The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-10-15
A Thrilling Nos,1'0tiCe.
sUsANNAH PENDLETONs s RECITAL OF HER
HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE IN THE LATE
DEVASTATING FLOOD IN TEXAS.


| No more thrilling narrative could be i'm
/ agined or described than that relating I"
| Miss Susannah PcndletOn's experience in
/ the great storm, told, as it was. in the Ian
/ guage of truth and simplicity, conveying
/ better idea thus than it could have done
/ any other way. Passing as she did through
! all auG more dangers than any other, wit
Messing The death of one after another OF
! her aoouaintances ana fellow-sufferers,
hearing the despairing entreaties sent forth
! by agonized lips to the throne of the Most
| Highifor nelp and succor and mercy in
| those terrible hours-that fearful day and
| night, when the awful majesty of God re-
veaied itself in the sublime tempest that
swept away scores of lives and iiourishing
city of five thousand inhabitants.
Wednesday came the first indication of
| a severe storm, though so usual were all
the phenomena that no more than usual
results were anticipated. The waters of
the bay rose six or seven inches more than
customary, but did not alarm those who
had seen the same thing occur many times
before, with no more serious resu.,s.
Thursday morning dawned, lowering
with heavy storm clouds, and with the wind
blowing strongly and fiercely from the east.
The waters rose still higher, yet still no
more danger was felt. Evening came with
an increase of wind, when the bay flied high
with waters from the Gulf, and the bayou,
near where their houses was, aided in the
destruction commenced at an early hour
Thursday evening. First, the water lap
ped gently the streets then little higher
the doorstep; higher still, and it was upon
the floor of the house. Before this, we
would have had time to cook dinner. as Miss
Susannah said, $50 that in case we did have
to take to the boats, we'd have plenty to
eat" Ere the meat would have time 20
cook the water was sweeping through the
room and over the stove. Retreat was
made to the upper story, al. the valuabes
and movable effects of the family having
already been placed there. Other persons
(neighbors and friends of Mr. Morrison,
whose house of two stories, strongly built.
was deemed safe and securc) had taken
refuge with him, driven from their
own homes by the rising water. In the
humanity and love bonn by the old man to-
ward those of his kind in danger and want.
he had that evening, though fifty four
years of age and feeble in strength gone
from house to house. through water up TO
his waist, and gathered into his own babi-
tation those who were not SO securely stu
ated he.
SO the night closed in upon those thirty
five devoted men. women and children,
twenty four of whom were never again to
see the dawn-never again to clasp each
other by the hand, and many to be denied
even Tie l1tcS OF Duilal.
Harder and harder ragged the mighty
wind, higher rose the remorSeleSS bay, un-
til the second floor upon which the poor.
terrified creatures were gathered, was
reached. Then arose to Heaven a wailing
cry of distress from distracted mothers.
with their little ones at their breasts from
stI ong men stricken with anawful fear and
from tiny child lips did that cry go mp.
Ohs mother, Mrs. Cole, when entreating
for mercy in that fearful hour was cheered
by comfort From p soaTee hardly expected.
From the Lips of her little four- wear old
daughter above the raging Of the wind and
the sea without, and the cries of te iror
within, fell words that will linger forever
in the memory of those who heard them
'Dont cry, mamma; God will not let us
die God will save us--don't, don't cry,
mamma ~ God did, indeed, answer her
prayer, and saved the life of the little pc
tit itioner. aud mamma and papa, too And
little two year old boy i'm the same room.
clinging to his mothers knee, every time
the waves would wet his little feet would
shudder from the contact of the cold ele-
ment, and repeating the cries he heard
around him. would exclaim, over and over
again, Mamma, mamma save me save
me -
Oh, it must have been terrible, in that
small room, the furious wind threatening
their heads, with the giant waves, their
white crests laden with :he timbe,s of some
ruined wharf or wrecked vessel and serv-
ing as battcring ram with which to tear
down their fraii protection it must have
been terrible to hear the wailing cries of
those children, and know that no hope. no
succoi, no chance of life, existed but in the
feeble security offered by the weak building
in which they stood. Soon plank from a
,,or ri of t,n
off. Instantly the consuming waters rush
ed through another, and still another.
widening the opening, and revealing TO the
unfortunates within the terrible and never
to>be- forgotten scene of stormy ruin and
destruction which met their first glance
outside. But little time then had they to
see or think. Almost coincident with the
tearing away of the sides of the house. the
roof was lifted bodily up and set down
in the water outside, close beside the floor
upon which the people were standing.
Some six or seven, Susannah among the
number, jumped from the insecurity of the
tottering building to the roof, believing it
would float and sustain them. In the brief
moments before all were separated occurred
scenes never to be forgotten Captajn
Lawton was attempting to save one woman
who was struggling in the water. Several
times he attempted to pull her upon the
raft upon which he was, but she would not
desert her children. '.Let me die, but save
my children were the last woI DIS the Door
woman spoke. All were lost-herself and
both little ones. Upon every hand now was
seen the struggling forms of despairing
men and women, and the witness says that
all about her could be seen long hair and
white faces floating in the water, belonging
to those whose spirits had gone to their
Creator, borne upon the wings of the terri
BILE Storm King.
But little while did the frail support
bear the combined weight of the six or sew
en- gathered upon it. Ere it fell to pieces
young Willie Morrison saw his mother
floating by on single plank. Jumping
from his position he swan to ii, took her
back to the roof with him, and had barelv
placed her in fancied security when It
parted, separating in pieces too small to
afford refuge, when the mother, so Calantly
rescued, went down to rise no more.