El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-07-18
AUTOMOBILES
NARROWED BY
THE WASHOUTS
Rushing in Torrents From
Mountains, Water Floods
the County Road.

were marooned on the lower county
road Friday evening and traffic
STONED for more than three hours when
the heavy rainstorm washed mud SAND
and silt onto the road at the 1lNe mile
bridge The rain was much heavier IN
the vicinity Of Xsleta than It was IN
the CITY and the water from the mesa
near the five mile bridge carried the
mud and silt over the road until II
was covered to a depth OF three rect
Water was backed up on the county
rosd FOR a distance of two miles west
Of the bridge and a number OF automo-
biles and wagons were held up on the
Water Very High
The water was deep enough in places
to run into the beds of the automobiles
and many of the engines were stopped
and il was necessary to wait until the
water receded sufficiently 10 permit
the auuOsNt to continue TO the CITY )
J. Raster was returning from funeral
at Ysleta in his Studebaker touring
car and was accompanied BY his big
ambulance and Ford car me ambu-
lance and the Ford crossed the Dad
Mace in the road but the Studebaker
stripped its gears and Mr. Raster was
brought 10 the city by, C. W wilcox
in his Moline touring car, rope hav-
ing been attached to the Studebaker
and the disabled car towed In M
Wilcox had attempted TO return by the
north loop road but encountered a lake
Of water near where this road joins
the county road. He returned 10
YsIeta and ran as far as the five mile
bridge where the road was covered
with mud and sand He attempted TO
drive up the south bank OF the lrr1-
cation canal and succeeded IN regain
ing the county road only after placing
hay on the canal bank and using rope
on his rear wheels
Wagons Were MarOOned-
A horse drawn truck from the FL
Paso dairy and a hay wagon were also
marOoned at the bridge and the horses
unhitched. Three teams OF army mules
attached to supply wagons were used
in getting the automobiles through the
mud.
up for more than three hours on the
east side OF the washOut until they
could be towed over the bad place in
the road Other cars which were held
up were Capt. A P. Watts in his IN
terstate; DR.. S. Turner in his Pierce
Arrow: Mrs Margaret Howley in a
Ford car. Others were delayed on both
sides Of the washOut until the water
had receded- Some OF the cars waited
until after o'clock before they could
cross the bad place The mud was
three feet deep in places and covered
the paved road for distance Of more
than so feet
Railroad WashOut.
The water washed out a short sec
ton Of the c. H railroad track near
the five mile bridge and the mud COW
cred the track two feet deep in one
place 1t was necessary to hold up
freight train until the track could be
cleared and the washout cribbed-
The rain was heavy throughout the
valley and much hay wss ruined as
it was on the ground when the rain
The rain started in FL Paso shortly
before o'clock and continued until
after 3. The streets were again
flooded. the storm sewers filled and
q
tracks could be cleared Another
heavy downpour occurred after mid
night
Struck By Lightning.
A bolt Of lightning struck the resi-
dence Of Mr.. and Mrs E. J. Bartholo-
mae at 707 North Campbell street about
4.45 o'clock Friday Afternoon The
lightning hit the chimney, knocking
the bricks to the fireplace. It also
affected the telephone wires, putting
the phone out Of commission. and tore
down the wires OF the tin storm flues
over. the chimney and ripped up some
Of the tin.
Telephones Damaged.
The Tri-State Telephone company
had its troubls Friday evening during
the storm. The rain went through the
insulation on the cables and interfered
with the service, until repairs could
be made. One Of the cables in east
FL Paso was out Of commission Friday
night because of the storm and the
service of the telephone plant was in
terrupted for a short time during the
storm
T. & P. Is Held Up.
Fearing a washout a few miles be-
low Washington park, where water was
flowing over the tracks, train No 4, OF
the L & p was held at the union
depot Friday night until an examina-
ton of the track had been made and
found unchanged The train was de-
layed one hour and 40 minutes. leaving
FL Paso at $40 p. n. A similar occur
renee delayed train No SIS, OF the
Santa Fe. six hours at a point just
above Whitespur. about eight miles
from FL Paso, Friday night. Train No.
SIG. scheduled TO leave FL Paso at $50
D. m, lef the station at sos p. m, when
il was discovered that the tracks were
not damaged by the rush Of water from
the hills. Saturday morning all trains
were running on time
Families Rendered Homeless.
Several families living on North
Campbell street were rendered home
less by water flooding the easements
Of buildings there and were forced TO
seek shelter at the police station for
the night, where they were cared for
at the direction Of mayor Kelly, who
personally investigated their plight
soon after the storm. They were made
as comfortable as possible