The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-10-07
The Floods in Texas.--Accounts of
Some Of the Disasters.
THE nrsrR,,cr1oN OF LYNcHBuRe.

THE DESTRUCTION OF LYNCHBURG.
Thursday night was one of terror. The
tide, now to its full height, surged with
the fury of the gale. Torrents Of rain
fell, and the wind how!ed with all the
fury of hurricane AL: but few too
confident people of Lynchburg and San
Jacinto had gone to the hills for safety be-
fore night. After midnight houses, YES
sells, everything yielded to the gale:
Friday morning nothing but devasta-
ton met the eye. Destruction and wrecks
all around; RATS, logs, timbcrs and frag-
ments Of houses, bearing struggling hui
mainly, driven here and there by the pitt
less gale; fluttcring signals Of distress
from many tree top; the fierce wind and
waves dimmed all cries for succor; piteous
motions alone told the looker-on OF the
distress of the imperiled.
The steamer Matamoras No. 2, Capt.
Alexander Bell, formerly of the Houston
Direct Navigation Company, had been
driven across the flats on the north side of
the San Jacinto. The steamer Star and
bargcs were driven near her. The drift
commenced accommodating around them,
and fortunately her position was point
of concentration for the floating debris to
which people had chung. Capt. Bell, with
Mr. Lcacock, engineer, and four men got
out the lifc-boat and rescued such persons
as they could get near, but the gale was so
fearful that they could make but little
Roadway.
About ten q. m. q small raft with two
persons on was seen approaching. AS it
came nearer they were discovered to be
DIR. Chamberlain and wife, of Lynchburg.
He was sitting on the raft holding his
wife's head in his lap. Her body was
partly under water The current swept
them near the Matamoras, and as the raft
struck among the drift, and just as their
rescuers from the Matamoras got q rope
around DR.. Chamberlain, Mrs. Chamber
lain's body was torn from his grasp and
swept under the drift. The husband,
thoughtless of his own life, was appeal
ing to the rescuers: Don't save me- save
my wife," and after she was gone begged
them to let him down with her. He was
hauled on board in bcnumbed condi
ton 1t is the opinion of Capt. Bell and
MIR. Leacock that she was dead before
seen by them.
About noon family named Perkins,
three men, a woman and child, came
floating from down the river on top of a
house. 1t caught among the trees, into
which they all got, from where they were
all taken in safety by the yawl-boat Of
the Matamoras. The current and wind
were so strong that four men could not
manage the boat After various efforts to
get to them Capt. Bell paid out line and
tloatcd the boat to them and took them
off. During the day Campbell, MIR. Lea
cock and the crew Of four men picked up
and saved twenty-one persons.
The Perkins family say that everything
was swept off from Adams Island, which
is about five miles below Lynchburg
A number of persons are known to
have been drowned in the vicinity OF
Lynchburg and San Jacinto.
The report is that all the houses along
the shore from Lynchburg to the bay are
swept off.
The scene from Harrisburg to Lynch
burg is dcplorable. The water is up TO the
top Of the cars on the San Antonio Rail
road track at Harrisburg. At Morse
worthy's it was up to the frontyard gate.
At Massic's the drift marked the height
Of the tide far up the bank at his landing
DR.. Massie stated to the passengers on the
Fowler that the tidcwatcr from the gulf
was tllirty-fonr inches above the highest
rain flood within his knowledge on the
bayou.
Between Lynchburg and Morgan's
Point not a house is standing on the i'm
mediate shore of San Jacinto Bay or on
the islands except the warehouse of the
Ship Channel Company on the point. OF
the residents Mrs. Pierce and four chill
drcn, little Clara Grafton, Mrs. Mckee and
Mrs. August are known to have been lost
Mr.. and Mrs Alcx~ntlrr and Mr.. Mckee
are said to have been saved by young Mr.
Miltrun.
UNHAPPY EXPERIENCE OF TWO FAMILIES.
Mr.. and Mrs. West formerly Mrs.
Grafton) occupied new house at Bay.
town. Mrs. Mckee and little Clara Graf
| ton, Mrs. Vests child, were with them.
When the water rose over Hog Island Mr..
Mckee, Charles Post, the lightkecpcr, and
Mrs. Pierce, with four children, aban-
doncd that place and came in skif to
Vests, Thursday morning before day
light. During Thursday the water rose
gradually in the house, and by afternoon
reached the ceiling. They hung on by
the windows until about four p. m, when,
finding that the water was gaining, they
got into skiff, with the hope of reaching
the high land. In half an hour the skiif
was swamped, and in getting hold of the
windows again two children were lost,
the oldest and youngest girl. Mr.. West
then made a hole in the roof and all were
got on it, Small hand-holes were made
to cling to. In short time the roof was
swept away from the building, the tide
carrying them up the bay several miles.
They drifted about Thursday night and
Friday at the mercy of the waves, during
which time Mr.. Mckee and Mr.. Post got
in tree, when the norther came out on
Friday and drove them back down the
bay. OF the occupants Of the roof none
remained but Mr.. and Mrs. West, Mrs
Pierce and one child, and Mr.. Post. The
wind drove them across the bay
and the current into the mouth of the
| canal. Just as the roof entered the canal it
| were lost. Mr.. West rose, clinging to
his wife, and seized the roof again, the
current swept the roof over on the east
| side, and when it struck the bank the two
| were thrown up on the side of the dump
Post was able to reach the bank, West
was senscless, and Mrs. West stunned, but
moaning The tug Coates had been driven
by the gale on the point, and lay on the
other side of the dump. Mr.. Nelson, who
had brought her up from Reddish
through the gale, and Mr.. Rhett, master
mechanic, were on Board. Hearing the
means, they went over the dump and car
ried the rescued pair on board the tug
About seven p. M, within half an hour
after Mrs. West was carried on the tug,
she was taken i'll and gave birth to a boy
These rugged men, fathers themselves, We,
unused to such ministratiOns, aided by
Mr.. West, faithfully performed the duties
belonging to gentlcr hands. The brave
little woman who had undergone all these
perils, seeing neither, child, sister and her
four nieccs swept away before her eyes,
gave directions which doubtless saved her
life and that Of the babe. AS soon as
mother and babe were in condition to be
moved and the gale would permit couch
was made, and the men of the dredging
fleet carried them up to the old Morgan
place, occupied by Mr.. Tom Edwards,
where every possible arrangement was
made for their comfort. Yesterday even
ing, when the Fowler left Morgan's Point,
both were doing wcll.--Houston Iele-
graph, Sept. 81.
THE FLOOD At INDIANOLA.
The New Orleans Bulletin of Sent, %