The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-29
PROPERTY LOSS PLACED
At $12,OOO,OOO WHICH
is VERY CONSERVATIVE
Scenes Are lndescribabIe as the Rag
Ing Flood Carries Death and De-
struction When 1t sweeps
Through the Heart OF
III Fated City

Monterey, Mex, August 2S-Eight hun
dred persons drowned, 5000 homeless and
property damage to the extent of $4,000
o00 is the result of the flood which struck
this city between 1 and o'clock this
morning.
The scene In the hood-swept section of
Monterey tonight is one of utter desola-
ton. Four city blocks on the South Side
have completely disappeared
For 72 hours rain has fallen in unprece-
dented volume throughout this section,
and the Santa Catarina river rose grad
ug'NY all day Friday. the crest of the
food reaching Monterey early today. At
first 1t was thought there would be no
loss of life, but the water reached a
height never before attained and swept
houses from their foundations by the
scores. The electric light plant was put
out of commission last night and the
complete darkness was an added horror.
Cries of the drowning could be heard,
but the onlookers were powerless to rem
der aid.
Whenf daylight came the scene was in
describable. All through the flooded dis
The tops Of two-story buildings entirely
surrounded by tumulting, seething mass
OF water. One by one these houses dis
appeared with their human freight. Moth
ing could live In the wild current of the
Santa Catarina river, which was rushing
at the rate of 20 miles an hour.
During the early morning hours the
water remained stationary, and 1t was
noon before a fall of four feet began. BY
o'clock this afternoon the river was
back in its banks, only to go out of them
again at 6 o'clock because of the con-
tinued downpour of rain.
The great steel plant at Monterey suf-
fered a loss Of nearly 100000 by the
flood, and the smelter of the Mexican
Lead company Is cut off from the city
and submerged. 1t is estimated that the
loss at this plant will be over So. 100000.
The Santa Catarina river runs al
most directly through the center of
Monterey. Along it's right bank is
located the suburb of San Luisito, in
habited by the poorer element. 1t was
in this section that the greatest loss
of life occurred. For the greater part
the barrio, or suburb, Is composed ST
one-story adobe buildings. When the
flood waters struck these buildings
tney collapsed as tn 0ugh composed OF
paper and buried their inmates beneath
a mass of debris in such manner that
they had absolutely no opportunity to
escape and were drowned. Many fam
lilies having experienced previous floods
remained in their dwellings uncom-
PEELED to seek refuge ON the roofs, but
too late. for they found themselves en-
tirely surrounded by water and at the
mercy of the raging stream.
Many pitiful scenes are reported One
family of the poorer class, having
sought shelter on the roof of their
adobe dwelling and refusing to leave
their home in the belief that the wa
ters would soon subside, were drowned.
The waters came on with rush and
before help could reach them the en-
tire family was swept from tn cir place
Of refuge.
Several floods Of the Santa Catarina
river have previously been experienced
but nothing SO severe as the present.
and not attended with any serious loss
of life.
For many months throughout the
year tho Santa Catarina river Is a dry
bed, absolutely devoid of water, but
during the rainy season 1t becomes an
important stream. For the past 48
hours such deluge of rain had fallen
that the stream reached unprecedent ed
proportions and as its waters rose it
completely inundated the lower section
of the city.