The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-08-30
Flood Details from Mon.
terey, Mex, Add to
Horror.
5000 HOMELESS IN
slz,0O0,O0O DISASTER
Survivors Glad to Get Crusfs.
Stricken City's Consul Ap.
peals for American Relief.

MEXICO CITY. Aug S0.-A con-
servative estimate places the dead in
the flood in Monterey at !, 400 and the
property loss at s12,O0O,OO The river
has now gone down.
Up to the present time $50 bodies have
been recovered. One entire quarter of
the city was destroyed, and $1,000 per-
sons today are homeless. The water
mains are useless, and the city is,
consequently, without drinking water;
neither is there light nor street car
service, for the power plant has bean
seriously damaged. 1t viii be impos-
sible to resume the train service for a
week, and, as result, the city is
threatened with food famine The
slaughter houses have been destroyed.
Cathedral Refuge Homeless.
Ten thousand persons are being fed
on bread. coffee and soup by the
municipal authorizes, and the American
consulate is giving food 70 all who
apply. Thousands. of persons have
churches. Many homes, soaked by the
rain, are falling, and there has been
some additional loss of life from this
cause.
The railroad situation is deplorable.
The branch of the International be-
tween Monterey and Tampico suffered
d score of washouts. The iron BRUCE
in San Juan has gone, and seventy
Of = laa 81
moras branch have been washed out.
There are a dozen washouts between
Matamoras and Cuevas, and the Big
iron bridge over the Rinconaga, b.
tween Salillo and Monterey. is gone.
The total of the loss to the railroads is
not definitely known, but it probably
will exceed 100000.
Eighteen blocks of residences and
business houses were entirely washed
away The more wealthy residents of
Monterey, together with the American
residents, are contributing to the
Mayors fund, which is being expended
for the purpose of food
Bull Fights 10 Aid Stricken.
The greatest loss of life is said to
have been caused by the giving away
of the reservoir dam. Monterey is situ-
ated in a cup-like valley and is sur
rounded on three sides by steep noun
tains. The waters rushed into this Vsts
ley down the bed of the Santa Catarina
River. This stream is ordinarily Jsn
yards wide, but with the advent of tns
flood, its banks were fully three-quar-
ters of a mile apart. 1t is estimated
that eighteen inches of rain fell
The federal authorities here are busy
with the organization of relief meas
ures. Benefit theatrical performances,
bull fights and fairs are being planned.
Subscription lists are being opened all
over Mexico City and the other cities
Of the republic are responding to Mon
terey's urgent call for assistance
When daylight gave the first view of
the damage done groups OF people could
be seen huddled on the tops of two
story buildings, surrounded by tumult
OF riotous water. one by one houses
disappeared with the human freight.
and the onlookers from the heights
Were poweTless TO render aid to ths
drowning. Nothing couId live in ti5
wild current plunging onward at the
rate of twenty miles an hour The flood
remained at its height fully ten hours.
1t then fell rapidly until the river was
again within its banks, only to overflow
them again under the continued down.
pour of rain
Industrial losses have been enormous
for a city of this size. The electric
light plant was one of the first to go.
1t supplied power also TO the street
railway. system and was modern in
every respect, having been constructed
only about three years ago by a Cam
adian company. in which the Macken-
zies, of Montreal, were largely Interest,"
ed. Its loss is estimated at $1,000 600.
The city water and sewerage system
was damaged to the extent of another
81 .000, 600. The Monterey Steel Com
pany's plant cannot be repaired for less
than 81 100000. One of the largest smelt-
ers in the country. the Mexican Smelter
and Lead Company. suffered loss esti-
mated at $1,000. 900.
On the left bank of the river. the
modern portion of the city. where are
the best shopping and residence dis
tricts. much of the land is high
enough to be beyond reach of the ris-
ing waters. Private homes in these dis.
tricts We're thrown open as refugees for
all who would avail themselves of them.
and hotels. club houses and association
rooms were at once placed at the dis
posal OF the authorities for the home
less This hospitality made provision
for the majority of the women and
children, but could not furnish room
for the man. All the sleep that usnx