Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-05-23
Approach to Barelas Structure
Washed Out by Settling
Torrent Of Biggest River for
Many Years.
BRIDGE AT C0CHITI
REPORTED DESTROYED
Span Goes Out at Belen and
River is Threatening Farm
ing Lands North of Albu-
querque.

With the west approach to the Bar
elias bridge al Albuquerque washed
out 50 nadiy that II A. barely passable;
with q thlriy-foot span OF the bridge
as Reien torn away and 2 bridge al
cochiti, north 81 here. reported de-
stroyed by the seetn,ng torrent 81 wa
ter the Rio Grande In the past twenty
four hours has gone on q real ram
page and great anxiety ~ felt by res-
idengs along the stream both north
and south. Aggregate damage
amounting 80 thousands Of dollars has
already been done and reports from
up the river indicate that the worst Is
by no means over. swollen 90 the
limit OF Us hanks by the rapid melt
Ing % the SHOWS on heudwatcrs. re-
sulting from the continued warm
weather. thu rio Grande Is carrying
tremendous volume OF water whica
Is sweeping with Il everything in is
path.
The river az this point. which fell
six inches this morning IT, rising
thls afternoon and IL bigger tann
Il has ever been seen here.
the turbld waters rushing like a mill
race under the Bareias bridge with
the strongest current RICH az the
west end OF the bridge, wly4re tho
white capped waves are several feet
high. The protective work at the
west approach, done partly ~ the
Missouri valley Bridge and Iron COM
pany, has been literally wrecked, the
reayy pillns being pulled out from n
depth OF twenty 10 thirty feet like
toothpicks while the earth embank-
rnent mas been washed half away.
There Is barely room Tor wagon 10
get on or on the bridge and unless the
present emergency work is done rap
idly the whole approach will 20.
A force % men Is AZ work anchor
ing tie l00sened piiing 10 the bank
ana piling IN trees and adobe and IL
is hoped to save chs approach il the
river does not rise further County
Surveyor Pitt Ross Inspector che APP
proach az $3.50 TINS morning and Il
was an right. A Waterman found Il
sliding into the river at about Z
o'clock, hammered BE- the resistless
current which sets Ia straight toward
the bridge az this point and whlch
had undermined the pihng.
me water Ii rapidly spreading over
the lewiands along the west side 0r
the river and piling up inside the dyke
on the Barelas side.
The county surveyor - working
night and day. returning from Ala
media az o'clock this morning and
going back up there with Chairman
AIRED Grunsfeld OF the county com
miasioners and others at oclorls
this afternoon. II. l.. Wootton taIe-
phonod Mayor Sellers this morning
that the river had broken through the
dyke below the Perfecto ArmiiO ranch
and was doing considerable damage.
Manuel Gonzales ~ Cochlu. a reliable
citizen. telephoncQ 10 ar. Grunsfeld
this morning that the bridge at CO.
chiii WAS being carried out, but a
telephone message this afternoon
from Julius Sellsman. OF the BornaI-
no Mercantile company. az DcminRo.
gave the Information that the san
Felipe bridge az San Felipe village
Inns not been damaged By high wa f.
ser as had been reported. Mr.. soiie-
nam also says that tile bridge al Coz
chit has also withstood the floods
successfully thus far
Mr. Grunafcld said this noon that
every possible precautlon was taken
1 iof the pfoteetiop OF the valley and
that an q available men and teams
were being pressed into service.
Max Paul Kempenich. General
merchant az Peralia, telephoned the
Heraid this noon that the river was
/ doing considerable damaee 20 ditch
headgates IN that vicinity and that a
thirty-foer foot center span or the
Helen wagon bridge had gone down
under tho weight OF a drove OF cat
tie' four being drowned and the
bridge rendered useless.