Evening star., 1921-06-05
FLOOD DAREASEEN !:
FROM AN A|RPLAN!|E
Aviator and'A. P. Correspond
ent First to Reach City
From Outside World.
LOOKED LIKE SEA OF MUD
Picture Of Destruction ati,a and Tales Of
Destitute Described After
Air Trip.
LOOKED LIKE SEA OF MUD
By the Associated Press..

BY the Associated Press..
DENVER. June An airplane
view Of the Pueblo flood disaster
was brought to Denver late today
ey William A. Kimsey. pilot. who
new to Pueblo with stan correspond
ents Of the Associated Press and the
Rocky Mountain News.
After circling above the stricken
city to make an accurate appraisal
OF the hayoc wrought by the flood.
kimsey-, and his passengers landed
In the Of Pueblo, the frat
persons from the outside world to
reach the scene of the catastrophe.
Following his return to Denver
after a daring flight. much of which
was accomplished through low-hang-
ing clouds which obscured the earth
completely at times. Kimsey detailed
the conditions at Pueblo as he saw
from the air and he heard OF them
plane after he landed at the state
fair ground4
ssk ~ MUD aad Water.
:. From an altitude Of about one
thousand feet" said Kimsey. the
business district of Pueblo looked
like a sea Of mud and water. The
district, which l. know wen from
other nights over the city, was hardly
+recogpisabfe OF, account of the piles
Of debris
The railroad station stood out az an
i4sland in a lake. but the tracks were
completely submerged and cars could
be seen floating about. The waters
of the Arkansas were backed up on
the right bank for what appeared to
be several blocks and that section OF
the city between the depot and the
approximate vicinity of the Vaile
Hotel was submerged.
Ne Chance to start Search.
"All Of the outlying districts OF the
lowlands appeared utterly devastated
and for miles around there was moth :
ing but a vast expanse of mud. dotted
ere perehed at some ODD angle.
Il didn't leave my plane after !
landed in the city. but a number of
residents told me Of the horrible con-
ditions and verified my Aerial obsef-
yations. - They said that there had
been no chancesto start a search for
the dead and missing. but that the
police lines were being formed fairly
we'll and that the situation. which for
hours was one Of panic and wanton
destruction by hooters. was getting more
"BetWs ZEN, Pueblo and Colorado
springa;a JAIL Of the bridges as far as
could ohservS were washed out and
} the Ao1yded atty was entirely oat off to
heSnorxh. Although did not 81 south
kof GaleR1 I SoNl6 not see any .prfNge1
in commission IN any direction Out OF
the city.
City Cut In Halt.
when we got to Pueblo the city
was cut right in half by the food.
and it appeared impossible for those
on one bank Of the Arkansas to reach
those on the other, a situation which
tho. refugees told me was creating
great CONSERVATION. When l was leav-
ing I was told that one Of the via
ducts connecting the two main parts
Of the city would soon be in commits
In describing the fight from Denver
to Pueblo. which was successfully ac-
complished in spite of adverse flying
weather. Kimsey said:
Several times on the way down
we were lost in the clouds. but few
ahead on the chance there would be a
hole. and we had good luck. The only
towns we sighted on the down trip
were Castle Rock. Monument and
Fountain.
AT Fountain the tracks were under
water and a passenger train seemed
to be partially turned over" -,..
Kimsey.said the roads between Dem
yer and Colorado Springs were pass
moving along without great difficulty.
South Of Colorado Springs. however
| he said that everything appeared like
,ghostly no-man'S land