The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-30


 stopped raining for the first time since last Thursday afternoon and some Idea Of the horrors of the flood of Friday night and Saturday could be obtained. It was at first reported that 800 lives were lost in the disaster, but today 1t seems that the number of dead will reach 12c0. The river has fallen considerably and while still high, the danger is now over. 17ia inches of rainfall is the official record during Friday, Saturday and today. This rain a steady downpour and at no time approached the status of a cloud burst. The river was higher than 1t has ever been in the history of Monterey and at one time the Plaza Zaragoza, tile highest part of the city, flooded to a depth of about one foot This was early Saturday morning and only lasted until the approach of the south side of the San Luis bridge was washed out. Fully 15.- 0o0 people are homeless from the flood and are being cared for by the govern nent the best way possible Conservative estimates of the property loss place the figure at s2o,ooo,ooo throughout the city
 Five Hundred Bodies Recovered.
 All through today and up to late to- night the bodies have been taken from the debris and ruins in the path of the flood and over 300 have been recovered. The greatest loss of life occurred Satur- day morning between the hours of and Il o'clock. when the large buildings on the south side of the river commenced to crumble and fall. Many of the houses had from 10 to 100 people on their roofs .l ,n school building on the south side of the i river 90 women and children were drowned when the walls of the building collapsed. This was one of the most pa thetic incidents of the flood. The women and children fled to the school for safety but the water drove them from room to ! room until they were all clustered in one | room Two priests were with them in the room and while in the act of blessing them the walls fell and the whole 90 were swallowed up in the flood,
 Thousands of people were standing on | the north bank of the river unable to render aid to the urfortunates on the buildings on the south side, for nothing could have lived in the current of the Santa Catarina, which was half a milo wide and flowing at the rate of at least l NV ililcs dl nouT. MdlCneTS SEW Dullu- 1 ings loaded with people collapse and the l people disappear in the waters. It 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 1 company had 45 men employed as line men, and of this total 10 were all that re- ported for work this morning.
 Water Main Breaks.
 The main water supply plpe from the Estanzuela reservoir was broken and the city Is absolutely without drinking water 1 today and it will be several days before the break can be repaired. Street car traffic has been abandoned after two or three intellectual attempts to run the cars, and Friday night the light and power plant was forced to shut down on account of falling wires and the danger from electricity. The lights were turned on Saturday night but were again cut off today. Throughout the city houses have been falling on account of walls having been softened by the continuous rains
 Many acts of bravery and heroism were noted during the flood. H. H. Reader. an American who owns a large hacienda on the state of Tamalulpas, near Cruz station, alone saved 30 persons. Others did all in their power to help and a Japanese cook employed by the chief of police saved two little boys from a tree In the middle of the river after fight 1 of two hours in the water. The two lit- | tie boys had been In the tree from II o'clock Friday night until 5 o'clock Sat- urday afternoon, exposed to the rain and cold. and were almost exhausted { when help reached them. The boys are 1 8 and 10 years of age, and stated that their father. mother, two sisters and an 1 uncle had been drowned In the flood. The boys were adopted by American fam ! fly of this city.
 Romuldo Marty, prominent merchant l of the city, and family, were rescued 1 from a tree near the Plaza Purisma i about o'clock Saturday afternoon. His i family consisted of his wife and three children and they had been in the tree nearly r hours.
 The story of the flood is full of in- stances of this nature and others of a more terrible character, where the results 1 were more disastrous and hundreds were | swept away in sight of thousands of people powerless to render aid.
 Care for Homeless.
 Steps are being taken to care for the homeless, but there so many and the | city has been called on to care for un- fortunates so many times In the past two months, this being the third flood. to say nothing of a $1,0O0,oo0 fire that has occurred In that period. that such steps have been inadequate and help must be CONTINUED ON PAGE kl