The Washington times., 1921-09-10
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MANY LOST
AS WATERS
COVER CITY
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SSu I'LL Su
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floating on the roofs Of houses in
the midst of the waters.
The great loss Of life. which viii
not be accurately known for days,
II due to the fact that the river
rose 30 suddenly that no. warnings
could be sent out. ,..
Sleeping inhabitants were aroused
BY the roar of the angry waters to
find themselves surrounded by the
flood. Guests in the three big
hotels in the downtown section were
marooned on upper floors as the
water rose and put elevators and
stairs out Of commission.
The flood came from an unpre-
cedent rain fall, which caused a
quick rise in the San Antonio river
and Alazan, creek.
BY $50 this morning relief work
was under systematic way. Boats
were at work taking people from
homes which had withstood the
waters, while guards were patroling
the edges of the various areas In
unOaIeQs Dy tne water.
.y Heaviest Rainfall.
The flood came as a climax of
the heaviest rainfall and cloudburst
in this part Of the country in mem.
ory. A total Of 7.3s inches of rain
fall has been recorded since the
first shower two days ago marked
the beginning Of the deluge.
In less than one-half hour, from
11d5 until 11A0 o'clock last night. q
rise Of fourteen inches was recorded
by the gauge In the San Antonio river
at st. Marys street bridge.
Water to a depth of eight feet was
flowing down River avenue. Families
in the neignborhood of Josephine
street and the river sent out O hurried
call for aid at IL o'clock, and fleeing
from their homes. We're unable to save
furniture or other possessions.
Mrs. Alma Elam and two children
of South Laredo street, and Marles
Grant and wife, also living on South
Laredo street, were reported missing
this morning. Last nights flood dis
trict extends from Breckenridge Park
south along the river through the
business district. It also extends
along the entire lengths Of Alazan and
San Pedro croeks. Flood waters were
five feet deep in Crockett street at 8
o'clock this morning. and the flood ex.
tended as far uptown as Avenue G.
West Commerce street was flooded. Z.
Bridges Are Wrecked. - 3.
Practically every downtown bridge
had been rendered unsafe or totally
wrecked. The Crockett street bridge
is an exception. s-a
Soldiers are patroling the downtown
district to prevent looting.
Along Alazon creek three houses
were washed away, but q careful in.
vestigation by police leads to the be-
lief that all occupants Of homes In
the flood district escaped.
In the downtown business district
merchants called out extra help in
valuable merchandise from
and lower floors Of the sub
merged buildings.
The body OF a Mexican woman
taken from the I. and G. n. bridge
was the first recovered.
Police cars at daylight went out
Avenue c, where pavements were
torn up for many blocks,
windows broken, articles
Of furniture, automobiles and automo-
bile accessories and every other i'm.
a ginable thing were scattered pell.
nell along the thoroughfare.
Street Cars Abandoned.
Street cars were standing where
they had been abandoned by their
crews.
Even as Pueblo, Col, was built on
the deserted bed of a river that re-
turned to claim it's ancient course
k,.,. - f.yA. haI
business and residential district Of
San Antonio were laid out in the bot.
tom of an earth BOWL" corrugated
with streams that are shallow and
almost still-until today. when rush.
ing waters from the highlands flooded
the bowl" and threatened to wreak
vengeance on the hundreds Of human
beings who dared to establish them
seives there.
The San Antonio river and its
San Pedro and Alazan
preeks, SNAKE" their way through
The business section OF San Antonio
The course Of the streams forming
EiRantio "S's." ..-. r., %
river is not more than fifty feet in
we're muddied by surging tidal waves
from the highlands, the bottom could
easily be seen from almost any street
IN the business section.
Probably not more than six or
seven feet deep at any point, and as
shallow as four feet in many sec.
lions, the waters normally appeared
as a quiet element whose only OBJ
Iect was to lend enchantment to the
city, even as the waters of Venice
10 quiet and unruffled were they.
Tapping their very banks. which
we're cemcnted by the CITY many
years ago in an effort to keen the
waters from gradually eating away
The channel and creeping into the
city streets, the waters were 80 uuiet |
that normally they never even over |
lapped their banks. |