OCR Text |
Show but the words were scarcely out of his mouth, when a second head cf timber came rushing down and turned as the first did, toward the proper channel. The mass of timber and dnlt was wider than the channel just here, and it caused caus-ed a jam for one moment while it readjusted read-justed itself, and this tluew the weight tit water on to the upper side of the mill which creaked and groaned like a living thing in anguish; and as the timbers tim-bers fitted to their new situation plunged on in their course of destruction, the mill also gave way, and in one tremendous crash went do" 11 carrving the thousands of tuns of bouldeis, piled up by last years tlood, into a little promontory, and the shingle lath and picket mill, that lav in its course, went down blotted out as completely as though they had been last year's biid nests. A stallion valued at $500, by a meie chance had been brought out of a log stable perhaps an hour before the ca-astrophy, ca-astrophy, and mounting this animal, Mr. Peacock went in search of his boy and the other two gentlemen mentioned catching two horses that were straying down the canyon, they all started to seek the absent boys. Hiscompanioiis spoke some words ol sympathy to Mr. Peacock, with regard to the loss of Ins mill, logs, and summer's work, but he auswered,"U in the mill if I only had my boy." Having so much better horse be distanced all his companions, and when about two miles and a half from the place where the mill had been, he rode down to the creek and met the little dog that had accompanied the boys, coming out of the water. Then he was nearly frantic, fran-tic, the conviction forcing itself upon him that the boy was drowned.. Alder, and Snow had now ueaily overtaken Mr. Peacock, and before they reached him they could hear the boys on the other side of the creek. Mr. Peacock tiied several times to cross aud finally made it, while the other men rode a mile, up to where the boys could cross, Mr. Alder said there was much more water than last year, but not quite so much timber. But monster Irees were uprooted and broken like stems of w heat, and the point of a hill was cut off in ten ninutes. All this timber from both Hoods is piled along the course of the stream, and a Hood that would be a lew feet higher, would percipitate all this terrible weight of timber on to the town. But there is hardly any possibility of such being the case, but these men had grave apprehension for the residents of Mauti who were in the water course, as it was. Latest of the Floods ITo Lives Lost, fcut a Narrow Escipe. The Estimated Los3 is Placed at tout S14.CC0. Manti, Ephraim and Spring City are losera O July 16th, exactly eleven minth afier the disasttotis flood ol last ye , anti was again visited by that lertio element of destruction, a mad rush of water. For some time before it reached town Ihe indescribable grinding, lushing, roar could be heard, and the Kkcistek reporter re-porter on looking out upon the streets, saw troops uf frightened children and pale woman with their faces turned in anxious, helpless teiror toward the sound. Men on horses, variously equipped, rode to the places where last year's expeiieuce taught them their prts-r prts-r ence would be needed. The suspense was not prolonged, for before anybody had time to think i t seeking a place of safety, the fust ol the flood, bearing upon its angry front the spoils of the nii'ls in the canyon, and the bridges above, came tearing down through the center of the town. The first dangerous obstruction that it met at this stage of its passage was at Chrs-tofleison's Chrs-tofleison's uiili ditch. . THE DAM thrown across the creek at this place, in older to rais e the water sufficiently to fill the ditch that turns Chnstotferson's grist mill, situated in the center of town. The great head of timber, lorming an almost water tight barrier, was stopped by this Cam, and by the weight of the water piled higher and higher, until the house of Mrs L. L. Dalton on the east ...bank was surrounded, ce.llars tilled and the building threatened; and on the east side it rose in air and plunged over the low stone wall, and down ihe lane b;tween Mrs. Brown's buiiutss place and the duelling house of the t'NKORTUNATK Mr. Joseph Madson lately widowed who from s , me cause had heard nothing noth-ing ol it until he stepped to the thx I. Tne sight was truly appal-ug; as the rushing mud aud timbers seemed making mak-ing snaight for his house, he snatched up the little motherless boy, a id closely followed by the nurse who clasped tile tiny inlanl in her arms aud lull" led her aged mother, came directly across the street to the gate where your reporter " stood, holding it wide opeu and bidd ng " ihem enter and take refuge 111 the house which siood high and dry, and enure y out of the track of ihe tlood. Madson I climbed into a tree with the child in I " his arms, from which possiiion he was I able to realize that danger was not like ly to follow his loved ones theie. lie came o.