Bisbee daily review., 1915-05-05
RELIEF IS PLANNED FOR SUFFERERS AT
 LYMAN RESERVOIR
Senator Golfer Tells Graphic Story of the Disaster and Ex- plains the Urgent Need of Re- lief Measures.

Wei MtdSul 6Ss
 PHOENIX, May 4.-Many members | of the Second State Legislature are interesting themselves in plans to afford some measure of relief Go the stricken people of Apache county ho lost their all by the recent breaking .of the Lyman Reservoir, near St. Johns.
 When it is realized that eight lives were lost and property valued at near iy one-half million dollars was de- stroyed, the magnitude of the disaster may be partially comprehended.
 With this property loss falling al- most entirely on men without means, settlers who had pinned their faith to this project for redemption of tn lesert waste in order that they might build homes for themselves and their antilles, the awfUlness of the disaster and the necessity for relief may be tully understood.
 But little concerning the inception and destruction of the Lyman Reser ,oir has been told, owing to the dis ,ance from railway and telegraph com lunication Senator Fred IT, Colter, Apache county, tells a very interest ng and vivid story of the happening He said:
 Many people to whom I have talk ed concerning the breaking of the Ly- man Reseryoirwere under the impres- sion that the disaster could have been averted had proper care been taken Such. however, is not the case. From | the time the reservoir started to i'll, it has never been without guards or inspectors. Men of experience have always been there to give warning at the first intimation Of danger.
 "On the night the reservoir broke two well known citizenr Of our coun. ty were in charge. Two inspections of the dam were made shortly after the watchers had visited the dam at | 1 o'clock, the roar of the bursting dam was heard. Mir. A. M. Patton, who was one of the guards, rushed to to telephone in an effort to reach and | warn the people of St. Johns. Commit lication could not be secured, howey- CT. and it was not until some time la ter that connection was had with Springerville and the frantic appeal o. Mir. Patton will ever be remembered in the history of our county. He said: "The Lyman Reservoir has bro ken. l am unable 10 do any more as the house is moving For heavens sake get St. Johns.
 Mir. Patton, accompanied by several other citizens, then started on a wild run down the canyon, telling the peo. ole of the impending danger When | within two miles of St. Johns the water could be seen all over the low lands and they knew it was of no use Jo go farther. The water reached St.
 uu- at ] o'clock Iu the morning and many of the citizens living mean lthe river were forced to hustle out of their warm beds and plunge into the cold. muddy waters that were more thanlnce deep. The water swept on in it's relentless course, takine out ali oi . the bridges on the State Highway, in cluding those at St. Johns and Hun, and two uuGgGs aDOye anu ueiov Aot
 brook
 cannot tell you just what hard
 ship the destruction of this reservoir
 will work on the people of our county They have exhausted their resources
 their money and credit; their growing crops and young orchards have al
 been destroyed and they are left with
 out any means of livelihood 3 Another matter of great imp. h ance to these unfortunate settlers i
 the fact that it is likely the patents o : their land may be held up by the Gov - ernment, unless the reservoir is recon
 structed iu the near future. The. dal
 that the reservoir went out the Gov ornment agent inspected the dam witt - the idea of passing upon the patent , for these lands.
 "I have not as yet evolved any plaI
 for the relief of the dire necessity 0
 the people of my county, but l hop t that in the near future some logica
 plan will be presented, as 1t will meal
 much, not only to the people of Apa 1 che county. but to the entire State 2, Had the reservoir not been destroyed .r there is no doubt that the lands uude
 the project would have meant au in D. crease (within the next six or sev1 l- vears) to the taxable wealth of t. o state of more than five million oo
 lars"
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