Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-15
Hundreds Are Driven From
Home in the City of
Denver.
$500, 900 IS DAMAGE
Relief Parties Work Through
Night-Four Persons Are
Killed at Alton, Ill.


DENVER, JULY 15.-TWo DEAD,
FIVE INJURED, TWO MISSING AND |
PROPERTY DAMAGE OF AT LEAST
TWO MILLIONS WERE FACTS
KNOWN AT NOON TODAY IN CON-
NEcTIoN WITH LAST NIGHTS
FLOOD.
INDIVIDUAL ESTIMATES OF
PROPERTY DAMAGE RUN AS HIGH
AS FIVE MILLIONS.
Denver, Col, July 15.-At least 600
persons are homeless, several deaths
are rumored. and S1,5O0,O00 damage Is
estimated today as result Of cloud
burst which swept down Cherry creek
and through the city into the South
Platte last night. At daylight hun
dreds of men, women and children
gathered al the city auditorium to be
fed end cared for by the city. Hun
dreds of homes are in ruins. Mayor
Arnold with volunteer relief parties
out the night Wagon after wagon was
driven into the flood to return again
and again with men, women and chill
dren drenched in their night clothing.
MESSAGE OF WARNING.
| Had it not been for a note of warn
city hall just before the crest of the
flood reached the city, many could not
have escaped death. his message,
from a person yet unknown. repeated
along the course of the creek, enabled
many to flee in time. That many were
caught in their sleep is the general
belief
UNDER TWO FEET OF WATER.
:. Practically the entire resident dis
trict from Broadway east to the city
limits, for blocks on each side, and
from Broadway to the Platte river, be-
tween Thirteenth street and Seventh
. avenue, was under two feet of water
, this morning The area is about four
miles.
4S-MILE WIND.
, The crest of the cloudburst was pre-
ceded by a storm with a wind veloc
: ity of 48 miles an hour at 3 O'Clock
l yesterday afternoon. After a two
: hours hard rain the street sewers
were overfiowing, tramway lines out
: of commission, hundreds were ma
: rooned in parks around the city anC
r so miles of city roadway was de
} stroyed. Then came a lull of foul
/ hours, during which car lines we're re
i turning to schedule through flooded
. streets.
( 25-FOOT WATER WALL.
About $50 last night, a cry o
e warning of the coming flood reached
!. the city hall Within 80 minutes, ;
i wall of water 25 feet high descended
y upon the city in Cherry creek, th'
J. course of which enters the city nea
the southeast corner and flows north
west to the South Platte river, fiv,
miles. 1t ripped out concrete wall
that confined it for two miles, de
) stroyed upright bridges, hundreds 0
S small dwellings, drove occupants from
e their homes or to roof tops. from
S which they were rescued by police an,
r rescue work by Mayor Arnold.
n PREsERVERs MARoONED.
Reaching union station, it sprea
e three feet of water through the yaTC
putting locomotive fires out, maroon
ing several hundred passengers an
closing the city TO incoming and gu
II going traffic. In half an hour tran
J. way lines we're out of commission.
r sewer, undermined, broke and fioode
r Capitol hill, the aristocratic section {
a the city. Not until wires are restore
e today will the full extent OF the dan
age be known.
GOLF COURSE DAMAGED.
Play Of the qualifying round in tn
e 14th tournament of the Western Go
association was postponed until tomo
Il row owing 10 the destruction OF pal
u OF the course by the food. The pr,
y gram will be carried out tomorro
u over nine-hole course.
STORM FATAL AT ALTON.
;. Alton, Ill. July 15.-Four person
were killed in Alton yesterday whe
cloudburst caused a food whic
swept through two streets and d
- stroyed several houses. The names
= the dead follow:
IN ARTHUR BOYCE.
ne MRS. FRANCIS MAGUIRE.
ID GOLDIE MAGUIRE.
n MRS. HESTER MOSS.