People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 June 1894 — FLOODS IN THE WEST. [ARTICLE]

FLOODS IN THE WEST.

Disastrous Effects Felt In Missouri, Colorado and Oregon. Pueblo. Col., June 2. —Pueblo has been visited by the worst flood in its history. Several thousand people were rendered homeless and property was damaged to the amount of SIOO,OOO. Four breaks in the levee on the north side and two on the south side have flooded the region between Eighth street and the river on the west in a zigzag course, thence to Fourth and Main, Second and Santa Fe, and everything south of and including First street. On the south side the flooded area extends from West Fourth street bridge through the Rio Grande yards to Union avenue. Practically everything west of Union avenue from the river to C street and all west of Victoria avenue, Stanton & Snyder s addition, is under water. The loss of life and damage to property are appalling. For 3 miles up and down the banks of the Arkansas the water was from 3 to 15 feet deep. Trees ' were uprooted and street cars carried I over 100 feet from their tracks. Only i a few unfortunates were able to save I any of their household effects. Most ' of the dwellings were only one , story, and were either entirely sub- 1 merged or carried off their foundation by the current. The carcasses of horses, cows, dogs and sheep floated around in the whirling water. The flood brought with it mud and sand, • filling cellars of the business houses ' and first floors of the stores with from 18 inches to 3 feet of slimy mud. Portland, Ore., June 4.- The Columbia river was still rising on Friday. i The fertile bottom lands along the ' river from the Rocky mountains to the , sea (600 miles) are all inundated. The residents fled with their household goods to higher ground. City basements here are flooded as far back as Ninth street. Boulder, Col., June 4.—The flood in Boulder creek has caused great destruction to property in this city and . surrounding locality. In this city five | houses were swept down stream. The occupants were rescued by a relief corps. All the city and railroad ; bridges have been washed away. ' The towns of Crisman and Salina, small mining camps in Boul- i der canyon, about 7 miles from • here, have been totally destroyed and \ over 300 people rendered homeless. A number of the placer mines are ruined, i The Sunset branch of the Gulf rail- | road has been completely washed out. All the crops in the St. Vrain valley have been i destroyed by the flood. The total loss i in this city and in the adjacent territory is estimated at $500,000. On account of the storm and floods, telephone and telegraph wires were ren- ; dered useless and outside communica- j tion has been cut off. Denver, Col., June 4.—Platte river 1 continued to rise until 3 a. m., and a raging torrent continued pouring j through this city. Colfax and Jerome i Park were flooded at 11 o'clock Thurs- i day night and the people living on the low ground had to flee for their lives. The railway embankment was washed away in places and bridges were badly damaged. The loss w’ill not be very great, but the inconvenience will be extreme. In i Jerome Park and vicinity 175 families j were driven out of their houses and j are camped on higher ground. Manitou, Col., June 4. —Business is ' practically suspended and hundreds of > men are working to save their proper- ■ ty. The stream from Williams canyon . is rushing over Mineral Water park, I leaving gravel in place of grass. Tons ‘ of earth have been torn from the pa- > vilion grounds. Dynamite has been used frequently to demolish gorges. ' Idaho Springs, Col., June 4. —The ! damage by the flood in this county is ; estimated at SIOO,OOO. The storm was ; the longest and most disastrous in the memory of the oldest inhabitant. On , the mountain tops, instead of rain, 18 ' inches of snow fell. Almost all the ■ bridges over Fair creek and its branch- ! es are gone. Some houses werewashed away and mines flooded. St. Joseph, Mo., June 5. —As a direct result of the high water in the Missouri river, which will not begin to recede for some time, the once prosperous village of Winthrop, 30 miles south of St. Joseph on the Rock Island, Hannibal & St. Joe. Missouri Pacific and Kansas, Joseph & Council Bluffs railways, will soon be wiped off the face of the earth. The Missouri river when it first began its spring rise this year began cutting- the bank at the edge of the town and adjacent to it, and now half of the place has j melted into the river, together • with half a dozen farms of 160 acres each. The . channel of the river i was a half mile west of Winthrop last year, but to-day that channel is a sand bar, and the new channel occui pies what was once the main street of the village. The water is now within a few rods of the tracks of the four railroads, which parallel each other at that point, and is rapidly eating its j way into the railroad right of way, and all four companies are preparing to abandon their roadbeds and enter Atchison from a point farther north. The ranching districts of northern Colorado are all damaged by reason of thedestruction of irrigating ditches and , reservoirs. The rains melted the snows . on the mountains and snowslides are ; reported from many districts, fortunately without loss of life.