Thousands Perish

Madrid, Sept. 15.- The entire country is shrouded in gloom on account of the shocking disasters in the province of Toledo. The tirst advices Sunday gave a hint, though the interrupted telegraph service and consequent meager details obtainable made it only a hint of the terrible extent of the calamity, which is probably one of the worst known in modern times. Jncoming news makes the loss of life in the valley of the river Amarguillo more and more; and it is now reasonably surfl that between 1,500 and 2,000 peo pie have been drowned. The whole province of Toledo seems to have suffered from a tempest, and heavy damage is reported in all directions. Every oWn and village on the banks of tho Amarguillo appears to have been flooded, and the overflow of the sea is from 2 ío 6 feet deep over an area measurinjf bundreds of square miles. All comtnunication is interrupted, except that by boat, which prevents any accurate estímate of the number of deaths. The figures given are based upon the terrible state of affairs in those districts that have already been reachad. There are repeated instances where boules have been gutted, and the floatvxg furniture, mingled with the bodies of drowned men and women, form ghastly groupings, indicating that all along the valley the inhabitants were taken by surprise and cut off from all means of escape as the rising flood surrounded them. "yhe queen regent has taken a rqost active interest in the disaster. She ordered a national subscription to be opened. This has now been supplemented by many private ones. The queen sent for the minister of justice, asking for the latest details. He went to the Palace Ayote for that purpose, a.nd the ministry then decided that all fubds available should be immedlately utilized for the relief of the sufferer, and that the budget reserved for epidemics should also be devoted to this use. The minister of public works has ffone to the .scène of the disaster, where over 100 bodies have already been recovered. This, however, is only the report from only three or four small places. Reports from Valencia and Andalusia are almost equally har rowing. They state that 6 feet of water prevails in many of the houses. The city is in a state of great exeitement, and the railway stations are besieged by families reeking their incoming relations and nc ws of the people supposed to be lost. The storm n-ported from Valencia provcs to be an absolute cyclone, which blew down houses and devastated harvest fields. The first reports of great loss of life at Almería are fully confirtned. A special göverament envoy has just reached Madedego and biings appalling news from Consueg'-'na. He says that 500 houses are uttorly destroyed and the remainder a little better than ruins. Over 200 bodies are known to have been washed away and the number of corpses buried under the ruins is estimatod as at least 1,500. The most heartrendering scènes have taken place. In one house alone twenty-eight people perished and their bodies have since been found. One family of eleven perished utterly and their bodies were found clingingto one another.