The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1909-09-03
FLOOD m MEXICO
SCORES HUNDREDS
ovgA TWO THOUSAND ARE RGt
oGRGo ssoMGl Gss AND FAM
lMG YMAGAYGNS THGM.
DEAD E N TRENCHES

|km H VGntS
AivGa 0ovvoSs eoa TIMES
HUNDRED MILES LAID WASTE
IN RAGING FLooos.
| Monterey. Aexico.-While the work
of rescue 10 going forward in the vast
area ravaseA by the West Indian tor
nsdo and its accompanying cl0udburst
last Saturday. reports Of greater loss
Of life keep coming in. making it pos
sible that the destA list will 60 to
5000 and perhaps higher.
Upwards Of 1000 are homeless. Fam
lilies are living on roofs Of submerged
houses. slowly starving to death.
An area of thousands Of square
miles. extending from Matamoras to
Torreoa. . Aistanee OF 800 miles. and
south 400 miles. 10 practically all us-
der water.
Aea and wo0en end children are
floating about ON inprovised RATS.
masses of debris or housstops. with.
out food.
Famine IL staring the people Of Mon.
tsrey In the face. Crops are de-
stroyed. Railroads are washed out.
Bridges have besn swept away. Tsle-
graph and telephone communication 10
dovn. The river beds are rushing tor.
rents and everywhere IL the sickeaing
sight Of death In its most terrible
form. .. u.
Dead bodies are piled In trenches by
the relief workers ~ soon ~ they are
picked froa The wAirliaS eddiss. There
b NO time for Identification. for pesti-
lsncs may break ont - well ~ fam
Inc.
Il - imDoesible to estimate the prop
srty loss at this time for the com
nunity b still inundated.
The damage done in tbs district
stretching fron the mouth Of the Rio
Grands to Vera Crus 10 unprecedented.
In the Monterey district alone the
loss of life il believed to have been
more than 1900. Many small towns
are completely wiped of the map. In
Monterey there IL nothing to mark the
spot where manufacturing plants
stood.
Sixty miles Of railroad track of the
National Railroad Of Mexico were
wiped out in the Matamoras-Monterey
district. The National lines between
Saaltillo and Neuvo Laredo have dis.
appeared. It will be weeks before
trains can be run there. There 10 NO
way by which provisions and nedi-
cinss can be carried.
In the San Juan valley the river
rose % suddenly that the people had
no time to flee. until now. the Rio
Granas. always treachsrous, threatens
millions Of dollars worth Of artificial
canals.
Reports from Aldamas. Herreras.
Ramone and Sabinas tell of nothing
but death and destruction.
The Soto IL Marina river, which
flows into the gulf $50 miles south of
Matamoras. 10 on . rampage and crops
and houses along the banks have been
washed away. Between Matamoras
and Tuxpan and especially in the VI
cinity Of Tampico. the tornado caused
tidal waves to sweep inland. complet.
ing the devastation begun by wind and
cloudburst.
The Tampico-Monterey division OF
the Mexican Central railroad has been
partially destroyed and the terminals
at La Barra have been practically
wiped away.
The American consuls are trying to
find II any Of the 5000 Americans in
Monterey have perished. but SO great
IL the confusion that It IL impossible
to compile an accurate death list.
Refugees tA hundreds are pouring IN
with tales Of grewsoms horrors. They
say that the lossss have fallen heavi.
est upon the poorer classes in the
Santa Catarina valley. The poor peo-
pie lived in houses built Of Q soft rock
known ~ sillar. which offered NO re-
sistance to tie torrent. The rich peo-
pie lived usually upon the heights.
President Dtax Immediately took
steps to aid n the relief work. Troops
were put to work when 1t was possi-
ble. on relief work, and trains of pro-
visions. bedding and medicine were
started into the zone. Soldiers have
been stationed In various sections OF
the district to prevent looting. The
weters receding. the soldiers will like
ly police the whole region. Many resi-
tents, touched by the appalling mis-.
cry Of the sufferers. have thrown open
their homes.
1t will be several days probably be-
fore the flood has entirely receded
and the rivers are back in their banks.
At El Paso and other cities are large
numbers Of refugees.
Subscriptions have been started IN
Ot hor nm rf0 ~ Mov{co