The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1921-09-10
MANY KILLED
BY FLOOD IN
SAN ANTONIO
Swollen by Heavy Rains,
Streams Overflow into
Business District-Property
Loss In Millions.
SEARCH FOR VICTIMS
fRv Associated Press,

fRy Associated Press)
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Sept. 10. =
Swollen by heavy rains Of the past
two days. San Antonia river and Ala
zan creek overflowed into the down
town business district of San Antonio.
With 80 bodies recovered out of an
estimated death list placed by some
as high as 500 and with a property
loss variously estimated at from ST.
100000 to S3,000,000 San Antonio early
this morning suffered the worst flood
in its history.
A cloud burst in the Olmos valley
north of the city, sent flood of water
down the San Antonio river which
joins the flood waters from the Alazan
and San Pedro creeks on the west,
completely inundated large part OF
the business section and several resi-
dence sections.
The residence section in which the
greatest loss of life occurred is occu-
pied largely by Mexican families
AS the water recedes organized
bands of workers and rescuers are
searching the ruined houses
The city has not been placed under
martial law. but the military forces at
Fort San Houston and Camp Travis
are cooperating in relief with the city
and county officers.
Survey of Damage
\ survey is being made of the dam
age done and meeting of military
officials with city and county heads
and the Chamber of Commerce is to
be held today at which relief plans
will be put into operation Two thou
sand people are homeless
The weather is partly cloudy and
the weather bureau said more show
ers could be expected during the day,
but not heavy enough to cause further
flooding
The waters in the rivers and creeks
are receding rapidly and rescue work
is preceding with greater dispatch
A temporary morgue has been estab-
lished at the Central Fire and Police
station at which the soldiers and po-
| lice have. been directed to bring all
| bodies for Identification
| Soldiers and police are parading the
| downtown district to prevent looting
| OF the stores, portion of the district
! being closed to all traffic, except that
! absolutely necessary in rescue work
and salvaging.
Hotel Escapes
While some Of the finest buildings
and hotels in the city were damaged
| severely, the Alamo, "the Cradle OF
Texas Liberty" escaped due to its
| elevation.
The embankments protecting ST
Narys street broke shortly after mid
night and the water swept down St
Mary's street through Houston and
! Navarro streets into the heart of the
city.
BY midnight scores of people living
near the river in the northern part Of
the city and along the banks of the
Allan creek had been helped from
their homes by police and firemen.
Tornado Precedes
| The heavy rainstorm was preceded
by a tornado which struck south Aus
tin and nearby villages late yesterday.
bringing injury to a dozen persons and
causing heavy property damage
Officials are watching the rise of
the Colorado river angiously on &C.
count of the Austin d..
Over 10 inches of rain had fallen
at one o'clock this morning over Aus
tin and all surrounding territory with
the storm unabated
The greatest property damage thus
far reported in San Antonio has been
along the Allan creek, where the
number of dwellings washed from
their foundations has not yet been as
certained
The flood is the direct result Of
heavy rains during the past 4S hours
in the headwaters of the Olmus creek,
ordinarily a dry water course which
lies northwest of Breckenridge park.
The San Antonio river rising at the
north end of the park could not care
for the accumulated flow from the
creek and as a result the water broke
across Breckenridge park into River
avenue
Telephones Cut OFF
J. H. Curry. repeater chief for the
American Telephone and Telegraph
company, reported that the water in
the vicinity OF the telephone BUILDING
was u feet deep and that all lights
in the city were put out when the
power plant in the lower section OF
the city was flooded
The eastern business district, one
of the lowest parts of the city, was
under several feet of water, he said
: but no lives had been lost as far as he
could ascertain.
Most of the telephones in the city
were cut off by the rising water anC
telephone communication with othel
cities was also cut off. A few com
, mercial telegraph wires were still
working early today.
Newspaper plants were flooded, bu
the San Antonio Light succeeded il
issuing an extra on hand press at
o'clock.
Alarming reports of loss of life il
the valley of the San Antonio rive