Other news from 1970

From an old letter: "At 8 a.m. on Friday, September 4, 1970, a slow but steady rain started falling. By Saturday afternnon the (Animas)river was entering flood stage. The down train from Silverton had to run through water several inches over the rails. That night a tremendous downpour hit the area. Silverton was flooded, its reservoir contaminated and the sewage plant destroyed. A number of bridges went out. Six feet is flood stage, and Sunday the river was 8.83 feet high. Ah Wilderness lost 17 horses, drowned in the Animas. Mudslides blocked the Molas Divide highway, and submerged automobiles were dragged out of water north of Durango.
"But the railroad got the worst of it. Photos taken in the canyon look like scenes from the 1911 floot. There is damage, in some places complete, all the way from Tacoma to Silverton. The railroad sent Norwood on a three day hike up the canyon to assess and photograph the damage for an upcoming director's meeting....The greatest damage seems to be between mileposts 473 (near Tacoma) and 490.5 (Elk Park). In some places the grade has been washed dout to bedrock. Two miles of track are reported to be completely gone, some 17 miles severely damaged. No railroad bridges went out, however. The river channel has changed in places and now runs where the railroad did. Miles of track were washed...out of place. Estimates of immediate repairs run from $250,000 to....$500,000.
"Aydelott went down to Durango on Friday, September 18, to speak to the Chamber of Commerce and left Durango stunned. At best, he proposed fixing up the line at a minimum cost and selling it....Adelott also said D&RG attorney's think that the ICC would permit abandonment...Adelott's speech was brief and to the point, and he was whisked out the back door..."
Fortunately, that story had a happy ending.