Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-06
CAL|ENTE UNDER
SAND AND WATER.
Flood Three Feet Deep Cause of
Much Suffering Among
The People.
@ANY ARE IN NEED OF FOOD
Courier Tells Graphic Story of Distress
-saII Lake Route pnsscn-
gers Arc Safe.

Devastation has been wrought In
Caiiente by the u, DDS. according to
Information received In this city
Mounted courlers are just beginning to
arrive In southern Utah towns from
the stricken region and their travel
has been accomplished only at the
risk of their lives The first news from
the stricken center was brought to
Modena by Benjamin Wadsworth from
Panaca, New He dccs res that water
three feet deep is now covering Cal
iente and that the misery and suffer
ing accompanying the flood are In
tense. There is dire need OF food for
the stricken men, women and children
at that point. Mr.. Wadsworth declares
that sand and mud washed into the
roundhouse To depth of three feet and
ut times the water was higher than
the driving wheels of the engines. The
station is flooded to q depth of sever
al feet. The water pouring into it and
into homes over the window sills
Doors were calked with paper and rags
In the hope of resisting the water
but the rapid itFe made all attempts
futile. Many buildings have been
wrecked, some OF them floating down
the new-madc lake like houscboats.
Every wagon and railroad bridge Is
gone and not building OF any kind.
on high or low ground. but what has
been flooded and is now covered on the
ground floor with from one TO two
feet and more OF water. sand and
mud.
Editor Graham of the Caliente Times
was Mr.. wadsworths informant and
he said that at the Hot Springs OF
Calcnte that the water r.,ured into the
bathrooms over the transoms. His
picture of the misery of the place was
graphic, but he declared that words
could not tell all of tho suffering being
visited upon the unfortunate residents
of the place.
Loss OF life is feared at Muddy River |
though no communication with this !
section has been possible as yet The |
section house at Big Springs has gone |
In the flood and much suffering Is |
being endured there. but no loss OF llfo |
is yet reported from actual physical |
violence, but the conditions are such |
that pneumonia may sieze the victims |
who are battling against 1t as their |
chief enemy. Lack OF food is causing |
much suffering.
The thermometer at Modena registers |
is degrees below zero. The sheriff OF !
Lincoln county has been appealed to /
10 send help to Caliente. but whether |
any assistance can be sent is doubted. |
as the place is almost impossible to |
reach from the outside.
PASSENGERS ARE SAFE.
General Manager r. L. Wells OF the |
Salt Lake Route has left this city to
attend personally to the work of rolief |
Before leaving he said:
The passengers from the delayed
train, nine in number. are well on the
way by wagon TO Barclay, where they
arc expected to arrive Thursday after
noon. The train Will be held till they
arrive and they will be brought on at
once to Salt Lake. where they will ar
rive Friday morning.
1--WE expect to get them into Salt
Lake Thursday morning, making the
ride across country in the wagon In
one day, but the weather has been too
cold and they had 10 lay over They
VIII no doubt start late in the forenoon
after the weather warns up somewhat
as there Is no especial need of haste
They are being well cared for at the |
expense Of the road and everything pos
slble Is being done for their comfort
All are well. There is not the slightest
occasion TO worry over their position
from the point of personal safety.
investigations are being made con-
cernlng the extent of the damage TO the
road itself Just what the damage Is
we do not know. but 1t looks as IL we
could e In fair shape in a couple of
months The damage will not be as
great AS might be expected from such
& flood. The road is we'll built, and
although washed out in part much OF
II remains In place.
The food was something no human
wisdom could forsee. 1t reached higher
by far than the highest known water
mark. and we had our road well above
the line where the water had ever come
before.
so far as we know tonight only
one railroad life is lost. track walker
near Calientc, We have not yet re-
ceived any details about IT and MS the
wires are In such bad shape we cam
not find out any more about him, Ex-
cept this one we look for no more loss
OF human life. The loss to the railroad
is severe. but is far less than 1t might
have been, especially II the line had
not been so solidly built in the worst
places In many places where the
roadbed did go out the whole side of
the hill went with II. so that was be-
yond human power To prevent like an
earthquake.
.All trains I'm Utah arc running as
usual and will continue to do so. We
will have u through train over the line
within a couple of months at the most.
The disaster might have been far worse
than il is. Fortunately no lives were
lost except that one. and that Is what
VIC care tho most about. the safety OF
our ~ sgengcrf
STORY OF C0NvICT'S LIFE.