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<br />drivers, John McMaster and <br />George Woodson, told a <br />harrowing tale of clinging to a <br />narrow precipice on the canyon <br />wall throughout the night after <br />their ambulance was washed <br />away by the stampede of water. <br />The pair were evacuated <br />early Sunday morning after the <br />water receded. <br />The force with which the river <br />jettisoned from the Narrows is <br />apparent in the loss of the Big <br />Thompson siphon, a part of the <br />Bureau of Reclamation water <br />project. <br />Support towers underneath <br />the nine-foot. diameter pipe <br /> <br />were washed away, causing the <br />pipe to rupture and fall into the <br />waters below where it was <br />mangled like an insignificant <br />wad of paper-one piece <br />coming to rest near the remains <br />of the Handy Ditch Company <br />diversion structure and another <br />piece carried downstream into <br />a house. <br />The raging torrent of the flash <br />flood continued toward <br />Loveland, causing additional <br />loss of life and property. <br />+++ <br />As the first rays of dawn <br />illumina ted the ravaged area of <br />the Big Thompson Canyon, <br /> <br />survivors looked out upon the <br />worst natural disaster in <br />Colorado's history. <br />Where to begin? <br />Gov. Lamm activated 150 <br />National Guardsmen at 3:30 <br />Sunday morning and several <br />were on the scene to assist local <br />coordina tors a t daybreak. <br />Estes Park served as a <br />sanctuary in rescue and relief <br />efforts. <br />No major damage was <br />reported within the town and <br />businesses opened as usual <br />Sunday to accommodate the <br />needs of visitors and residents. <br />Highway 36 was washed out <br /> <br />for a 100 yard section west of <br />Pinewood Springs and all long- <br />distance telephone lines were <br />severed, but the community <br />remained accessible via High- <br />way 7 and Trail Ridge Road. <br />Local volunteers organized <br />quickly to begin planning by <br />establishing an emergency aid <br />station at the American Legion <br />Hall. <br />Ci tizens Band operators <br />joined with law enforcement <br />officials to dispatch emergency <br />messages and to coordinate <br />support activities. <br />Radio Station KSIR <br />preempted regular program- <br /> <br /> <br />6 <br />