Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-02-18
WEEK OF RAINFALL In
CENTRAL ARIZONA ENDS

PHOENIX, Feb. II tP).--Central Ari-
zona basked under clear skies today,
the first in week, as rail and high
way officials worked desperately to
clear the highways and railroads to the
Pacific coast via the northern part of
the state after swollen streams had
torn out stretches of roadbed and
swept away bridges and trestles.
No direct loss of life has resulted
from the storm, which has deluged the
most arid localities with an unprece-
dented rainfall. However, wreck on
the Santa Fe railroad at Flores, SO
miles north of Phoenix, last Sunday
night, which officials have stated was
caused by rocks dislodged by the
heavy downpour, cost the lives of both
engineer and firemen of a southbound
passenger train, which was derailed.
The plight of Mr. and Mrs. Robert
FSolmes and two of their children,
trapped on small island in the Salt
river on the outskirts of this city by
rapidly rising waters, remains critical,
although the reported rise of the
stream in upper sections of the valley
had not reached here at a late hour
tonight. An unsuccessful attempt to
rescue them was made this afternoon,
the current twisting an all-steel row.
boat about as though it We're a straw
and threatening to pitch it's three occu-
pants into the flood A second attempt
was postponed until tomorrow.
Washouts on the main line of the
Southern Pacific west of Yuma near
Indio, Calf, necessitated routing all
trains over the Santa Fe line through
Wickenburg, to the north of Phoenix,
via the Parker cutoff, and to the coast.
Six transcontinental trains of the
Southern Pacific passed over the Santa
Fe today. All were westbound from
eastern and southern points No in
formation as to how many trains from
Los Angeles would arrive in Phoenix
could be learned tonight, as communi-
cation with the coast remains shat
tered.
Roosevelt reservoir, supply base for
central Arizona's entire agricultural
lands, was receiving a bountiful supply
of moisture to sustain crops for not
only this season but several years.
Eight feet of water was added to the
level of the reservoir during the last
"A nOurS, Wn0n more l1dH 1UVSVOV ctSl
feet poured through the intakes.
Engineers at the dam tonight be-
lieved the peak had been reached. From
today on a slow decrease in the con-
tribution to the reservoirs present
total of more than 100000 acre feet of
water is expected. BY the time waters
from the present storm have been re-
ceived, which will be at least week,
another 100000 acre feet will be added,
swelling the total to nearly 100000
acre feet.
Reports available tonight showed
that Prescott, Ariz., had recorded the
greatest precipitation in the entire
California Arizona storm district, with
the figure of 1857 inches since the rain
set in one week ago. Ten feet of snow
fell on the. Senator divide, south of
Prescott during the period
six more spans of the highway
bridge over the Aqua Fria river at
Coldwater on the Phoenix-Bucleye
road were washed out early today.
Five spans were washed out yes
terday.
With the exception of the Phoenix
Yuma and the Hassayampa roads, the
latter via Wickenburg all roads In
the central part of the state We're
reported open.
n