The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-07-18
DENVER SWEPT BY
I STORM; TWO DEAD
Six Hundred Left Homeless When
Greek 0verfloWs.
PROPERTY LOSS sl,5oo,ooo
Mysterious Telephone Message Warns
People Along Swollen Stream In
Time to Escape Rushing
Waters.

tiHe " ESCAPE hasHnt
Waters.
Denver, July 16.--Hundreds of men.
women and children are homeless.
scores Of deaths are rumored and 81
10000 worth Of property 10 In ruins
here az the result OF q cloudburst
which poured down the shallow bed OF
Cherry creek. through this city, into
the South Platte river.
The big city auditorium il refugee
camp commanded by Fire Commits
sionsr McGrew and Chief of Police
O'Neil. Five hundred homeless men.
women and children gathered there
are fed by the city. Twenty-Five babies
from six months to six years old,
whose parents are believed to have
been lost, are In the care of the po-
lice matron.
Searching Parties Sent Out.
After directing relief and rescue
work all night. Mayor Arnold organ
tied relief parties at dawn to begin
the search Of the course Of the food.
which IL trail of wrecked dwellings,
debris from which Is heaped in the
sluggish current of the South Platte
The chamber OF commerce has open
ed relief subscription. The food 10
without parallel In the history Of the
city.
Reports along the course Of Cherry
creek indicate an augmentation Of the
loss Of property in the outlying dis.
ltricts.
Had It not been for note of warn
ing sounded over the telephone to the
city hall just before the crest Of the
flood reached the city many could not
have escaped death.
The message, from q person as yet
unknown, was repeated along the
course Of the creek and some of the
jewellers on the banks of the creek
were able to fee in time. many In
their night clothes. That many were
caught in their sleep ia the general
belief.
High Wind Preeedes Deluse.
The crest of the cloudburst was pre-
coded by storm with wind velocity
of .forty-eight miles an hour late in
the afternoon. In two hours hard rain
the streets and sewers were overflow
ing. the tramway lines were out Of
commission, hundreds were marooned
In the parks around the city and fifty
miles OF city roadway was destroyed.
Then came lull OF four hours. dur
ing which the car lines were returning
to schedule through flooded streets.
At about $3.50 o'clock the cry Of
warning OF the coming flood reached
the city hall and Mayor Arnold. With.
in thirty minutes a wall Of water Is
feet high descended on the city In
Cherry Greek, the course of which en-
tiers the city near the southeast cor
.ner and flows northwest through the
Country club grounds, passing within
i've blocks Of the city hall, the county
hospital. the West Side court, out to
the South Platte, Ave miles distant.
1t ripped out concrete walls that
confined 1t for two miles, destroyed
upright bridges and hundreds Of small
dwellings and drove their occupants
from their homes or to roof tops, from
which they were rescued by members
of the police and fire departments,
who had been ordered to rescue work
on receipt Of the warning receipt by
the mayor,
Railroad Passengers Marooned.
Reaching the Union station, II
spread three feet of water through the
yard, putting locomotive fires out, ma.
rooning several hundred passengers
and closing the city to incoming or
out outgoing traffic. In half an hour
1000 miles of tramway lines were put
out Of commission. while sewer. un.
dermined, broke and flooded Capitol
Hill, the aristocratic section Of the
city.
A general call to physicians speedily
gathered star at police headquar.
tiers, and they were dispatched to the
edge Of the food in police automo,
biles.
Not until the telephone and tele.
graph lines are restored will the full
extent Of the damage be known.
Floods XIII 1000 In Mexico.
Mexico City. July 16.-Cloudbursts
and floods in the state of Gaunajuato
have killed sover 1000 persons and
have caused property loss of $40.
100000.
The cities of Salamanca and Celaya
are reported to have been wiped out
and crops in district OF more than
10000 square miles have been de.
stroyed.