Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-09-04
1900 PERISH IN
MEXICAN FLOOD
DeIuge Of Rain Sends River
Over Monterey.
DAMAGE is sI2,oOO,OoO

The Flood Swept Everything Before II,
and Hardly a vestige Is Left of the
5000 Huts In It's Psth-f5,0oo Persons
HomeIess-Many Families Swept to
Death From Roofs Of Their Homes.
Monterey, Mex, Aug. 30.-Twelve
hundred persons drowned, $4,000
homeless and property damaged to
the extent Of s12, 000, 200 is the result
OF a hood which struck this city. Over
four hundred bodies nave been recov-
cred.
The food waters of the Santa Gaia.
rina river continues ON their rapid
course, and to add to the horror of the
situation rain commenced to fall and
caused untold suffering to the thou
sands Of homeless persons who had
congregated on the various plazas.
The destructive food, due TO the
continued fall of rain for the past
ninety-six hours, swept everything be-
fore it, and hardly a vestige is left
of what was a few days ago a 0 n
glomeration of small huts swarming
with families belonging to the poorer
classes. The number of dead, which
cannot be accurately estimated, for
days, is placed at 1900.
Many Families Swept to Death.
with hardly a chance for their lives.
With the on-rush of the waters, pan
demonium reigned, and as the vic
tins were swept from their homes, on
the tops of which many had sought
shelter, never anticipating that the
water would reach an unprecedented
height, pitiful appeals for assistance
could be heard by those on higher
ground, but aid of any kind was i'm
possible. The scene was indescrib
able. All through the flooded district
groups could be seen huddled on the
tops of two-story buildings, entirely
surrounded by a tumultuous, seething
mass of water. One by one, these
houses disappeared with their human
freight.
Already many bodies have been re-
covered, but it is impossible to state
the exact number. A semi-reliable
authority says the police records show
that 400 bodies had been recovered.
Scores Of other bodies are believed
to be still lodged at various points
along the stream, and it may be weeks
before they are recovered.
PitifuI Scenes.
Pitiful scenes are reported among
the women and children. Many wom-
en- have been separated from their
husbands; mothers from their chill
dren, without knowledge Of the where
abouts OF one another.
1t is thought that the damage will
be far in excess of first estimates.
Monterey smelter, one of the largest in
Mexico. suffered great loss from the
deluge of rain. This loss is vario1sly
estimated from 1000. 900 to $4,000
900.
The Monterey steel plant, the only
plant of it's kind in the republic, and
which cost originally $4,000, 900 to
construct, is reported to have been
damaged to the extent of from $4,000
900 to SO, 900. 900. The electric light and
street railway system of Monterey
was damaged to the extent Of approx
mately 81, 900. 900.
This damage, together with the loss
nesulting from humiliation of approx
mately 5000 adobe huts and some
structures of more pretentious appear
ance will bring the financial loss up
to approximately $12.0 00, 900.
Little effort TO recover the bodies of
the drowned has yet been made, the
chief thing done under the chaotic
conditions prevailing being providing
OF shelter and food for the living.