The copper era and Morenci leader., 1916-01-21
HIGH WATER CAUSES GRAVE ALARM ID
 RESIDENTS
Hiqh Water Mark Since 1906 Reached "Wednesday Afternoon-S Sudden Cold Snap Stops Rise of River at Critical Period-Residences in North Clifton Flooded.

According to a number of pioneers in this locality the largest volume of. water ever recorded, passed down the San Francisco river on Wednesday of this week, the highest mark being reached between one and two o'clock in the afternoon, when river water was dashing over the cement retain dng walls on the east side and also below the railroad bridge in Hills Addition.
 A sudden drop in the temperature which transformed the rain into snow in the surrounding mountains, no doubt saved Clifton from another flood disaster similar to that witness ed in 1906.
 In addition to the sudden cold snap the high retaining walls con- structed by the Arizona Copper con- pany, Ltd, since the last flood with stood the heavy strain placed upon them, and with the exception of North Clifton and South Clifton, along the railroad tracks, the damage was small.
 The first inkling of an impending flood was reached in Clifton on Mon- day evening when telegram was re- ceived by the Forestry Department here from Forest Rangers in the north ern portion of the county saying that heavy rain had been falling in that section for the past forty-eight hours and from the amount of snow in the mountains, rapid rise in the river at Clifton might be expected. This information was telephoned over town by Manager Papot, of the Noun tain States Telephone Company and the news was also flashed on the screen at the moving picture thea tres
 On Monday and Tuesday night the river gradually rose, until Wednesday morning at ten o'clock, ten feet of water was flowing under the town bridge. At noon the river had risen approximately four feet additional and had begun to eat it's way through the banks at the upper end of North Cliff ton. At this hour residents in that vicinity began vacating their houses and removing their furniture to higher ground The back yards were soon lake of water and the main street in North Clifton was three feet deep. In this section the home of James Smith was flooded to depth of twelve inches and water also run into other houses on the same side of the street The base ment of the Colquhoun school in this vicinity was filled with water to a depth of several feet. Chase Creek also added it's flood waters to the roaring torrent in the Frisco and for the Space of two hours it appeared as if the town was certainly doomed
 The river was mass of logs, trees and debris of all kinds. Dead pine trees, some of them fully six feet in diameter, were tossed about or the crest of the waves and as they AOO5CQ dSdIuoI IlIC 1dIlIOdO UIluSS IuS ccncussion sounded like the report from cannon. For a time, when the flood was at it's highest, it ap peared that the railroad bridge could not withstand the strain placed upor it. Iron girders were broken anC twisted. The beams supporting the footbridge were torn loose and the big iron structure trembled iron beam to beam as it withstood the onslaught of trees and logs.
 When the flood was at it's highes water began running over the stone retaining wall just south of tho railroad bridges Capt. Hall, al the request of Sheriff Cash, sent { detachment of militiamen stationed at the court house, to the scene Sacks were brought from all part. of town and the soldier boys filled them with concentrates and bull them along the top of the wall checl ing the overflow at that point, anc saving the lower end of Hills Addi tion from inundation.
 When the water began coming owe the wall at that point, and before tn, concentrate sacks were brought int use some residents in that section began vacating their houses ant moving across the track to highe ground.
 On the East Side portion of Riley Confectionery was flooded and tn