-iwn, and resigning his children j l j the ce of the ;lad;es of his household, house-hold, ioSieil tha.rarTlM of lite worker-' worker-' , and did valient service, taking many . v rrsks with the otlieis. . .... .... , . MrS. .Brju-rav-buc uuacs'k but her Rnrn'en On lower ground was directly di-rectly in the track of oiie half of the stream, and it ran straight through, ' washing out all movable objects,, and finally tloatiog a huge box to, and across the door, blocking its own egress aud giving the water such a depth that a high cupboard was lifted, from the floor and laid on its back, the cellar was .filled, and much damage done to all -within ths room. The lady viewed the "scene of destruction from your re porter's elevated premises and took the ' whole matter philosophically, saying; 1 "Well that room needed tearing down anyhow, and it will get it now, and I shan't fret about it " Thus far I have only followed one ol the little side spouts; I now sallied fotth and attempted to get at the ruin in the track of the main stream The next places, Ciawlord, and Dunguard got their full share, and crossing the street over the nearly demolished bridge, the flood played sad havoc with the row of business busi-ness bouses and dwellings combined that front the Tabernacle Square, built on the places belonging to lip. jenson and Hans Chrislofferson, The dam and bridges referred totutned perhaps half of the torrent out of its course heie, hurling hurl-ing it with savage fury 011 the neat little. ottage and gardens, belonging to the wife of J. M. Sjodahl, that weie so badly flooded last year, enteiing and swa pping pp-ing in mud and filth the lakeiy of Airs. Schoguard, the cellars and yatd of the Millu.ery Shop of Mrs. A. C .Smith. A high stone wall within a few teet of the back door and running up the yard toward the residence ol Chrtst-.ofjerson, Chrtst-.ofjerson, but stopping short of that gentleman's back door, alone prevented the tn iss of (ihh diluted w th water from rushing straight through her elegant I and well stocked business place. The flood followed the wall until it came to the end at the back door of the Chtist-offerson Chtist-offerson home, aud in spite of all efforts filled a huh cellar that was under the house, and augmented by a new branch from the mtin stream that came tearing down the slope from the coralls, it made its way across the street, tulered the public square, went tearing across its unobstructed width and hurled its ever augmented weight against the strong wall with which the square' is sorrounded. Pres. Maiben's beautiful dwelling and tasteful grounds lay directly across the street from the point where the water attacked the wall, and the gentleman was not at home. His wife was.and she proved that a woman may be a perfect Jady, and at the same time a heroine in an emergency. In the few moments allowed belore the flood undermined and beat down the wall, she planned, and executed the best defence in her power to make, ere the walls fell and two rodsoi it was hulled tuto the street. The carriage mount in front of the gate and other barricades, certainly saved the house from being much defaced, ifmn completely destroyed; but the Hood d.v-ided d.v-ided that going to the left swept through their orchard, milling the lawn aud flowers flow-ers as it passed bv; burying the garden, and. igain stopped by a stone wall, began backing up until, w hen about three teet deep, lint wall also gave way, and although al-though it did much damage to the garden gard-en ol Mr. Martin, it entirely missed the house, 1111. niiig to the right and joining the main body of this hall of the stream which, after visiting a number of places and leaving its mark, passttl at the home of. THOMAS G. DI.EAK, And entering the basement sioty, used by the family as kitchen, dinning din-ning room and ;toie house, and hteiaiy : hurried in one mtuIJy grave the fur- : ! nilure, provisions and a great quantity j uf clothing Lelonging to this es-j I timable family. When your reporter! ; viewed the scene some hours! I later, it beggared description. The only i article rescued uninjured was a tl hi r b.triel. win' ' Arthur llenrv gallantly1 waded in ?.:sj brought out as it wast 1 !l 'at Kg about. I he cook stove was I j carried 12 or 14 feet from where it stood, and smashed. The gentleman was not at home, but came m on the j alternoon stage, very unexpectedly butj verv happily for h i larnily. j The tasti-iiil home of Pied Alder w is : nud-washed, but the damage is si ght ' , when compared with other places; from j j there this branch spread out and lost its j deadly force, and the reporter retraced j the path back to the bank corner and the main stream. The streets lor blocks j I were a rushing torrent almost impassible i I for men on boiseback, and pedestnans ' i were in danger. ( I I The Co up escape ' material damage j although there wre qtiantit.es of botild- ers aud drift-wood piled up by the istieurn which runs to the rear of that j building; but the machine depot belung-I belung-I ing to Mr. K. V. Fox, and filled with I in ichinery belonging to Geo. A. Lowe, ol'Salt Lake City, was raised to the ground; or rather to the water, for it was built directly across the stream. The damage to the machinery was low when estimated at $150. 