Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-10
GENERAL MANAGER
MAKES STATEMENT
II. E. Wells Compelled to Answer so
Many Inquiries That His Office
Has Been SwQmpcd.

That the extent OF the damage done
to the property OF the Salt Lake Route
by the recent heavy floods in the
Meadow Valley Wash country Is
practically irreparable Is the grow
ing impression of those familiar with
the facts, and there Is grave doubts II
the railroad Will attempt to reconstruct
the line through this dangerous stretch
after the experiences OF 1907 and those
of the recent disastrous flood
From accounts of passengers who
were in the range of the devastating in
undation, and from newspapers pub
lishe0 In that section, il is learned that
tho town of Caliente Is practically de-
stroyed, and that the branch of tho
road to Pioche has been almost en-
1IreIy washed away. Great difficulty
WIS experienced in saving the women
and children from the flood waters dur
ing the extreme height OF waters nj
Callonte, and men and teams worked
heriocally until they were compelled
to desst by the rising waters. The
| flood was accompanied by heavy snow
storms. and the wind was a chill blast.
Fortunately no lives were lost during
this terrible time. but many cattle were
washed away and any number of
houses and outbuildlngS were torn from
Il
the turgid waters. A freight train
was caught 30 miles below the town and
two carloads of horses were drowned.
General Manager Il. T.. Wells of the
Salt Lake Route has been besieged with
inquiries as to the extent Of the dam
age done and as to the probable time
of the resumption of traffic. To these
questions General Manager Wells has
issued n general reply which he re-
quests The DeSeret News to publish.
The statement follows:
"Since the flood in the Meadow VAL
ley Wash and Clover Creek. occur
ing tho night of Dec. 81 there has
the public, and the press has, very
properly, been after me for informa-
ton, and 1t is with extreme regret that
I cannot even now answer definitely
the questions which have been asked.
1T has been asked, first, as to the
extent of the damage. second, as to the
length of time necessary for the re-
sumption of traffic and third, as to
whether or not the line shall be recon
structed in its present location In
answer. the extent of the damage can
only be determined after a careful in
spection has been made. This Is now
being done by the chief engineer. who
left the extreme west of the washed
out district yesterday morning. fe-
ppltillb tlllt WIN SoOu luck ana SO0u
weather, he should make the trip IN
seven or eight days. However, the in
formation at hand indicates that the
damage Is much more severe than re-
suited from the disastrous floods three
years ago. AS to the time when traffic
will be resumed, 1t is impossible TO
state. This. of course, too Is dependent
entirely on the report of the chief en-
gneer.
THE fact has been very clearly DEM
onstrated that 1t Is not practicable to
maintain a railroad in the washed out
district on the present grade line.
Whether or not same may be recon-
structed at a reasonable cost, so as to
prevent a recurrence of this and for
mer disasters. can only be determined
after careful examination and con-
sideration."