Had the settlements been thick below, all must have perished.

The telephone was out, there was no way for a messenger to get out ahead of the flood.

Only the quick widening of the valley, below the canyon's lower end, eased down the volume of the flood so that it was less destructive.

There was no settlement at all in the canyon proper.
After the first pause of horror men here at the broken dam began to bestir themselves.

Discipline was a thing forgotten, and _sauve qui peut_ was the law.