The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-09-11
LOSSES WILL REACH
SEVERAL MILLIONS;
RELIEF is STARTED
Night of Horror Is Fol.
lowed by Day Battle
for Life as the
Murky Waters De.
scend on City

San Antonio, Texas, Sept. To-
With the known list OF dead
standing at 10 late tonight, police
officials still believed an estimate
Of $50 lives lost as q result of the
disastrous flood which struck this
city early Saturday morning TO
be conservative one. No at.
tempt has been made TO estimate
the property damage but il is GER.
tain to run into millions of dol
lars.
Because of the continued swOl-
len cOrditiGn of the three streams
which caused the floGd, ihe work
of recovering bodies is progress
ing slowly. Great piles of drift
wood which have lodged in trees
and against bridges when re-
moved, il is feared, will leave ad.
ditional dead. Many bodies also
are believed TO have floated down
stream and may never be recOv.
cred.
With the waters of the San
Antonio river, the Alazan and
San Pedro Creeks back in their
banks only few hours, relief
work and sanitary precautions are
already well under way. A thor
Oughly organized relief committee
has begun caring for flood vic
tins and city health officers are
engaged in a rigid cleanup OF
the city to prevent any possibility
of an epidemic. This work will
be carried on Saturday night and
Sunday withou. relaxation.
As reports gradually trickle in
from outlying sections OF the city
they only serve TO confirm the
fear that the flood Is the worst
in the city's history. Streets ad-
iacent to the three streams, In
some instances have been sM- pit
clean, almost their entire length.
Houses i'm the southern portion Of
the city were lifted from their
foundations and piled one upon
another or in some cases driven
entirely through adjoining build
ings. Dead animals line the
banks OF the streams.
Business Section Flooded
The flood waters from the Sa
river and from Alazan Cree
and small tributaries inundated a
area approximately two miles long b
one half mile wide including the heal
OF the business section and porto
of the residence section along Riv,
Avenue and adjacent streets as we
as the thickly populated west sic
where today thousands Of Mexican
are homeless and the dead not y
counted.
The flood is the greatest disast'
in the history of san Antonio. TT
water rose almost TO the mezzanir
floor in the Gunter hotel. Such stru
lures as the Brady building. VOL
ana Marx department store, Slower
81. Mary's church and school bull
ings. the st, Anthony Hotel, Il
Elks Club, formerly the Travis Clu
several hospitals the central tel
phone exchange. the City Hall AZ
police and fire headquarters al
countless other structures along u
low lying river valley We're in Il
pathway or the flood
Flood is Described
These were the things visible TO u
eye when day dawned cloudy, gloon
and threatening But what occurr'
in the blackness OF the night VIII,
scores of men women and childr'
met death iu the oil coated waite
OF .he flood. as houses collapsed, brid
IS were swept out, trees and electI
light and telephone poles crashed al
their wires became entangled with q
other wreckagc is something that W
never be- known In detail. Countle
acts OF heroism are current, as ci'
lians and soldiers. forgetful u y,
sonal safety. braved the currents al
floating debris to carry women al
children % places OF safety. Tho
sans OF families along the river we
rescued before daybreak. but mon W
worked the long hours, often ne
deep IN water. risking their lives
most every minute OF that time
save others.
Babes Swept From Arms
And In keeping with such here
acts. were the tragedies that alwu
accompany disaster OF such Wi
Continued on Page Three