The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-22
The Floods i'm Texas Immense De-
struction Of property-fFarrow
Scenes,
CORRESPONDENCE OF the GALVESTON Ncws.

Friday this beautiful little town presented
scene which for excitement and terror has
rarely been surpassed in the annals Of our
State.
For week past the Colorado river has
been very high, rendering it difficult and
very dangerous to cross even in skiff, thus
Bastrop and Austin; the stages and mails
being hemmed up and unable to get out.
Thursday night the good people of La
Grange went to their beds, leaving the river
still some ten or fifteen feet within its
banks, and at day it was found to have
risen seven feet, and at o'clock it broke
over it's banks above and below, thus throw
ing two immense tides Of water upon the
town. At II o'clock the waters had met in
the fats, or valleys, between town and the
river on the southwest side, and was swell
ing very rapidly, At ]2 o'clock it found
its level and ha ing driven all of the in
habitants out of the western portion of
town, it began turning over the smaller
houses and foating them away toward the
Gulf. At O'Clock it was within block of
the public square; and rising 80 fast that it
drove the crowds back from its edge. Here
the scene beggarod description. Great
crowds of women and children stood at the
waters edge, and with wringing hands and
straining eyes saw their homes filled by the
ruthless flood, and many Of them swcptaway
or turned over where they stood; while the
crash of furniture and smashing of doors and
windows told too horribly the ruin that was
going ON within. Men rushed back and
forth on horseback or afoot, seeking their
families or asking for assistance to tie Il
house already swimming, or claiming help
from the idle lookers-on to move their fur
niture from those not yet inundated, but
were soon to share the general fate. Wa
CONS loaded with furniture ratified to and
fro at full gallop-some to the high ground
with their confused mass of household
wares, and others to take off the remaining
stores. Before o'clock the public square
was sheet OF water. Store doora were
thrown open and merchants and clerks
strove to save their goods by piling them
in their second stories and on the counters
while every man and everything avail
able was put into requisition to save
The women and children from the mad
torrent which was now rushing over
..thrcc-fourths of the town. But the
day sank into the night. and pail was
spread over the scene, rs il to thwart the
struggles of man TO rescue property and
save life. "Men forget their passions in
dread of their dcsolaticn," and all
night through efforts never ceased al
though in the darkness hut little could be
seen; vet the sound of the hammer and
saw indicated the extempore construction OF
boats and rafts, while the lowing Of cattle.
the shouting of men, the screaming Of wo-
men and children, crying for help. mingled
with the increasing hcach-like roar OF the
mighty surge filed the midnight air-they
filled the imagination with horrible fan
cies-and the steady rising of the waters.
J the rrpi.i currents rushing around the cor
ners. babe them speed with their good
! work. o. it would he too late. y boat was
made of the boards OF houses and filled
with strong oarsmcn, who went through the
streets and yards searching for those wlc
needed help. There was no party distinc-
ton: friend and foe were allied together tC
meet the common enemy.
Slowly, one after another, they brought
: off the few who had determined to stay and
meet the fate of their homes, but who be.
came terrified VIXEN they found it so fan
exceeded their expectations.
Saturday morn came, and found the little
town which but the day before looked sc
fair and quiet in the confidence of its Sc
= security, now deluged with remorseless
: tiood-for on the square and in every store
! stood four or five feet water 1t was wholly
: deserted, and all the inhabitants had fled
to the high grounds and hills on the north,
ern and northeastern suburbs. There was
: Il scene Of general confusion; every house
! wae filled with the fugitives, not only home
less, but without fool-for they had no.
; time to take provisions with them, on, il
Q they had, they were too terrified to think
of it.
Quantities Of provisions were destroyed
in the storcs-such as sugar, flour, and
, coifee-thc essentials that were in barrels
: and too heavy to be lifted on counters OF
the upper floors.
went to the Chalk Bluffs, four miles
above, on the river bank. for better view
The scene was terrible. For fifteen miles
as far as the eye could reach to the north
west, and south, the country was one un-
broken sheet OF water, except one hill 0l
some two and lIalf acres about five miles
away, now occupied by the families of Mrs
Dancy, Ed. Manton, and one or two others
driven there from their homes on the other
4
side of the river. .......
All OF Rabbs prairie was under water
and fair estimate may be had of its deptl
when we say that the water reached nearly
to the second-story windows Of Captain
McDow's large residence, which stands on
the general level of the prairie.
Here and there, away in the distance
among the clumps of oaks whose matted
branches Tapped in the CLASSY food, might
be seen the roofs of houses but yesterday
occupied by prosperous planters such af
Dancy, Manton, Mathews, Tate, Mellow
Gates, Pope, the Drisdales, and others too
numerous to mention, but now filled by
the invading waters, which not only drove
them from their homes and lands, but
wrought devastation and destruction
while they held their sway. Nearer
above and below on the south and
eastward, the zig-track of the river was
marked by the rush of great oaks and
cotton woods that had stood for years
Side by side with these, in wild confu'
sion, hoated the roofs of houses and The
dead forms of cattle that told too well
the devastation that had gone on above
and in the whole valley OF the river
Never before had country looked
so prosperous, crops so well grown
farms so well titled. Every circumstance
seemed to have aided to build up the hopes
and prospects of each planter, promising
unexampled prosperity to reward him 1o1
the year of sun-burnt toll. Now all is
hidden by remorseless, murdcrous flood,
and in another week these crops on which
the river counties relied go confidently fol
their support and wealth will be but one
immense mass of steaming, rotting vegeta-
tiou seudinr nm every breath of air q ma