Evening star., 1909-08-29
HUNDREDS DROWNED
|NNORTHERN MEXICO
800 Are Dead and $1,000 Are
Homeless in the City of
Monterey Alone.
S12,OOO,OOO Is LOST
IN PROPERTY DAMAGE
A Deluge of Rain Falls for Over
Forty Eight Hours.
ALL BUSINESS is PARALYZED
Communication From Stricken Dis
trict Is Almost Cut Off.
Natives Are Trapped.

MONTEREY. Mex, August 2S.-EiSht
hundred persons drowned. $4,000 home
less and property damage 10 the extent
of S12.0o0.OO0 is the result of a flood
which struck this city between / and .
o'clock this morning.
LAREDO, Tex, August 2S.-Reports
reached this city this evening of one Of
the most disastrous floods that has
ever been experienced in northern
Mexico, caused by the overflow OF the
Santa Catarina river. According to the
rumors there has been great loss OF
life, estimated as high as 1000, and
the property damage is estimated at
anywhere from s1O,0O0,O00 to $4,000
900.
For the past forty-eight hours a ver-
liable deluse of rain has been falling,
which, together with the flow of water
from the adjacent mountains into the
Santa Catarina river, SO swelled that
stream that it reached a width OF a mile
and half and completely overfiowed cer-
tam portions of the City of Monterey,
Wfecking houses and causing loss of life
as 1t rampag ged on its mad course
Not train reached this city today, and
telegraph communication is crippled ia
such an extent that the exact location OF
some OF the trains is unknown.
City in Bad Plight.
In the City of Monterey telephone COM
1nunication is impossible, the electric light
pfaut Is haf under water and out of COM
mission. the entire street car service of
the city, which depends upon the electric
plant for its power, is paralyzed and the
water works have been damaged to such
an extent that the water supply of the
city is crippled
Information reaching here through re-
liable sources states that so severe was
the mood that the inhabitants in the vicin-
1ty OF the flooded stream barely had time
10 nee for their lives; that the onrush OF
waters carried away their homes and
cnatteis and In many cases drowned the
occupants of the jacales, or small huts, OF
the natives.
The food conditions extend as far south
as Saitil'o. although no great damage be-
Eoad inconvenience to the citizens and
minor damage to the roadbeds of the rail-
roads Is reported south of Monterey.
No Casualties South of Monterev.
Telegraph communication to the north
is partially interrupted, but it was learned
tonight 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 i'm.
possible 10 state the number with any
certainty. The total number of lives los,
In the Hood has been reported as high as
loo, but IL is thought that this is a
gross exagseration. due to the chaoti,
lfnr
tain that the food was the most terrible
In the history OF the river and that the
loss of life will be great
The Offices of the National railway
tonight could throw no light upon the
lie loss in Monterey, they having lost ali
wires TO the south since last night
Roundabout reports received by the rail-
way indicate that the tracks and road
beds cannot be re-established before
Monday
Monterey. which is a city al
approximately 10000 inhabitants. is in
a valley between huge mountains. and
IS traversed by the Santa Catarina river
ne only wire communication with
Monterey from Laredo was secured in
directly via Ciudad Porto Diaz and Chi.
huahua, circuitous route
Escape From Life-Saving Station.
The keeper and iife-saving crew at Tar.
pom Beach. Tex. were compelled to aban-
don their station yesterday when the VIC.
lent gulf storm struck that section of the
gulf coast. The crew rescued all the
people at the station. transferring them
i'll surf boats to Isabel station. where
they were reported to be in dangerous
condition.
Wallace L. Reed, the keeper at the
Brazos 1ife-Saying station at Isabel. Tex.
conveyed this information in telegram
10 the office of the iife-saving service to-
day.
message received from superintendent
OF the service at Galveston telegraphs
that he fears the worst
special message to the Impar rcial from
Monterey says that the deaths there are
estimated at Loco. The entire suburb OF
San Lulsito has been washed away The
santa Catarina river is raging many OF
the streets in the city proper being undeI
water