Evening star., 1921-06-05
Flood and Flames: Spread
Ruin in Pueblo Disaster

pears to have been in Pueblo, reports
of damage to property come from
many SECTIONS Of southeastern Colo
RADIO. Stseams. sent out Of their banks
ed m6ny head 81 cattle Residents of
the rural districts adjacent to irriea-
tion projects spent the night last
.asI,sa ,'sHsSaassa ssns ve'er 0rcte:eAr0ush = 'FF'
Raiaoad and ,highway bridges were
carried away and miles" of telegraph
and telephone lines were laid low.
IN Pueblo, damage was increased by
fires in the business section. started
by lightning and unqpenched by Jack
Of weter pressure. ,,
HsaAreds Trapped by Waters.
All OF the fires that were burning at
daylight have been extinguished.
Signals were set out at O'Clock
tlast hight, but due to the fact that
, the winters came up with such sudden :
ness. 1t was impossible for hundreds
The fioodine Of the Fountain river
early this morning made the situa-
tion worse. as it is supposed to have
caused a still greater loss of life.
suggestions have come from promi-
nent citizens that the immediate need
OF Pueblo are tents. fresh water. food.
! bedding and milk for the babies.
Means of communi cation from
HssGiS s,i, p.S fa ffase most: mss ssxs The West
| wires from d neishbofihs suburb.
put these are SO crowded with official
| business that press dispatches have
little show. The roads to the out
side are SO torn by the storm that it
is almost impossible to make progress
over them.
| without Water or LiGhts.
The city was without electric light
! tonight: Gas also was unavailab Bile
ferers. The water plant was put ou,
OF commission by the flood and there
was no drinking water available
from the city mains.
) The cheering thing to the city Off
c4fs was the news that a relief train
f%TyfnE wafer. milk. food and tent.
would be on the way from Denver
carly tonight.
The flooded section Of Pueblo is de-
stribed as extending from ID stree,
tion of.the business district
Starting shortly after o'clock yes.
terday afternoon. Pueblo's fire whistles
sounded the flood alarm. At that hour
Fboth' the Arkansas and the Fountain
! were, rising raridly from the cloud.
Hundreds Of persons took warnings and
gathering a few belongings. sough,
safety in the hills around the city
Others paid no attention to the warn.
ing. Many of these paid with their
The neSds swept into the city. proper
about 7'o'clock. Police and guards
drove the. crowds back from the main
bridges where the people had taken
refuge. In half an hour water was
pouring oyer the top of the railings OF
bridges and the main business sectior
was inundated. Street cars stopped
electric lights went of.
| In the darkness could be heard the
roar Of the onrushing waters, and tn,
crash Of falling buildings. A rain wa.
Here" and there with the flashes OF
lightning. spectators could see small
houses floating about. Over in the
railroad yards passenger coaches and
ether car equipment lay overturned
And out Of the night came the erie.
appealing for help
| Scores Or strong men rieied theil
lives to bring women and children tc
safety. The Colorado Rangers. the
police and Trobp c of the Colorad.
National Guard bent to the work OF
Pueblo tonight 'owe their lives tot ths
| bravery of the men OF these organiza.
tions and scores of volunteers. Ther
came the fires. A flash of lightnins
burst. There was a crash and in tn,
light Of the next flash a building wa.
disclosed in flames. There was n,
water to combat the blaze. So i
swept on. 1t swept through the Flor
man Paint Company. the gas plant, tn,
ice plant. moved down two big ga
RACES in its path. and then attacked
the yards of the King Investment ans
Lumber Company. All were faid il
waste.~