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,. 38 THE ARIi:ANSAS RIVER FLOOD OrJ"'O'NE 3-5, 1921. -- . ' ~rnnde is having lots of trou~le caused by the cIoll{l-burst of Friday mght. The Hardscrabble brIdge washed out." That this flood was of considerable magnitude at Pueblo is inferred from the statement that the city council on August 12 appropriated $3,000 to repair and strengthen the levee. .'~ll obstructions in the channel were ordere'd remol'ed. Pueblo reported 1.02 inches of rain in one hour August 9. This intense rainfall, with a temperature of 980 before the storm, indicated a cloud-burst, which was local to the valley between Pueblo and Canon City. . No unusual floods are recorded after 1889 until 1893. Although this was the second driest year in 35 years, ,as shown by 'records of. I precipitation at Pueblo, the flood on July 26,1893, seems to have been I the fourth in magnitude in three-quarters of a century. The river ; reached a stage 10 feet lower than that of 1921. The Rocky Mountain News of July 27, 1893, stated as follows: ' Heavy rain at Pueblo broke the levee and did $200,000 damage, ' At9 p. m. July 26 the rI\"er began to rise and rose 8 feet in 2 hours. A saloon standing In the levee becnme umlermlnell nnd fell Into the chnnnel. Water rusbed through the brenk In the levee, nnd in 10 minutes the city hull was surrounued byG feet of "':Iter. The crest of this 110011 Is Mill to hnve, renched the floor of the Union DpPOt. The rainfall at Pueblo was 1.36 inches on July 26 and 0.22 inch on the 27th. The precipitation for the year was 6.84 inches, as compared with a normal precipitation of 12.50 inches. The most destructive flood in the history of the Arkansas Valley prior to the flood of 1921 occurred May 30, 1894. Heary prooipita- , tion on May 30 and 31 extended over the'Arkansas drainage basin, , taking the form of snow at the higher elevations, notably on Pikes Peak and the mountains in the upper end of the basin. On the, eve- ning of May 30 Salida reported that rain had fallen continuously for 36 hours and probably would continue during that night. For dura- tion and l'olume the storm at that point exceeded !tnything in the memory of the oldest inh!tbitant. 'At the same time Florence re-. ported that rain had f!tllen for the preceding 24 hours and thnt the amount was estimated at 3 to 4 inches. Castle Rock and Palmer Lake reported rain on May 30. The rainfall on the 30th and 31st at Pueblo was 3.02 inches and at Canon City on the 29th and 30th 5.06 inches. The following account of the flood is printed in the Rocky Mountain News of May 31, 1894, in a communication dated at Pueblo May 30: In consequence of nn all.day downpour of rain such as has not occurred In tllls Tnl1e~' in 20 )'ears, ,the Arlcnn..ns RITer to-nl;:bt came up allll brokp tbe levees In four places on the nortb slUe and two on the south side, l1Jverytblng . Is a sea of water from {Tnion A,'enue '\"Induct to tbe post office, AU business cellars are filled In tbnt territory, :\IHI the water is oyer the floors from 6 Inches . .