The Elbert County tribune., 1912-07-19

A JOY RIDE AFTER THE FLOOD


yer last Sunday morning, arriving about
9;45 n. m. AT p. nj. we visited friends
in North Denver. About p. m. it start
ed what looked TO be an ordinary shower,
but in 30 minutes the water came down
in torrents, it seemed that every cloud
above turned upside down and we stay
ed right there. 1t was an afternoon 81
cloud bursts; one over east Denver, one
over north Denver. one at Palmer Lake
and one about Hill Top.
Next morning We started for Elbert.
When we crossed the l4th street via
duct there we're hundreds OF people
watching over the rail, everything light
and loose was washed into the Platt
river. The flood reached Denver about
$3.50, most OF the water coming at oncet
space will not permit me to go into de-
tail but at 10 p. m. there was feet Of
water and mud in the Union Depot and
all over lower Denver, reaching from
Larimer down to 18th street and on
down. Every basement below Lari-
mer had from 3 to 8 feet OF water in
them, the loss is estimated at over a
million dollars, all of the iron bridges
stood but all wooden ones went. May
or Speers Sunken Gardens we're down
so far we could not see them, also tear
ing great chunks out OF the Boulevard
all along. We only heard of three or
four being drowned. Three or four
hundred Italians from the bottoms
were housed in the Auditorium.
Large cottonwood trees and wooden
bridges lodged against the Lar
inner street bridge caused the water to
spread over town, then the cloud burst
on Capitol Hill filled all the upper base
ments down 18th, 10th and 18th streets.
All the bridges along the wagon road
near Porker went out, several autos a.
long the road were stuck. at the bridge
close to Parkes a REQ was pulled out
just before we got there, the gulch did
not look good to US but we thought we
would try it, SO we dipped the dip as it
were and landed safely on the other
side, the velvit coaster wasn't in it with
those washouts; after US came Beuick
it stayed, then Ford it stayed also till
help came.
Parker wss a sight, the water had
been "a feet deep in the hotel end all
the cellars filed but no one was hurt
The top was taken clear off the State
bridge and we had to cross in the creek
bed above it, most OF the water came
down Sulphur gulch and Sampson
gulch by Melvin. Old timers say they
never saw SO much water in Cherry
creek since ia, it took out the r. r,
bridge below Parker and half Of the one
at Parker, it carried the r. r. track
from three to five hundred yards west
and lodged it near the church leaving
no track on the right-of-way between
the bridge and the depot. A streak OF
hail running from west to east right
through Parker, about 21s miles wide
and 10 miles long left foot Of hail apd
all crops and vegetation in its path
was beaten into tee ground, trees did
not have leaf left on them, every thing
perished, 1t did most damage around
Parker outside OF Denver. 1t will be
IL days or two weeks before any trains
will get through. Coming this way
from Parker the roads were very good
to the top Of the Diviue where they
showed signs of recent rains but no hail
l never was much for excitement but
this time we surely got ours, they car
all have their Queen city of tie PLANES