Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1909-09-02
TWELVE HUNDRED DROWNED
GREATEST FLOOD EVER KNOWN
IN MEXICO.
Property Loss Estimated at $2o,ooo,-
oo0.-Peope Need Relief.
Trains Greatly Delayed.

Monterey Mexico. Sunday 1t stop
ped raining for the first time since
last Thursday afternoon and some
idea OF the horrors Of the food of Fri
day night and Saturday could be OBJ
tanned. 1t was at first reported that
500 lives were lost in the disaster, but
Sunday shows that the number of
dead will reach 1900 and may be
more. The river has fallen consid-
erably, and while still high, the dan
ger is now over.
Seventeen and half inches of rain
fall is the official record during Fri
day, Saturday and Sunday. This rain
was steady downponr and at no
time approached the status of a
cloudburst. The river was higher than
it has ever been in the history Of
Monterey, and at one time the Plaza
Zaragoza, the highest part In the city,
was flooded to the depth of about one
foot This was early Saturday morn
ing and only lasted until the approach
ON the south side of the San Lulsito
bridge was washed out.
Fully 10000 people are homeless
from the flood and are being cared
for by the city government in the best
way possible. Sunday 5000 people
we're given bread. coffee and soup at
the municipal offices, but there are
many more ON the south side of the
river still out of reach of aid on &C.
count of the still overlooking river.
Conservative estimates of the proper
ty loss. place the figures at $4,000, 900
throughout the city.
All through the day and up to late
at night the bodies have been taken
from the debris and ruins in the path
OF the flood. and over 800 have been
recovered. The greatest loss of life
occurred Saturday morning between
the hours of and IL, when the large
buildings on the south side of the riv-
er commenced to crumble and fall.
Many of the houses held from ten to
hundred people on their roofs, and
all disappeared In the flood. In one
school building on the south side OF
the river ninety women and children
were drowned when the walls of the
building collapsed. This was one Of
the most pathetic incidents Of the
food. TIE women and children fled to
| the school for safetsAs y, Ntpe water
reaching there drove them from
room to room until they were all clus-
tered 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 ninety were swallowed
up in the food
Thousands of people were standing
on the north bank OF the river unable
to render aid to the unfortunates OF
the buildings on the south side, fol
nothing could have lived in the cur
rent of the Canta Catarina, which was
half mile wide and flowing at the
rate of at least twenty miles an hour
| Watchers saw buildings loaded witt
people collapse and the people disap
pear in the waters. 1t was a sigh
never to be forgotten, and there II
hardly an establishment in the city
that has not some story of the losl
of employees. The electric light ant
power company had forty-fiye men EN-
ployed as linemen and Of this total
ten were all that reported for work.
The main water supply pipe from
the Estanzuela reservoir was broken
and the city is absolutely without
drinking water, and II will be severa
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 thu
light and power plant was forced t
shut down on account OF falling wirei
and the danger from the electricity
Monterey remains cut of by raj
from the outside world No trains
have entered or let the city since Fri
day night.