Monterey.
but extends az far south as Sal
tilio, although no great damage be-
yond Inconvenience to the citizens
and minor damage to the roacoed
OF the railroads is reported south
of Monterey. Telepraphic conmuni-
cation is partially interrupted. but
It was learned Saturday night over
a working wire that there has been
no loss Of life reported to the south
Of Monterey.
The reports reaching Laredo as
to the life loss in Monterey are so
varied that It Is impossible to state
with certainty what the catastrophe
really amounted to. The number
losing their lives in the food waters
OF the Santa Catarina river has been
placed as high as 500. but It is
thought that this number Is gross
exaggerat!on. However. It IS GER
tain that the food was the most ter
rtble In the history OF the oldest IN
hab;tants and tina: the loss OF lie
will be great.
Monterey is a city OF approximate
II 10000 inhabitants. and Is located
1sS miles south Of Laredo. 1t IS
set in a valley between huge noun
tains. and IS traversed by the santa
Cata-ina river.
According to advlces from the
Fedora! telegraph authorities. all
wires south Of Laredo and conmuni-
cation with Monterey was secured
over this wire via Cuidad Porfro
D!az and chihuahua. ciEcutious
route
The town OF G,londrinas. With
1000 inhabitants. eighty-ave miles
from Laredo. was entirely flooded
and several kilometres OF track on
the National railway washed away.