Evening star., 1909-08-30
DEAD NUMBER 1,400 AVAT0RS At BANQUET
Death and Ruin Follow Flood Gala Breakfast Given the Fly
in Monterey. ers at Rheims.
FAMINE NOW THREATENED OVATONS FOR WINNERS
Railroads Leading to Devastated Feltou Speeches Mark
City Washed Away. of Aviation Week
AMERICANS HELP SUFFERERS ANOTHER IN AUGUST 10
Consul and individuals Giving Food
to AppIy-Fifteen de Polignac-Berot Coming
Thousand Homeless
FAMINE NOW THREATENED
Railroads Leading to Devastated
City Washed Away.
AMERICANS HELP SUFFERERS
Consul and Individuals Giving Food
to All Who Apply-Fifteen
Thousand Homeless.

Thousand Homeless.
MExICO CITY. August 3U.-A conserva-
tive estimate of the damage wrought
at Monterey by the food places the dead
a. 1,4oo and the property loss at $4,000
100. The river has now gone down and
the danger is over.
Up to the present time $50 bodies have
been recovered. One entire quarter OF the
city of Monterey was destroyed ana 1o,-
$40 persons today are homeless. The
water mains are useless and the city Is
consequently without drinking water:
neither is there light nor street car SER
vice for the power plant has been seri
ous.y damaged 1t will be impossible to
resume the train service for week, and
as a result the city is threatened with a
food famine. The slaughter houses have
been destroyed. Ten thousand persons
are beng fed on bread, coffee and soup
by the municipal authorities, and the
American consulate is giving food to all
who apply. Thousands of persons have
taken refuge in the cathedral and the
churches. Many adobe structures soaked
by the rain are falling and there has
been some additional loss of life from this
cause
Railroads Washed Out
The railroad situation is deplorable Tie
branch of the International between Mon
tercy and Tampico suffered a score of
wasllouts. The iron bridge at San Juan
has gone, and seyenty-five miles of the
track Of the Matamoras branch have been
washed out. There are dozen washouts
between Matamoras and Cuevas, and the
bridge f,r-
tween Saltllo and Monterey, is gone. The
total "f the loss Of the railroad is not def
r'teiv known. but it prooaby will he half
ii million dollars Eighteen blocks of resi-
denccs and business houses were entirely
washed away. The moro wealthy people
u Monterey. together with the American
.ssidcnts. are contributing to the mayors
tEId. which Is being expended for the rur-
POSE. of food
fhc greatest loss of life is said to have
been caused by the giving away of the
reservoir dam.
Monterey is situated in q cup-Iike VAL
l"y 3nd is surrounded on three sides by
steep mountains. The waters rushed into
THIS vale, down the bed of the Santa
tatarina river. This stream Is ordinarily
10 .,ards wide, but with the advent of the
HOOD its banks were fully three-quarters
Of d mile apart Ii is estimated that eight
ten inches of rain fell.
The federal authorities here are busy
with the organ ation of relief measures
Theatrical performances and other means
are being planned. Subscription places
lave been opened all over Mexico City.
and the other cities OF the republic are re-
spending ~ the call for assistance.
Industrial Losses Heavy.
Industrial losses have been enormous
for city of Monterey's size. TIE elec-
tr.c light plant was one of the first to
go. 1t supplied power also to the street
railway system and was modern In every
respect, having been constructed only
about three years ago by Canadian
company, IN which the Mackenzies of
Montreal were largely interested. Its
loss is estimated at S1,00O.000. The city
water and sewerage system was dam
aged to the extent of another $1,O0O.OO0
The Monterey Steel Company's plant
cannot be repaired for less than S1,OO0-
country, the Mexican Smeter and Lead
Company, suffered a loss estimated at
s., 600 $50.
Approximately 5000 dwellings. nearly
buildings along the water front were
swept away or crumbled Wner their
foundations went from under them
On the left bank of the river, the mod
ern portion of the c ty, where arc the
best shopping and residence districts,
rnuch of the land is high enough 10 be
beyond reach of the rising waters. Pri-
Nate homes in these districts were
would avail themselves of them, and
hotels clubhollses and association rooms
were at once placed at the disposal of
the authorities FOR the homeless This
hospitality made provision for the ma
lcritH OF tie women and children but
1ould not furnish room for the men
All the sleep that many of them got
in tine Zaragosa and HidaIgo
pisZ with the rain beating on them
Timely Transfer of Troops.
Among the residences which the flood
threatened was tina. Of Gen. Bernardo
Reyes, whose political aspirations have
induced so much excitement in northern
Mexico that the headquarters Of the mill
tary zcne was transferred here from
Matamcras recently and large reinforce
nents sent. Gen. Reyes looks for the
nominatio for vice president on the
ticket in opposition 10 Pres dent Diaz
The transfer proves most fortunate at
this time. Tor in the trying days now
upon the city only military authority can
assure order. Gen. Trevino the new milf
tary couman nder, Is here and is disrposinP
troops To meet the emergency. Police re-
serves have been called out and the ac-
tive force and the ruraleS are joining TIE
soldiers In the work of .rovding shelter
for the hcrneiess and IN keeping order.
The inundatiCn barely reached the
american consulate, but damaged it to
Many of the well-to-do abandoned their
homes before the rain stepped and all
vehicles Were pressed in % sc vice to carry
househcid effects To :he highest ground.
American families residing in the down
town hotels along tile p'azas were among
these who sought quarters remote from
the river. As tie hotels are now thought
10 he wholly safe from flood. their guests
are expected soon 10 return
Monterey Is one of the most progress
i've cities in the republic. II imports
merchandise. machinery and food prod
ucts rom the United States. 1t is es-
timated that So per cent OF the popu-
1ation have been copsumers of Aneri-
can goods. American relations here
have always been excellent IT is un-
sierstood that Consul General Hanna
will request the Washington govern
ment to issue an appeal to the people
for help to those made destitute by the
flood, the relief to he extended through
rhe consul and the American colony in
Monterey.