The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-06-06
HUNDREDS
REPORTED
MISSING;
IS DEAD!
Water Peril in Pueblo Prac'
ticaIIy Over; Organize
Against Epidemic

PUEBLO. Colo, June 6.-Thirty-
five are known to have been drowned
in the Colorado deluge. according to
a survey of the flooded area made
by the United Press at noon today.
Thirty-one OF these bodies are in
morgues in Pueblo. and the other
four in surrounding towns.
REPORT HUNDREDS
ARE MISSING
Hundreds are missing in the area,
but many of them have fled to
higher ground for safety.
Property loss In the flooded Colo
RADIO district is now placed at $780,
900 600.
It viii take days to completely
check She casualty list.
The flood danger here appears TO
be over this afternoon. giving way
to n possibility OF epidemic from
wholesale reversion to primeval san
itation.
Planning TO meet disease threat
by concentration camps OF refugees.
Colonel Patrick Hammock called out
the state militia companies OF Fow
Ter. lamar and Canon City. With
the $50 soldiers already here this
will make = military force Of 23o
men.
Pick and shovel squads attacked
the mud and debris in the flooded
sections this afternoon. The clean
up campaign will be put thru IN
earnest IL Colonel Hammock makes
good his threat TO put a shovel in
the hands OF every able-bodied man
not otherwise usefully employed.
FEAR BODIES
WASHED AWAY
Councilman Pressy. director Of the
casualties division OF Pueblo relief
organization, fears many bodies
were washed down stream.
II cannot account for the small
number of bodies found, except on
the assumption that many victims
were swept down the river" said
Pressy. II hope the total death
list will be no more than 81. but
fear it will be much worse. Only
complete cleanup In the city. and
the giving up by the river of its
dead. will wind up the death roll"
The water supply situation re-
mained critical. A few blocks
down town were being served from
the partly repaired city water plant
this afternoon. but the great major
ity Of people were dependent on
springs and wells.
A lithia spring back OF the Con-
gress hotel furnished water to hun
dreds who came long distances. car
rying the water in wash boilers and
every imaginable kind of receptacle.
The food situation was slightly re-
lieved by arrival OF motor lorry
OF II trucks with rations and equip
ment for the troops here.
With n breach OF half OF mile
in the levee along the Arkansas, the
city was at the mercy Of every little
freshet along the source Of the ram
paging river.
PUEBLO'S CITIZENS
NERVES SHATTERED
Pueblo's population. its nerve al
ready shattered from three days Of
fighting the flood. which took toll
of approximately 80 lives and mil
lions OF dollars worth of property,
was ordered to stand by at every
threat OF new rise in the water.
Sunday night when Beaver dam
gave way the water approached the
mark made after Friday nights
cloudburst.
Troops, racing with death, rushed
in all directions to warn the inhabi-
tants of the oncoming water. Wom-
en- and children. obtaining their first
rest since the flood broke Friday
night, were aroused and ordered to
higher ground.
Engines raced UP and down the
valley as far as rails had been pre-
pared, their sirens sounding the
shrill notice Of the new danger. 1t
was the third wave Of water to at
tack the city-two striking Friday
night, the first when the cloudburst
deluged the city; the second when
the levee gave way, and the third
when the Beaver dam, 80 miles west
of the city. gave way Sunday after
noon. The roar Of the mad waters
could be heard in the First Baptist
church. where the United Press head
quarters are established. half mile
from the river.
RELIEF WORK
is HAMPERED
Altho the floods have not taken
any lives since Friday night. as far
as could be learned, nor caused any
great additional loss of property,
they have seriously hampered relief
work. Roads prepared to bring food
and clothing from Colorado Springs
are endangered with every new rise
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