The Elbert County tribune., 1911-10-13
COLORADO IS
STORM SWEPT
FOLLOWING cLouDevRsT FLOODS
DEvAsTATE SAN JUAN
DISTRICT.
LOSS OF LIFE UNKNOWN
RAILROADS, HIGHWAYS. TOWNS.
BRIDGES AND CROPS RUINED
DAMAGE IS $s,oooooo.
w...srn Nsw.papsr union New. servIse.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Durango, Colo-The San Luis val
ley and the San Juan country have
been damaged millions of dollars with
a loss of life that is yet unknown be-
cause of the meagreness of detail in
the first dispatches received from the
fiood-devastated districts. Railroads.
state and county highways, towns,
bridges and crops in the last few
days have suffered as the result of
cioudbursts and torrential rains here
tofore unprecedented in Colorado
The burden of special dispatches
from Durango. Ouray, Alamosa. Anto-
nito, Rico, Cortez and half dozen
smaller towns is ruin and desolation
that will take months to repair
Buildings of every description were
torn bodily from their foundations;
haystacks, heavy logs and railroad
and bridge timbers were swept away
and tossed like straws on the crcsts
OF surging waters; miles upon miles
OF Denver & Rio Grande track were
ripped from the roadbed in various
places and twisted into hopeless
tangies of steel and wood. and little
village east OF Durango, containing
fifty souls, is reported to have been
wiped off the map. Hairbreadth es-
capes were numerous and hundreds
haze been made homeless throughout
the flooded districts which extend
from the center of the San Luis val
fey westward across the San Juan
ranges and down the Animas valley
clear across the borders of New Mex
leo
From Durango. which has been cut
off from the outside world, come re-
ports of loss of 100000 to the rail-
road; 100000 to the farmers of the
region. and 100000 in the destruc-
ton of bridges. Only one bridge is
left standing in La Plata county. FIT
teen miles of track between Durango
and Silyerton are reported gone.
Losses OF life are feared at Dolores
Ead Cortcz Efforts to get into COM
rnication with these towns were fu-
tile.
From Telluride comes the report
that the little town of Hesperus was
saved. only by miners dynamiting a
dam and changing the course of the
floods.
The breaking OF the D. & r. G. levee
threatened the entire business district
of Aiamosa. Only the Herculean eff
forts OF the Inhabitants prevented dis
,aster. So great was the force OF the
waters that cement sidewalks were
undermined and carried from ten to
twenty feet away Scores of families
aiying along the south side of the Rio
Grande river had to be rushed to
places OF safety in wagons
Among the hairbreadth escapes re-
ported is that of train OF mule teams
In the Uncompahgre cahon, near Du-
range. At Mineral park the mule
trams that had left Durango to get
supplies for the town had just crossed
section of road supported by 400
feet or cribbing when the cribbing sud
denly gave way and plunged sheer for
a depth OF COO feet into the bed of the
canon.
A stretch OF fifteen miles of track
between Durango and Silverton is re-
ported completely gone.
The effects OF the flood at Durango
will be more far-reaching than was
thought at first. 1t has been reported
that the damage done locally to the
Rio Crande railway can be repaired
In from one to three months but until
che officers OF the road can make the
estimate 1t cannot be said with any
degree OF certainty just how much
time will be required to repair the
damage.
The storm continued with un.
abated severity for twenty four hours
throughout the Animas valley and
over the entire San Juan ranges. The
rainfall in Durango was a pttle over
rounding it was from seven to eight
inches. Only one bridge is left stand
ting In La Plata county.
At I.aboca the section hos sc of the
railway company was was he'd away
aud the tracks also washed away for
a short distance.
From Durango to FarmingtTn. n. NJ.
the roadbed of the Denve' & Ric
Grande Southern is out completely
At Mancos the damage rel orted is
slight comparatively
Officials have estimated tha. at Du
range and surrounding country the
loss to the railroad will total $5o0.o0C
and that the farmers of ths territory
have sustained loss to thsir property
close on to 100000. Tho valley was
flooded to depth OF fiftsen to twenty
feet throughout. the storm seemingly
being series OF clouebursts.