The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-01-14
SALT LAX Err
SAW THE
FLOOD

wrought by water" The speaker was
I. n. Fitzgerald a well-lnoWn citiz-
en- of Salt Lake. as he was talking
TO The Tribune Thursday evening.
Mr.. Fitzgerald had just returned homo
from Moapa. coming home via Los
Angeles and San Francisco Contln-
ulng, Mr.. Fitzgerald said.
Tuesday evening, December 2Sth.
DR.. j. M. Dart and / left Salt Lake,
for Moapa, to look over tho landed
interests which VIC arc Interested in
thore. Tho weather was pleasant
when VIC reached Moapa, although
from Lyon down 10 the mouth OF the
Meadow Valley wash canyon It was
unusually cold. Thursday afternoon a
chinook wind began blowing. and Fri
day thero was considerable water
coming down tho wash.
Saturday morning we were At Lo.
gan, In the lower part OF tho Meadow
Valley wash. and we started 10 drive
TO Moapu. We had spanking pair OF
mulos. and we made good time up TO
tho wash. We stopped at the little
town about noon. and We're there ad-
YiSed that food was coming down
tho wash, which was a fearful one.
and that VIC had better take TO the
high ground
Flood Reaches Moapa.
Saturday evening the flood struck
tho region We were In at Moapa.
The sight was appalling There was a
wall oil water as high as an ordinary
house. and 1t swept everything before
1t, Nothing could resist the advance
OF that onrushing flood, Debris OF all
kinds was brought down with the
flood and the right-of-wny of the Salt
Lake Route through the Meadow Val
Icy wash was entirely obliterated.
There was nothing left OF it
When tell you that there arc box
cars. railroad bridges, SECTIONS Of rails
fastened to the ties that are now
eighteen miles away from where the
railroad track wae, II will give YOU an
Idea OF the awfOluess of tho flood But
these evidences of the flood are seen,
and there can be no question about It,.
The railroad is completely destroyed
for many. many niles-absolutely
wiped of the earth; nothing to in
dicate that there over was i track OF
roadbcd there.
Ranches are Ruined.
I'm the lower valley alfalfa fields
are covered with muck two feet In
depth. absolutely running the folds and
DESTROYING all vegetation In the reg
ion above Logan and St Thomas. The
vegetable crop is ruined The upper
part of the Meadow Valley Is not hurt
Tho financial loss will aggregate
millions Of dollars. and when full re-
ports from points up the canyon are
received II Will be found that the loss
Of life will be heavy. I saw one
corpse floating down the river. but 1t
was impossible 10 rescue il.
"On tine ranch Of Joseph Perkes a
hired man and Mr.. Perkes started on
horseback across the farm TO a neigh
bors only a few rods distant, and
they were caught by the flood. their
horses drowned, and they cluns to
trees until rescued later
"On the ranch OF Mr. Wells the
waves which beat around his home
were over five feet high. and a neigh
Dor ranchman of MI Wells had $4,000
worth OF cattle drowned The Cannon
Brothers of Salt Lake. who own a
ranch along the river. had 100 head of
hogs swept away.
Steel Bridges Bend Like Reeds.
THE steel bridges which the rail-
road has constructed and which 1T
was believed would withstand almost
anything, were picked up and tossed
about ike feathers and were twisted
and bent as easily as If they had been
wire
Last year there was shipped from
Moapa 1856 cars of cantaloupes and so
car loads of lettuce and asparagus
and other garden truck This year
none will be shipped. for there will
be no way 10 get out. Just now in
the upper valley there was no dam
age done, there are tons Of aspara-
gus now about ready for market and
in a week or two lettuce Will be
ready. out It will have to be thrown
away. as there Is no way TO ship IL
out no: Will there be for some time.
] tell you that Salt Lake people do
not realize what a great calamity TO
Salt Lake City Is the destruction Of
the Salt Lake road through the wash.
Drove Fifty Miles,
"The doctor and ] drove from Mo-
apa to Las Vegas a distance of 0fty
miles. All along the Meadow river Is
scattered the wreckage OF the flood.
People who have lived IN that region
for years cannot recall anything lil1e
this flood In fact. IL is believe that
nothing Ike 1t was over known be-
fore.
There are great many people I'm
the lower valley. farmers and ranch
men. who arc absolutely ruined by
the flood.
The Salt Lake Route will never
again be constructed through the Mea-
dow Valley wash canyon. There is
no likelihood OF another flood like
tins one sweeping the canyon in many
years tn come. and yet a quick thaw
like the one Of December 81 and Jan
uary l might cause another equally as
great as this. NO one. of course, can
tell, brt the fall OF snow packed down
I'm the range Is greater than ever be
fore known.
I'VE came home from Los Vegas In
Il round-G bout way, using the Tonopah
< Tidewater railway part of the way,
the Salt Lake Route part Of the way
and then the Southern Pacific from
Los Angeles to San Francisco and
thence TO Salt Lake
Was Terrible Experience,
While 1t was an experience II was
the kind OF an experience | never
want 10 go through again The roar
of that awful wall OF water which we
could hear when il was ten miles
away | shall never forget And when
the wave came In sight it was apPall-
ing. 1t cannot be described. Yes,