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<br />Brazeltons shoe shpp, Tribune office, Roehling's temporary
<br />creamery, Garrigan's fine drug store, section house and bunk
<br />house depot, Beckman residence, Newberry residence, Chas.
<br />Guthals fine residence, Anderson residence, Peterson dance hall,
<br />Reck residence, Helgeth blacksmith shop, Beulah hotel, Odd
<br />Fellows Hall, Gearhart residence, Geo. Sultz residence, Tony~
<br />Ditemann residence, and others. Many barns, horses and cattle
<br />were seen going down stream. All other houses are filled with
<br />mud and badly damaged. Three women lost their lives. Mrs.
<br />Gesche, wife of the sect ion man, went down with the sect ion .'
<br />house. Her body was recovered north of Elbert. Mrs. Mary" " '
<br />Goff, who went down with the Odd Fellows Hall, and her daughter'.
<br />One of the most tragic sights was that of Chas. Guthals and,
<br />nephew, Elmer Renken. They both went down on the roof of the
<br />Guthals residence. When the house struck the Windsor creamery
<br />and collapsed they jumped on the roof of the creamery, which
<br />later went down, striking a tree. Both men then climbed a tree
<br />where they stayed wet until the following morning. No one could
<br />rescue them as they were in mid stream. Dr. Denney suffered
<br />the loss of all his valuable medical instruments."
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<br />A graphical description is enclosed on plate,number
<br />3. Most residents recall from 31 to 57 buildings being washed
<br />away. The Denver Post of May 31, 1935 said that "Thirty-seven
<br />houses and stOres were destroyed--more than half the town."
<br />Later reports, 'according to the U. S. Geological Survey, reduced
<br />this number to five. Plate two shows 59 buildings missing be-
<br />fore the 1936 SCS photo was taken-and this does not include
<br />outhouses and other minor structures. '
<br />
<br />Much restoration work was accomplished before the
<br />1936 photo was taken. Not shown.is the five foot of sand de-
<br />posited in front of Mary Larsen's hardware store to the left
<br />of the photo, of which she has photographic proof. Much sand
<br />along the creek remains, appearing as snow in the photograph.
<br />Also, some buildings were transported to better (higher) set-
<br />tings.
<br />
<br />Plate two was compiled from the photographs belonging
<br />to Mr. E. G. Krause of the Elbert County Abstract and Title
<br />Company, and additional copies are available from the County
<br />Commissioners.
<br />
<br />ing:
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<br />The Denver Post of June 2, 1935 contained the follow-
<br />
<br />"One of the most narrow escapes was experienced by.'
<br />Miss Ruth Wilson, principal of the'Elbert high school, and '
<br />Lucille Adams ffnd Mary Williams, teachers.
<br />
<br />"The three were riding in a new car across the rail-
<br />road tracks in Elbert when the flood struck. They leaped from
<br />the car and grasping each other's hands, fought their way thru
<br />the water to high ground. Just as they left the car, it \"as
<br />swept downstream."
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