The Delta independent., 1909-09-10

havoc brought about in the course of
the river.
The flood tore down the south fork of
the San Miguel, twelve miles from
here, number of small towns being in
its direct course. Sunday afternoon at
one O'Clock a terrific cloudburst struck
in Lake Hope, which is connected with
Trout Lake. Lake Hope overfowed in
to Trout Lake, causing a wall of water
ten feet high to rush across Trout Lake,
ripping out FIVE feet of the large dam
at the end of Trout Lake. A mighty
wall of water then poured into the San
Miguel and rushing torrent was soon
on its path of destruction.
The town of Matterhorn, two miles
below the lake, first suffered The
large Rio Grande Southern bridge, a
county bridge absolutely necessary for
commercial traffic, and several build
/ ings were washed away here. The But
/ terfy Mill, received part of the on
slaught of the flood, and suffered a
S., 600 damage.
The flood swept down to the power
plant of the Illium Co., and the large
boarding house and the residence of
| Superintendent G. H. Smith were COM
pletely destroyed. Smith and four men
in the rooming house had been fore
warned of the destruction and left for
higher ground, carrying with them
what personal effects possible. Smith
saved three Navajo rugs. The power
plant of the Illium Company, was 100
by so and was built of stone, with walls
two feet in thickness, and after the
| flood had passed, but one of the heavy
walls remained, the three fine genera
tors were being carried down the
stream, while the transformers We're
torn and smashed around in such a
shape as to make them absolutely use
less in the future. The loss here will
reach s6O,OO0 All the bunk houses
and outsheds, and the livestock in this
section We're a total loss.
The agricultural town of Newmeyer,
four miles below Illium, next felt the
force of the flood. All the crops. live
stock, buildings and large part of the
soil were stripped from the rocky base,
and sent whirling down with the flood
There We're three men who We're at
tempting to save their household eff
fects, nearly lost their lives.
i. At Placerville, an important supply
station in the Norwood region, the
damage was the greatest in the entire
wake of the flood. Placerville is at
the junction of two streams and is level
with the San Miguel, being situated
between the sides of the canon. Gal
loway Bros, the most prominent out
fitting firm in this section, suffered
a loss of $500, their hotel, large store
house and general store being washed
away. The New Century hotel was
wrecked, being torn from the founda-
zion and whirled along the bank to a
higher spot, where it was deposited in
fairly good shape. Placerville is a
total wreck, and for some time it was
thought that many lives were lost, but
a later report showed that all lives
were saved, but the town wiped off the
map. A much more complete destruc-
ton could not have been affected.
The Vandium Alloy Mining Co., sit
uated between Placerville and New
meyer, being partly on the side of a
hill, escaped, total destruction, but the
loss will amount to something over
$50. 900.
To add to the loss and misery, yes
terday afternoon another wall of water
broke through the dam, this time tear
ing twenty feet out. This was due to
the weakening effected by the flood of
Sunday. The second flood tore along
at a terrific rate, and completed the
destruction of the day before. How
evers Sundays flood had inundated the
majority of the moveable property and
yesterdays wall of water was more OF
chaser" A number of people. in
attempting to save property were
: nearly caught by the second flood.
In the narrow canon where the Rc
; Grande Southern runs for over ten
miles. over five miles of track is out,
all the trestles and heavy bridges are
out, and railroad officials state that g
tie up of traffic will last for three weeks
! at least, and expect if the tracks are
, cleared and ready for travel within six
weeks that things will be moving
. nicely.