1 tie builiing was a complete loss. The channel ot the slieam, here goes diagonally across the center of main street, but turned by bridges and drift of wrecks, ii hulled itself in blind demoniac fmy upon the double dwelling house owned by Anna Chsistoffeison and occupied oc-cupied bv herself, her son and h.s w ife. This building is ten leet or mole above the bed of the creek, ordinarily, and the waterrushed in waist deep, tilling cellats, and destroying propeity in a way to dnve the poor old ladv nearly crazy, and really threathing Jihe house, (adobie) with destruction. The younger lady was rescued and taken with her little babe 1 to the home of her mother, Mis. A. 15. 1 I Sidwt II to remain indefinitely, but up to j Sunday night the old lady ,.ould not be induced to leave her dismantled home. A tlKIIXai just below clucked the stream and tinned iis water aain into a side street, ' but the main part toie across lois thiough j the premises of W. A. Cox, missing his house but washing cut the machine shed in good slyle. A block West and north it encountered another bridge and piled it high with drift-wood, divided divi-ded its cm r.inl and huiled itst If on e ther side of it. While engage 1 in dgjng ths out, the b-d ol Ihe creek above was, tilled wilh a deposit of ' sand and" stones, until it is nowhere more than 12 inches deep, and is really tn ich higher than some of the dwellings below This bridge was torn completely out, and the dwelling to the right belonging to a widow named Hansen, was so damaged dam-aged that the building is oonsidered dangerous dan-gerous and almost unfit for occupancy. - - KEARLT MOWtCBi). - - II izc Cla'k is the orly man, so f ir known, wnia w ,v, -,..?,v-r,.yc noiir ueatii, mid It ocenred at this point and while that gentleman was bravely jidmg the woik of defe sjaiid rescue. The bridges j weie demolished, and he stot d on aj plank placed on one bank, and a pile of i drift, and was endeavoring to clear the 1 stream of debris and give the waler' or rather mud, a chance to pursue the proper course when the pile of drift the plank and ' Claik all began going down stream. A great shout of mingled warning and horror hor-ror went up from spectators aud workers for thev knew if once he got his head under, there was a very small chance foi .him to come out alive, for if he were not brained by the timbers he would be smothered in the foul How. He was rescued, res-cued, p irtly from his own cool presence of mind, and the prompt and efficient aid rendeied him by his comrads in arms. BELOW THIS lb e work of destruction went on to the field but nothing so serious occuredas those already mentioned, and the minor events would till a volume. Above point where the reporter first saw tl e flood many places were ravished ot gardens, and denuded of movables; cellars cel-lars were filled, and stack yards invaded; inva-ded; but at the grist mill opposite F.M . Jolly's residence are piles of slabs, lumper, lum-per, poles, and t:esp led upf until it is a mat er ol ast n shnvril how it made its way even that far. through a populous city, without doing im re damage than it did. It, is a deplorable sight to see the premises of the iron founder with all his buildings, macliinerv, moulds and material destroyed. The Roller mill is safe; and from an interview with Fred Alder who witnessed the taking out of the saw mills etc. in the canyon, we learu the following lacts: WHERE THE STOKM BURST. Mr. Fred Alder, Guaul Snow, and V. H. Peacock, were at Peacock's saw mill in Mauti Canyon. The repairs to bridges, roads etc., had barely been completed, oblitetating the damage done liy the last yeai's tlood. The mill-owners had, made extensive preparations for a long run. On Saturday, July 19th, a little before noon, while Mr. Peacock was putting in a bridge at the end of the null, and was down in a guich, and Mr, Alder was sharpening a saw, the last named gentleman heard, above the customary sound and gurgle of mingled water and tree-torn wind, a peculiar crushing, grinding roar, that had an in-describle in-describle sound of overpowering fotce in its intermittent tumult. He paused to listen and Mr. Peacock seeing his attitude, at-titude, also paused and as the sounds became more audible, they both deviued its meaning. They hud just completed a new dam, in lieu of the one destroyed by the flood last y ear, and they rushed from the mill, and started toward the d,,niti see how it would stand it. The first thought of Mr. Peacock however, was for his little son aged 11 years, whom he had sent with another boy to find a span of hoiseS higher up in the canyon; and who was in all proba-b'.tvln proba-b'.tvln the direct track of the storm, that had evidently been raging abjve, although al-though there had been no raiu where they where. It is not to be wondered at, if in the face of this appalling thought, that the father's cheek paled and the value val-ue of the property injeopardy sat lightly upoa his heait. As they reached the pro per elevation they saw the flood coming and on the head of it a mass of timber 20 feet in diameter rolling over and over. 'I he first end of the flood went down the proper channel, and Peacock turned ' w ith smie rel.ef and said to his companion"! compan-ion"! believe the mill is safe", and his i triend replied that he hoped it was " |