The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-08-30
Six Hundred and Fifty Bodies
Have Already Been Re-
covered.
PROPERTY loss MAY REACH
twelve MILLION DOLLARS
The Awful Flood is Due to q Contin.
uous Rainfall for Ninety.six Hours
-Pitiful Scenes Among the
wretched Victims.

Wfetcned Victims.
Mexico City, Aug. 30.-A couserva-
tive estimate of the damage wrought
at Monterey by the flood places ne
dead at 1,400 and properly loss at y12-
100000.
The river has now gone down and
the danger is over. Up to the pre- sent
time $50 bodies have been recovered.
One quarter of the city of Monterey
was destroyed and $4,000 persons to-
day are homeless. The water mains
are useless and the city is cocse-
quently without drinking water:
neither is there light nor street ca.
service, for the power plant has been
seriously damaged.
1t will be impossible to resume
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 being fed on bread, cof-
fee and soup by the municipal au-
thorities. The American consulate is
giving food to all who apply Thous-
ands of persons have taken refuge in
the cathedral. and churches. Many
abode structures, soaked by rain, are
falling and there has been some ad-
ditional loss Of life from this cause.
The railroad situation is deplorable.
The branch Of the International be-
tween Monterey and Tampico suffered
score of washouts. The iron bridge
at San Juan is gone and seventy-five
miles Of the track of the Matamoras
branch have been washed out. There
are dozen of washouts between Ma
tampras and Cuevas. and the big iron
bridge over the Rinconaga between
Salillo and Monterey is gone. .
The total of the loss to railroads is
not definitely known, but 1t will ~ex-
ceed 100000. Eighteen blocks Of
residences and business housese are
entirely washed away. The more
wealthy people of Monterey, together
with the American residents, are con-
tributing to the mayors fund, which
is being expended for the purpose Of
food.
The greatest loss of life is said to
have been caused by the giving away.
of the reservoir dam. Monterey is
situated in cuplike valley and is
surrounded on three sides by steep
mountains. The waters rushed into
this valley down the bed of Santa
Catarina river. This stream Is or
dinarily $50 yards wide. But with the
advent of the flood its banks were full
lythree quarters of mile apart. 1t is
estimated that eighteen inches Of rain
fell. The federal authorities here are
busy with the organization Of relief
measures. Benefit theatrical per-
formances, bull fights and fairs are
being planned. Subscriptions lists
are being opened all over Mexico City
and other cities of the republic are
responding to Monterey's urgent call
for assistance.
Early Morning Story.
Laredo, Tex. Aug. 3o.-Last night
in Monterey was one of death, desola-
tion, darkness and sorrow.
The flood waters of the Santa Ca
tarina river continued on their rapid
course throughout the night and to
rain commenced to fall and caused
untold suffering to the thousands of
homeless persons who had congre-
homes In the extreme emergency.
The destructive flood, due to the
continuous fall of rain for the past
ninety-six hours. swept everything
before 1t and hardly vestige is left
of the village which few days ago
swarmed with families belonging to
the poorer classes. The loss of life,
which cannot be accurately estimated
for days, reaches into many hundreds.
The flood reached Its crest IN the early
part of the hours between IL and 8
o'clock and many families were swept
away to q wateryg death with hardly
a chance to fight for their lives. With
the on-rush of the water. panic en-
sued and as the poor wretches were
swept from their homes, on the tops
of which many had sought shelter,
never for moment anticipating that
the water would reach an unprece-
dented height, pitiful appeals for as
sistance could be heard lisinx above
the roar of the on-rushing waters
by those on higher ground, but who
we're powerless' to render aid OF any
kiud.
Last night every effort was made
by the kind hearted people to shelter
the women and children. Their homes
were thrown cLen to the sufferers:
the police station. many of the hotels
and private ci:lbs, as we'll al the
rooms ot se: s.a) organizations were
placed 1T the disposal Of the authori-
ties and for tl.a greater part the
women and children were cared for.
However, many Of the men were COM
PEELED to sleep ID the open In the
various plazas.
Four Hundred Bodies.
About 400 bodies have been recoy.
cred but hundreds are still. believed
to be LODGED at various points along