The New York herald., 1875-09-23
Vivid Description of the Incoming
Of the Tidal Wave.
FAMILIES ENGULFED IN THE FLOOD.
Land Submerged that Never Felt
Salt Water Before.
EXTENDED DAMAGE TO THE COTTON CROP.


time lay ten feet under We begin to appre
cate the dreadful destruction wrought. 1t sckcns
the heart But little damage sustained by
Morgans feet but tho survivors of the catastrophe
will probably remember this the most appalling Wis
itaton which has visited is likely to visit them
again. The experience of those who driven on
the raft through the ship channel at Morgans Point,
on Friday afternoon recalls tho shipwreck of the Me-
dusa.
SURVIVORS OF THE RAFT,
Mr. Post, Mr. Pierce and child Mr.. West and his
wife, had just got the ship channel canal when the
roof of house swept down the canal and overturned
the raft.
Mr. West rose, holding his wife, and seized the roof.
The flood struck II the east sde striking the bank,
and all again thrown into the seething flood.
Mrs West was stunned Post carried on the bank
senseess the other side of the bank lay coal tug
driven there by the gale Nelson who had brought her
up in the teeth of the gale from Red Fish, and Mr..
Rhett board. Means attracted their attention
the other sdc of the dump. They found Mrs Wcst
and child the only survivors, and carried
them to the tug Within halt an hour
Mrs West gave birth to boy. The hardy
acted as pro tenn nurses; and good women, who
were soon upon the scene gave directions which,
doubtless, saved the mothers life
As the gale had sufficiently abated, and the con-
don of mother and child would warrant IL, Mrs West
carried up to the Morgan place, where the occu-
pant, Mr. Edwards did everything to make her condi-
ton bearable By advices from the Fowler both
progressing favorably yesterday evening The above
named gentleman is housing six homeless families
VESSELS RESCUED.
Most of the vessels of the Houston Direct Navigation
Company have been rescued. They scattered by
the gale at Lynchburg
The steamer Matamoros No. 2 dragged her anchors
e. Tho 7 ,h,,rr 4,
Co. steamer Star and barges we'll the tug Gibbs
have been recovered undamaged
Captain Bell Engineer Lack and crew of four men
ported twenty -four persons rescued, among them DR..
Chamberlain who up the Bay, and stated that he
was on a rat holding his wifes head out of the water
The snatched her from his just a rope
was thrown around himself
THE WATER,
according to Dr. Massey, was thrtyfour inches above
the highest rain food ever known in San Jacnto AT
his own place much stock perished. The is pre-
sumcd to be the at the open points between
Morgans Point and Lynchburg.
The warehouse of the Ship Channel Company
Morgans Point is the only building left standing on
the immediate shore of San Jacnto or island.
Wood and cut timber, the accumulations of many
years have been swept away. The mainstay of many
peope-the natboats and other craft-have been de-
stroyed.
A considerable amount has already been subscribed
for the sufferers
DAMAGE TO RAILROADS.
1t will take week to repair the bridge OF the Inter-
national Railroad; that the Brazos Sunset route
will require at least the same time Destruction to
crops is reported from all points inland
DESTRUCTION COUNTY
At the Patton place, Brazos county, owned by Colo
mel Hutchins Ir. Crews, manager), the sugar house
and several smaller buildings were blown down.
Mrs Dance and her granddaughter, two years old,
are lost. All others that side saved by the
Liverpool steamship Australian which had been driven
there by the gale On the side the mouth one
person is supposed to be lost Mr. Winslow is known
to be saved at the mouth
AT the Lake Jackson plantation, owned by Messrs.
Ward, Dewey l. Co., the sugar house was blown down.
At the Wharton place. owned by the widow of General
Wharton, sugar and gin houses we're blown down and
other damages sustained.
At Widow Stevens plantation and those Of Greenvill
NJ Neil and Joel Bryan all tho sugar houses are down
Colonel Hawkins sugar house was demolished at the
time.
AT Colonel Sharp's placeSat Chenango at the mouth
OF the San Bernard River e gale prevailed with great
severity, and blow much harder than on the Brazos
Sckening details of the loss of life come from there
on the east side.
Brazos, but no lives wero lost
MArAGoRDA DESTROYED.
Natagorda Is gone. FIVE houses only are standing
No lives reported lost in the town.
PERISH.
Every soul, however, of the fifteen families which
lived on Matagorda peninsula are supposed to have
perished. Not shred is to be seen there
LOSS TO CROPS
Trustworthy people gave much information to Mr..
Crews in Columbia before he left Loss of planters es
tmated at two-thirds, with picking backward Sugar
cane levellcd with the earth. No great aftercrop
anticipated
The Columbia Branch Railroad is damaged, but not
TO any considerable extent
In Orange the water very high but there was
no damage to the place Immediate vicinity The
mail steamer Pelican State route from Sabine Pass
to wicss Blun was wrecked near Johnson's Bayou
Three negro deck hands are missing Considerable
damage was done the farms along Johnson's Bayou
No reliable information has been received from Sabine
Pass
Judge Gustave Cook and family returned from
Quntana yesterday by way of Brugona They fur.
nsh the following particulars of the cyclone on that
part Of the coast, embracing
yELAsco QuIyTASA
The wind commenced blowing on Tuesday night from
the northeast changing cast then southeast By Thurs
day morning 1t was blowing a hurricane sixty to
eighty miles an hour During Friday tho wind blow
with the greatest force The from the Gulf was
driven with great rapidty and manifestly
TIDAL WAVE,
and from low tide 1t could be coming forward in
plateau, and soon the whole country ovcrnowed The
storm described being like picture Of tropical
hurricane The beat over the roof of the
two story house occupied by Judge Cook and tho waves
even rolled the plantation Of Colonel John II Helm.
der tearing up trees eight miles from the Gulf The tide
from twelve to fourteen feet above low mean tide
six seven feet higher than known and six feet
deep theands that had never been touched by salt
water The towns Of vclasco and Quntana we're swept
away Only two or three houses are left standing, and
they are in a dapdatcd condition
loss,
low valuation Of property there is fully $50 900
In live stock the is ascortanable The people