The Washington times., 1921-06-05
FAMILIES TORN
APART BY RAGING
FLOOD AT PUEBLO
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the crowds was made. Bodies were
taken to the temporary morgue "a
the courthouse and crowds Of frantic
relatives were held back by police
lines.
When the Arkansas river was at
it's worst, Fountain Creek, carrying
flood waters from Colorado Springs
and joining the roaring river, added
fury to the chaos II tore through
different section OF the city and death
and destruction also were in Its wake.
when the flood was at it's height.
fires broke out. lighting the heavens.
Unslacked lime started a fire In the
King Lumber Company yards, and
tinbers, blazing. went swiriing
through the city. Firemen were help
less, there being no water. and the
buildings burned to the water line.
The flames of the burning buildings
lighted up the stricken area like day
and aided rescurers In their work with
boats. Many others would have per-
ished had the city been in total dark
ness.
BRIDGES FALL.
Rain fell in torrents continuously
Every bridge on the Arkansas river
between Pueblo and the State line, a
distance of 100 miles. is out. and all
bridges from Colorado Springs to
Pueblo are impossible for railroad
traffic.
"As the food waters receded Satur-
day morning bodies began to be To-
Gated, but so covered with mud and
so battered were they, that they could
not be recognized. In cellars and
ground floor rooms that could be in
vestigated. bodies were found. Many
were being taken out as we left.
"One of the most miserable events
was the trapping OF Missouri Pacific
and Denver and Rio Grande passenger
trains in the Union depot yards, just
as Ithey were rsady to pull OUT for
Colorado Spring9 1t was reported that
$50 people were drowned there. in
Guiding all the trainmen as the flood
overturned the coaches in the stream
Ieo ARR RESCUED.
AN effort was made to get the pas
sengers TO safety and more than 100
were taken to a packing factory on
higher ground nearby. The Union
Station yards and terminal were COW
cred with water and mud. and re-
sumption of traffic will take many
days work.
when the siren sounded, men who
were watching the flood rushed back
to their motor cars, left uptown, but
the majority were unable to reach
lem and scores OF automobiles were
seen floating around the city.
THE impending disaster seemed to
parslyZe the citizens.
81 talked with man Friday night
who had laken- boat to his own
home to rescue his wife and four chill
dren. He had them all placed in the
boat and just as he was going to get
in. the rope broke and his loved ones
were swept away. He had to swim
TO tree He stayed in the tree all
night. He said he saw at least 100
bodies or swimming people.
MAY NEVER FIND BODIES.
Families are separated. loved ones
swept away. perhaps to lie in the sand
OF the Arkansas river many miles be-
low Pueblo. never to be found. Many
campers and squatters along tie riv-
err east of the city were swept away
and the loss of these will never be
known.
II talked with a man at noon yes
terday who said he took eighteen
bodies out of a store room in which
! the torrent seemed to have formed
a whirlpool. Until The waters have
all receded, and this may take all day
Sunday, no one will know he num-
Der of dead.
THE Congress Hotel houses hun
dreds who were wrapped in blankets,
sheets etc. All night long residents
OF the city in the safety zone walked
the streets, not knowing what to do
next, and afraid to go to bed"
PAPER Is PRINTED.
Despite the flood, the Pueblo Chief
tain was printed. The daily publica-
ton appeared as a small. single sheet
| printed on an old-fashioned flat-bed
press.
A copy of the paper was brought
to Colorado Springs by Bick Heron,
adventurous automobilist who got
through after a, nine-hour battle.
The Chieftain told OF many rescues
made earlier last night, when the
flood first descended on the city
Captain OF Police Jack Sinclair was
credited with saving 10 families in
the flood district,
In a few simple words the heroic
story of A. J. Jackson was told. with
his wife in his arms he climbed into
a tree. He held her thus until his
arms became numb. She slipped from
his grasp into the sweeping flood
Exhaust ed, Jack son fell into the wa
ter. almost before the ripples had
auited over his wife's body.
Luther Hudson, nephew, leaped
into the flood and rescued Jacksons
body. but the corpse of the woman
was swept away In the surging water