Arizona republican., 1916-01-29

sea.
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 2S.-At least fifty
persons were believed to have been
killed late this afternoon when the
tenn in the Otay valley south of here
broke under the heavy pressure of the
flood waters. A wall of water thirty
feet high was released.
Sweeping down the valley the great
flood of water carried people, live
stock and valuable farm property to
destruction. Scores of residents were
missing tonight. Houses on twenty
five ranches were swept away.
The first news of the disaster
reached here late today. There had
been no communication with the dis
trict since the disaster occurred as all
wires were down and roads impossible
Rescuers were unable to reach the
scene of the district tonight as all
bridges We're washed out and swollen
streams were so treacherous it was i'm
possible to launch boats.
Several bodies have been seen float
ing in the flood waters, according to
reports received here.
The death list, it was feared here to
night, may reach rs or 80 but the
meager details which have been OBJ
tanned thus far made it impossible to
estimate accurately the probable loss
of life.
The breaking of the dam released
eleven billion gallons of water, which
rushed down through the thickly pop
ulated and narrow Otay valley.
The property loss will amount to at
least one million dollars.
Because of the fact that they were
isolated by the breaking of the dam.
which shut off any means of reaching
other communities, hundreds of fam
lilies in the vicinity were facing a food
famine tonight.
All possible efforts were being made
here to send relief to the sufferers in
the valley
Later estimates indicated the death
list would reach fifty. Late reports
said % more Japanese men, women and
children had been drowned
An area Is miles long and two miles
wide is devastated.
The heavy rains of the last few DAYS
filled the lower Otay dam for the first
time in its history.
Unable longer to withstand the ter
rifle weight of the water. the dam gave
way releasing a flood of water.
Warnings of the impending danger
of the break had been given to the
people IN the valley. but few needed
them, it was said tonight, choosing to
stay and endeavor to protect their
property
Owing to the lack of communication
and the impossible condition of rail
roads, it was impossible to get details
of the disaster tonight.
The lower Otay valley dam was one
of three dams that formed part of the
system of the Southern California
mountain water company which pro-
vides San Diego with its water and
formed the bulkhead for one of the
largest reservoirs in the state.
1t was started in 1887 and completed
in 1897. 1t was a structure of the rock
filled type with steel core and the res
ervoir had an actual capacity of H.
billion gallons.
The elevation of the top Of the dam
was AZ feet and the outlet had an ele-
walton Of 400 feet. The top of the dam
was 124 feet above the bed of tire river.
The reservoir when filled covered an
area Of 1000 acres. The area of the
adjacent watershed was about so
square miles.
According to a report made in 1914
the dam was valued at s415,730 and the
reservoir at s1,165,45S.
The dams are designated as the up
per and lower dams. Under normal
conditions approximately 10000 acre
feet of water is impounded behind the
lower dam, while the upper dam con-
tains about a third that much water.
The population of the entire Otay
valley probably totals several thousa nd
persons. The upper valley is about a
quarter of mile wide. while the low
er valley broadens out where it reaches
down to the ocean. The Otay valley is
south of San Diego near the Mexican
border
Progress Of Storm
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 2S.-Suffer-
ing and danger from floods snow and
intense cold in the Rocky Mountain
region accompanied today the storm
which struck the Pacific coast yester-
day and is moving east.
Havre, Montana, reported 81 degrees
below zero, with many other towns not
greatly behind. Eastern Washington
and Idaho suffered with Montana.
Towns in the Occur d'Alene region
were isolated by snowslides A slide
on the Missoula division of the Chi
cago, Milwaukee and st. Paul rail
road caused traffic to be diverted owe.
the Northern Pacific tracks while
Great Falls, Mont, reported the Great
Northern's Kalispell' division tied up
by cold with not train moving.