The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-08-07
CLOUDBURST STRIKES
N0CALES, AR|Z., AND
MORE Than rs DE
Torrent of Water Rushes Over
Cities in Darkness, Bringing
Death and Confusion
WALL OF WATER ADVANCES
Women and Children Are Borne
Down the Flood, and 9th
ers Flee to Safety

NOgalcS ArlZ., Aug. III tor
rent of water that swept through the
Mexican and American border cities
of Nogales early today left four
known dead, forty missing . and q
scene of confusion which led police
to believe at least Is persons had lost
their lives.
The bodies of three women we're
found on the Mexican side of the line
and the body Of a man was discov-
erred near the banks bridge on the
American side. None was identified.
Many houses have been swept
away" the Mexican police reported,
and forty persons are missing"
Comes From Mountains
One hotel and sixteen Mexican
homes on the Sonora side were re-
ported by the police there to have
been swept away.
They did not know how many per-
sons were in the hotel. A. c. Villa
senior, chief Of police, said his officers
reported having eel several bodies
floating down the street.
Originating from a heavy rain In
the Santa Rita mountains the flood
water rushed down the valley and
inundated the lower portions of the
international city, particularly the
Mexican side, five to eight feet. The
water wall bore down upon the Sleep
ing cities ahead of a rain storm.
When the storm setruck, rain fell In
sheets. The deluge held the cities in
its grip for more than three hours.
| At 7 o'clock, International street and
many side streets still were filled
| from curb to curb, and debris was
piled high against the buildings.
Lose All Possessions
Hundreds of Mexicans ventured to
the higher side streets clad only in
night clothes, all their possessions
swept from their shattered adobe
homes.
Shelter was given them in houses
that escaped the flood. More than
fifty automobiles, left In the streets
were buried in debris. Some had been
rolled and tumbled several blocks.
Confusion was so widespread at the
climax of the flood that reports of
missing persons could not be checked.
The screams of women, caught in the
buildings of the lower areas, arose
above the roar of the flood water.
Both cities were dark rs power lines
went out of commission and telephone
service stopped.
At 3 q. m. the chief Of police Of
Nogales, Sonora, made his way to
the American side and said he had
received reports Of a least two dozen
deaths but could not confirm them.
He said Is children had been reported
missing in the Mexican city.
From three to eight feet of water
poured through the streets of the Dor
der cities, apparently from a nearby
cloudburst.
Don Phillips, an American aviator,
who had been visiting on the Mexi-
can side, managed to reach the Amer
lean city and said Id had seen sev-
eral small children swept away when
an adobe building collapsed.
Hotel Building Co1lapses
Excited citizens flocked to the po-
lice station here and told of seeing
persons, mostly children, being swept
along by the raging rain waters.
A Nogales, Sonora, hotel Of adobe
construction, collapsed. It was not
known how manv persons were In the
building. Mexican police said they
feared similar occurrences and that
many lives might be lost in collaps-
ing buildings.
Physicians and nurses were mobiliz-
ed on the American side and all space
in hospitals here was made ready.
Rescue work was made difficult be-
cause Of darkness and the heavy rain.
At four o'clock the skies still were
pouring down sheets of water and
there was no ~perceptible receding Of
the flood.
Several persons from the residential
section Of the American city reported
they had seen three baby cribs float
ing down Morly avenue. but were un-
able to reach them. They said they
heard the babies crying.