Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-11-20
Northwestern State at Mercy
of Raging Rivers Swollen By
Heavy Rains and Melting
Snow in Mountains,
PROPERTY LOSS WILL
REACH ENORMOUS TOTAL
Railroads Put Out of Commits
sion, Bridges, Tracks and.
Roadbed Being Swept Away.
or Inundated.


IBy Morning Journal Special Leased wire.l
Seattle, Wash, Nov. 19.-The
warm chinook winds of the past few
|ldays bringing heavy downpOur of
rain in the lowlands ana melting the
six feet of early snow in the Cas-
cade mountains flooded the rivers
of western Washington today broke
Athe dam OF the Municipal Electric
plant, cut off Seatle's water supply,
,demorallzed railroad service, washed
out bridges and flooded many farms
and valley towns
No lives have been reported los
\ The FLOOD increased tonight ana II
is feared that the propertydamage VIII
be enormoua
, The mpounded waters carried
away the five-foot crest of the mu-
nieipal power plant at Moncton, put
ting the municipal electric light
plant there out of commission, ana
Seattles streets are dark tonight ex-
cept for what power the city has been
able to borrow form other sources
The water released by the breaking
of the dam swept down the canyon
in wall thirteen feet high and SIX
teen miles below Monoton carried
away the bridge supporting the two
conduits which bring the city's water
supply from Cedar Lake, thirty-five
miles west Of the city.
Seattle however, will not feel the
shortage Immediately, as reservoirs
this side of the break, holding l0O,-
900, goo gallons, will, with careful
usage, last a week.
The water swent through the streets
of Benton, a town of 1000 inhabitants
driving the people to the hills and
leaving two feet of water in the town
Railroad wires are down and the
full extent OF the damage cannot be
learned tonight The Great Northern
coast line is blocked between Everett
and Bellingham and the overland
train Is tied up by landslide five
miles east of Index The Great Nor
thern expects 10 get its line open to-
morrow.
The Northern Pacifics Transcon-
tinental line is also tied up by land
slides in the mountains. Overland
trains are being routed through Port
land over the Spokane, Portland and
Seattle railway. Trains to Spokane
are running from twelve to twenty
four hours late.
Local officers OF the Northern Pa
cific said they axpecttt TO nave their
nne open by Tucste} but reports IRON
Ellensburg on the eastern slope told
of heavy rock slides at Easton and
Laconia today and it IL believed that
traffic will be delayed week.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget
Sound railway is making no efofrt to
send out its transcontinental trains.
The Milwaukee road uses the line of
the Columbia and Puget Sound be-
tween Seattle and Maple Valley
twenty-five miles east of here. Traf-
fc on this line has been stopped on
account Of the dangerous condition of
big steel bridge at Benton, which
was thrown eight inches out of line
and cannot be repaired before Mon
day night.
The Milwaukee was also tied up
on its own line east OF Maple Valley
by land slides at several places and
operating officials would venture no
oplnion as to when service would be
II stnl ed
The valley between Seattle and Ia
coma Is inundated and interurban
trains are operating with difficulty.