Show PUEBLO crrY SEA Of F UD DENVER CORRESPONDENT TRA VELS B BY Y AIRPLANE TO STRICKEN DISTRICT DE DENVER YEn Cob Colo June Tune 4 The The first eyewitness report of the Pueblo flood disaster was brought to Denver late today by William A. A Kimsey pilot of the airplane which new flew to Pueblo with staff correspondents of ot the Associated Press and the Rocky Mountain News The plane was owned by byDon byDon D Don n O. O Hogan of ot Denver After circling above e the stricken city to make an accurate of ot the havoc wrought by the flood waters KImsey and his passengers landed in the outskirts of ot Pueblo the fl first t persons from the outside world to reach the scene of of the catastrophe Following his return to Denver after atter a daring flight much of ot which was accomplished through low hanging clouds which obscured th too the earth completely corn com at times Kimsey detailed com I the he conditions at Pueblo as he saw from the air and as he heard of them from refugees who flo flocked ked about his plane after he landed at the state state fair grounds NOT RECOGNIZABLE From an altitude of ot about 1000 feet said Kimsey the business district of ot Pueblo looked like a sea of mud and water The district which I know well from other flights over ever the city was hardly recognizable on account of the vast piles of ot debris lebris The railroad station stood stood tood out as an Island In a lake but the tracks were completely submerged and cars could be seen floating about The waters of the 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 approxImate approximate vicinity of the Valle hotel was wass s submerged HOUSES AT ANGLES All AH of the outlying districts in th the lowlands appeared utterly devastated and for miles around there was nothIng nothIng nothing noth noth- ing but a vast expanse of mud dotted here and there by houses perched at some odd angle after I 1 r I I didn't leave my plane i landed in the city but a number of af residents told me of ot the horrible conditions conditions conditions con con- I and verified my aerial They said that there had been no chance to start a search for the thed I d dead ad and the missing but that the po police po- po lice lines were being beng formed fairly welland well and arid that the situation which for ho hoars I was one of panic panie and wanton destruction destruction destruction tion by looters was getting more con con- ALL AIL BRIDGES OUT Between Between Pueblo and Colorado Springs all aU of the bridges as far as I could observe were washed out and the flooded city was entirely cut off to the north Although I did not go south of Pueblo I could not see any bridges In tn InI I 1 commission in an any direction out of the city When then we got to Pueblo the city was cut right in half halt by the flood lood and it appeared impossible for those on one bank of or the Arkansas to reach those on the other a situation which the refugees told me was creating g great eat consternation When I was leaving I Iwas Iwas Iwas was told lold that one of or the viaducts connecting connecting connecting con con- the two main parts of the city would soon oon be in commission relieving relieving ing the confusion on In describing the flight from Denver to Pueblo which was successfully accomplished accomplished accomplished ac- ac hi tn spite of or adverse flying weather Kemsey said Several times on the way down we got lost in the clouds flew ahead Inthe Inthe in inthe the chance there would be a hole and we had good luck The only towns we e sighted on the way down were Castle CastleRock CastleRock CastleRock Rock Monument and Fountain At SAt Fountain the tracks were under underwater underwater underwater water and a passenger train seemed I to be partially turned over In Iii spite pf the poor flying conditions we made mad madea a n a pretty fast trip and landed in Pueblo at 1 15 ocl o'clock ck j just st one one n ho hour r and forty forty- five minutes after atter we took off oft from the flying field here Kimsey said the ro roads ds between Denver Denver Denver Den Den- ver and Colorado Springs were passable passable passable pass pass- able and that traffic could be seen moving along without great difficulty difficult South of ot Colorado Springs however he said that everything appeared like a ghostly no-man's no land |