The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-22


Unexanpsed Rise in the Colorado RIvsr-Ls
Grange and Other Towns Completely Sab
merssd-Houses swept Away aud Fioniiuw
Toward the GuIf-Negre Houses Twenty
| Feet Under Water-Damags TO Crops Esti-
mated Mt Millions.
LA Grange, Fayette comfy, Texas duly III CORE.
spondence or tue galveston News.
Friday THIS beautiful litta town presented q scene
which, Tor excitement and error, has rarely been
surpassed In the annals or our State.
For week past the Colorado river has been very
high, rendering II dicult aud generally dan erOus
TO cross even IN skin, thus cutting or nearly all
communication win Bastrop ana Austin; the stages
anu mails being hemmed up and unable 10 get our.
Thursday night the good people OF La Grange
went To their beds, Ieaving the river stn some ZEN
found 10 have RE ieeI and at mae O'Clock
II broke over It's banas above and below thus
throwing two immense udes of water upon the
town. Al eleven O'Clock the water had met in the
hats or valleys between town anu the river Oh cue
southwest side, and was swelling very rapidly. AZ
Twelve O'Clock 1t found ITS ieyel, and having driven
ali the Inhabitants OUT OF the western portion Of
town. 1t began turning the smaller houses and
noatlng them away toward the Gun. At O'CLOCK
1t was within block OF the public square. and rising
80 last mat IT drove the crowds bacS from Its elge
OF women and Children staou al Inc water's
edge. anu with "rinlins hands anI straluiag
eyes saw their homas h!'ed W tae ruthless 1ood aud
hna.iy OK them swept away or turued over where
they stood, wne tHe crash of lurutute aud smash.
Ing of doors ana windows told Too horribly the ruin
That Was going on witatn. Men rushed back and
foftn Oh horseback or atoot, seeking tncr families
or ASKING FOR assistance 70 ne house Already SWIM
In.nI or claiming uep trOm the Idle COOKERS ON to
move ther furniture from those not yet lnundatel
buL we're soon 10 snare the general late Waxoa5
loaded With furniture rattled to AMI iro at fd gl
lo2 some TO the high ground with tneir confused
mass OF household wares aad others 10 lake on the
remainlng seores. Before three o cock tue pubic
square was sheet OF waier. Store doors were
thrown open, aIu merchants aud clerks stiove
70 save their goods by piling them IN tler
every nun and everything available was put
into reluls0n 20 save the women and children
IRON The mad torrent waich was now rushing over
three lOurtils OF the town. Bur the day sank into
tue night, aud oil nignt through ofOrts ceased,
although III the darkness but litt.e could ne seen.
yet the SOUND Of tle hammer and saw Indicated the
extempore construction of boa,s aud RATS. while
fne lowing OF cattle. the shoLtiAS of men. tine
screaming Of women and chlldren, cryiag Tor hep,
ininS ed with the Increasing beacn-Ke roar OF the
nlig.v surge filed the nIiungnt air-ihey uiied the
INA inatIon with hOrrIb talcics anu the steady
rising OF the waters, the rapid currents rushing
around che corners, babe them speed with tner
good work Or 1t would he TOO iats. boat was MAIDS
men, VINO went tnr0us the streets anu yards
ile Tor those VINO needed heip There was no party
distinctions; friend ami foe allied Together to uleet
the common enemy
slow.y. one after another they brought or the
OF their nomes." but VINO became terrified wuen
they found 1t 30 far exceeded thelr expectauous
SATURDAY morning came aud found Cue tttle town,
winch but The day before ioo9eI aild quiet IN
the confidence Of Its security, now deluged with
se sod ,nvr q, dye V 1eet of waisr II wa. WYATT
deserted, ana all the inhaolJanta nad fed tO the hlgn
grounds and hii!s Ii tue northern ana northeastern
suburbs Thefe was q scene oil general cOL1uSiun;
every house was Oiled win the iugitives, not only
homeless out without ioOd-lor they had not time
to take proviso ns wllh then, or, II tncj had they
were too terrified to tnink Of It.
Quantities OF PROVISIONS were DESTROYED IN the
stores, as sugar, nOur and cuAee-tne essen-
tals mat were Ia barrels and TOO heavy be nlted
On counters OF tue upper floors.
The scene was terrible. For fifteen miles, far as
the eye could reach 10 the north, and south,
tue country was one Hnbi Oxen sheet OF water, eX-
cept Que hil, Of some Two and u nau acres, about
Hpa nun NV nnY ~ M nil M nt
Mra. Ualcy Edward Manton and one or two Others,
drvea there from their homes on the Other SIDE vi
ALI vi liabb's Prairie was under water, aud fair
estimate may be had OF It's depth when We say thai
windows OF Captain mcDow's large residence,
winch stands on the general Level VI the priire.
Here and there. away Ia the distance, among the
The CLASSY hood. might be seen the vi
out yesterday occupied by prosperous planters, such
as Dancy. Aant0n. Mathews, late, mellow Gates,
rope, the DrisGales ana others too numerous 10
mention, but now hhed by the invading waters,
lands. out wro lght devas,ati,n and desGl act,on
wniie they he'd iher sway. Nearer, above aad oe-
low on the south and eastward the ztgzas track OF
the river was marked by the rush OF great and
cottvnwoods that had stood Tor years. side Uy SIDE
with THESE. la Wild confusion, uoated tue Ioois Of
Wed the devastation that had gone GA above and in
the whole valley OF tie river Never before mad q
country looked SO prosperous, crops 3D. well
grown, farnis SO well tllel. Every circumstance
secured to have ailed to oulld up the hopes and
prospects OF each planter, promising uneAainpled
prosperity to reward him for the year Of sunDurnt
toll Now all Is hidden Dy a remOr5eieS5 murdefOus
hood; aud In another week THESE crops ON wnIcn
tae river COUNTIES reled so oonhdenty Tor their sup
port aid wealth, Will be but one immense mass Ut
breata OF air malaria tnat win spread over the en-
ule country, perhaps bringing sleAness AMI want TO
the Already pOVefty-stricKen peup.e. verify, tue
| hand OF tod seems To be UPON our poor people In
the violence OF His wrata. lSunday.l Last night
the water had not recedei, ana Tue iugitlve5 were
not permitted TO return ~ their homes During the
wnoie night tue iowa was guarded py armed men III
boats, AGAINST negroes VINO Threatened 10 enter ana
seize tue provisions anu 1904 ior wn!cl tney sur
Tered. THESE negroes ad ved IN the hats near The
RIVER and IN the past four years had saved enough
To pu,u them houses ana buy small parcels vi
ground from when they gained their support
These were now under twenty ieet OF wafer, their
crops destroyed, their fences aud houses swept
% Tho S" H, naS ias re arv to @
I'm, t"o w." 49, ~, ~ 30. au' , t sra, s ao
s.ua, 49,. W % az r,rni,,a ana nj, nn,.s az so