The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-18
CALLED FROM BED
Five Thousand Citizens of Pueb-
10 Aroused From Slumber
At 8 O'Clock to Combat q Flood
in the Arkansas.
BUT 1T DID NOT COME
Canon City Suffered Severely
From an Overflow.
Arise of Twenty Feet Reported
in the Royal Gorge.

Pueblo. Col, Aug. 1S.-This city was
aroused az 3 o'clock morning by warn
ings given from the upper Arkansas
valley that there was grave danger of
flood and within an hour there were
600 people on the streets. working to
remove stocks of merchandise and
household effects beyond the possibill-
ty of damage. The work was needless
ir most cases as although the river rose
seven feet above normal there was no
food in the immediate vicinity of this
city.
Great damage is reported however, in
the neighborhood of Canon City, 40
miles from here. where the Arkansas
overf1owed its banks and was higher
than at any time within the memory of
residents of that section. The Ninth
street bridge in Canon City, a steel
structure. was washed away and sew
eral other bridges are reported dam
aged.
A quantity of stock in slaughter pens
was also carried away and some frame
cabins are reported destroyed. The
greatest damage was to the railroads.
The Santa Fe yards at Canon City are
Under water and some track of the d.
& r. G. at this point was washed away.
In the royal gorge, it is reported that
the river is 20 feet higher than usual
ard the telegraph ana telephone com
munication through the gorge and with
the upper valley is cut off.
1t is also supposed that several miles
OF track of the Rio Grande In the gorge
has been washed away but this can not
be verified. a sensational report to the
effect that Howard, a village about so
miles west of here and Is miles east of
Saiida was almost entirely destroyed,
Was received here about o'clock this
morning, hut as there is no communi-
cation with that point. the truth of the
MOI he
Telegraphic re9orts' from Salida re-
ceived by way OF Buena Vista and Col
orado Springs, however. indicate that
the flood was not severe iE that section
is given little credit.
The greatest damage was to the rail-
roads, although ground crops are re-
ported to have suffered heavily. There
was no damage done the fruit crop
and so far as is known there was no
less of lile. Tie extent of the dam
age can not be accurately estimated but
i: is believed that it will 'be in excess
Of $3.50 900.
All trairs on the Denver S Rio
Grande bound for the west have been
held IN Pueblo since 10 o'clock last |
night and no trains from the west can
get through. 1t is not known when |
tIafic will be resumed. although trains
will probably be detoured later in the
day.
Howard Is Safe.
Pueblo, Colo, Aug. 18-Communica-
ton by telephone has been established |
between Pueblo and Howard and |
SaIida. by which it is learned that the
destruction of Howard is un-
founded. The town escaped damage
entirely, the worst of the flood being
in the Royal gorge. and in the neigh
borhood of Canon City.
Water Up to the Hanging Bridge.
Denver. Colo, Aug. 1S.-Fully a
thousand tourists, a large majority
from the east are tied UP on Denver1
& Rio Grande passenger trains at
Pueblo, Salida and Grand Junction as
a result of the floods in the Arkansas
river, following cloudbursts in the
and which according to
Denver & Rio Grande officials have
washed out their tracks in half a dozen
places between Pueblo and Salida. Two
westbound passenger trains are beirg
held at Pueblo, two eastbound trains
are at SaIida. and two or three are be-
ing held at Grand Junction, further
west, until the tracks are clear. Not
only are the tracks washed out, bit
landslides have blocked the tracks
along the Arkansas river and it prob