Evening star., 1921-06-08
MUD HIDES BODIES
IN PUEBLO DEBRIS
Section Inhabited by Mexi-
cans and Italians Virtually
Wiped Away by Flood.
BY the Associa ted Press.

Dy tne aSSOcia teQ freS8.
DENVER, Col, June S-Ten
million dollars worth of Pueblo
EOOds md scores of bodies OF
Pueblo citizens lie strevvn in the
mire and the quicksands of inun-
dated farm lands for thirty-five
miles south on both sides of the
raging Arkansas, below Pueblo. ac-
cordfng to n dispatch today to the
Denver Times.
The account was from a star
correspondent, the first newspaper
man to penetrate into the district
which received much of the debris
from the flood waters Of Pueblo.
The correspondent, under date OF
last night. wrote that "in the
vicinity Of Vineland, AvOndnle,
Divine. Boone, Fowler and Manxano
death holds supreme swny tonight
with only the torches Of ghouls to
light up the desolatiOn.,
PUEBLO. Col. June S-wadins knee
deep through mud and water in some
places. correspondent of the 5Asso-
ciated Press today plowed through one
Of Pueblo's most pitiable thoroughfares
OF devastation-the region extending
from north Main street along west 4th
across the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe tracks and onward to the west
4th street bridge across the Arkansas
river.
The greater part of this region Is IA
miliarly called "Peppersauce bottoms. ;"
1t was inhabited chiefly by Mexicans
now.
Today many of it's former residents
were digging among the ruins of their
homes in the hope Of recovering some of
their possessions. And as some of them
dug their shovels struck human bodies
instead of furniture
.! am trying to find my houses" said
Felix Bayle. who lost eleven dwellings,
when the region was flooded.
Mexican Digging I'm Mud,
On the threshold of the bottoms a
Mexican of about fifty was digging in
the mud. 81 used to have a little bust.
ness here" he said. II saw it swept
away before me on the night Of the
Hood. l had good mare and buggy
and a wagon. They are gone, too
He pointed to the spot where he had
Perhaps the mans wife may be
there. 1 shall keep on digging"
Residents of the quarter told the
story of Mrs. Martino Gatban, a Grip
pie. who was drowned under particu-
larly tragic circumstances.
Her young son had repeatedly urged
that they leave the house before it
was flooded, but the woman kept
saying: IT'S only peoples idle talk"
But at last Mrs. Gatban became con-
vinced the waters already were rush.
ing into the house. She called to
her son. who was in the yard
At that moment the wind shut the
door, which locked automatically. In
an effort to reach his mother the
youth smashed window Of the room
in which she was awaiting his aid
Grasping the branch of a tree, he
other hand. The swirling waters
kept her out of his reach, whirling
her around and around the room.
Postman Loses Route.
Walking along the Santa Fe tracks
came r. ]. Ritter, postmAA.
II am looking for my route" he
flood-stricken Pueblo and made the
more imperative the work Of remov-
ing bodies of animals and clearing
of debris as precautionary measure
against disease.
All night gasoline pumps worked
on flooded cellars throughout the busi-
ness district, pouring thousands of
gallons of water into the streets and
again converting them into mud. The
correspondent rode through the dis
trict shortly before midnight with the
Colorado Rangers. More streets were
passable to automobiles than at any
other time.
The Main Street viaduct. closed yes
terday when it's condition became
menacing, was opened to traffic, after
one side Of the concrete structure.
which had sagged down toward the
railroad yards, threatening to pull the
entire viaduct with it, had been re-
moved by workmen. The body of a
girl was found by rangers today in
the Fountain river at the 4th Street
bridge. The body was not identified.
Free Travel for Refugees.
A convoy of trucks left early TODAY
to bring back food and supplies from
Colorado Springs.
Railroads announced yesterday that
refugees would be transported from
Pueblo free of charge upon recon-
mendation of the Red Cross.
Arrangements for relief Of Mexicans
here was made by Felipe G. Trevino.
consul at Denver. who has $1,000 an
propriated by the Mexican govern
ment for that purpose.
DETAILED TO FLEET.
Capt. Cyrus R. Miller. at the Naval
War Cn1laOo NaUnnrf p ho