The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-06-09
DEVASTATING FLOOD
IN COLORADO TOWN
CITY OF PUEBLO SUFFERS LOSS
OF MANY LIVES AND MUCH
PROPERTY.

OF the Arkansas river, DfedhlHS 1ioii
their course, have inundated the
greater part of the city with the re-
sultant loss of probably not more than
$50 lives and property damage esti-
mated at S1O,OOO.00O. This loss is at
tributed chiefly to the first flood OF
Friday night and Saturday morning.
The second and third floods of this
morning and afternoon found little OF
value not already ruined by the wa
tiers and were looked upon with con-
Germ only because they hindered res
cue and reconstructive work.
First estimates Of the dead based
upon reports from excited eye wit
nesses who told of seeing hundreds of
bodies swept through the streets of the
city are considered greatly exaggerat-
ed. While no official count of the
fatalities has been attempted, it is said
the death list probably will not ex-
ceed $50, if that high.
One hundred bodies have been re-
covered, but it is feared that when the
mud and debris which fills the streets
and buildings in the flooded area are
cleared away more will be found.
Relief work is progressing under
the direction of Red Cross officials
and Governor Shoup. The greater
danger at present is said to be from
pestilence. Food is being rationed.
Those without funds with which to
purchase provisions are being cared
for by the Red Cross and other agen-
cies. To those who have funds, MILL
tary permits are being issued allowing
the holder to buy only limited
amount of food from local stores.
Pure water is at premium. Peo-
pie have been warned to boil water
before drinking. In anticipation Of
an epidemic large quantity of ty-
phoid anti-toxin has been called for
and will be administered as soon as
available.
Five hundred persons are in tenn
porary hospitals as a direct result of
the flood, according to'J. E. Moor
head, secretary to the governor. There
are cases of chicken pox, typhoid,
pneumonia, diptheria and one or two
cases of insanity.
The entire city is unedr martial law
and $50 troopers are patrolling the
city with orders that all persons are
to be kept out of the restricted area
and to shoot if necessary.
Troops have received orders to pre-
vent all visitors from entering the
city. No persons, not memebers OF the
National Guard or coming here to en-
list in the guard will be admitted.
The Red Cross today cooked car
load of meat to keep it from spelling
and this will be distributed to the
needy.
Governor Shoup returned this after
noon by automobile to Colorado
Springs, from which place he expected
to answer the message from Presi-
dent Harding at Washington in re-
gard to the measures needed to help
the situation.
Col. Pat Hammock, adjutant general,
commanding state troops here, said
tonight it soon would be possible to
ascertain something definite on the
disaster.
1t is impossible to obtain any accu-
rate information on the number of
dead or the number of bodies recov-
cred, as military headquarters is with
out communication with the east and
south sections Of the city.
Bodies Recovered.
DR.. NJ. F. Heller of the Red Cross,
said tonight that reports to him had
indicated ninety-two bodies recovered
early today. A number of bodies were
known to have been recovered pre-
viously and it is this figure that the
estimate of 100 recovered is made.
The number of those drowned in the
Missouri Pacific and Denver and Rio
Grande trains can not be learned nor
can the identity of most of the bodies
recovered be established.
When the first report of the new
flood came this afternoon soldiers con-
Quoted a hurried search of buildings
and in one found woman standing
in water up to her armpits and hold
ing above her head baby five hours
old. The mother and baby were TAX
en- to a hospital, where, it was said
they could not live.
Fear was expressed for the safety
of people living in towns on the Ar
kansas river below Pueblo. There was
>no way of spreading warning from