Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-09-29
THE TEXAS DISASTER.
TDdianOIa, Texas. Almost Entirely De.
sIrOyed-Over 100 Lives Lost.
Light-HOuses, Wharves and Nearly
Every House Swept Away.

GALVESTON, Sept. 2l.-The steam
ship Harlan has just arrived. The
purser states the town of Indianola is
almost entirely demolished. Light
houses, wharves, Business houses, anG
dwellings are broken in pieces or swept
away, and there are only three houses
remaining which are not damaged
The telegraph office is gone, the sigma!
Office is damaged, telegraph lines are
down for miles, railroads are washed
away, and houses, fences and trees
piled up in broken masses in the
streets. Reports of loss of life are con-
flicting, but all agree there were 100 to
$50 lives lost. The purser states that
on account of the excitement it was
impossible to obtain the correct num-
Der. The steamship returned with her
cargo of goods, as there was no place
where she could land.
PARTICULARS OF THE AWFUL
DISASTER.
The Morgan ship Harlan came into
port this morning with cOlOls at half
mast, and large crowd gathered on
the wharf to learn the fate of In
dianola
The following note has teen re
ceived:
INDIANoLA, Sept. 20.
To the Editors of the NetoS.
We are destitute. The town is gone.
One-quarter of the people are gone.
Dead bodies are strewn for twenty
miles along the bay. Nine-tenths of
the houses are destroyed. Send liz
help, for Gods sake!
LSigned,l ID. NJ. GRAIN,
District Attorney.
The following has been received by
business firms from correspondents;
ION Wednesday, the 10th, winds from
the eastward, veering to the north on
Thursday morning, became more
steady. increasing to a gale.
! 1.-THE WATER WAS WAIST DEEP.
Every man, woman, and child
were seeking a place of safety. The
wind blew fearfully, and the situation
was awful. Screams from women and
children could be heard in every di-
rection. The water was six feet deep
in the streets. About . o'clock Friday
afternoon the winds veered to the
northwest. The waves then became
chopped. Houses were washed away
or tumbled to pieces, The wind, to-
ward morning, began TO lull little,
and the water getting lower, until the
wind veered nor'h. Then came hope
until daylight began TO break, and
then did we behold the awful destruc-
ton around, and thanked our God that
we had been saved, and that our peril~
Gus condition was as nothing com.
pared with the sufferings of our neigh
bors and citizens along the bay. Broad
daylight revealed a scene that was ter
rible TO behold. The town could not
be recognized as the Indianola of the
day previous.
RUIN, TOTAL RUIN.
Everywhere people were seen walk
ing and jumping over one gulley and
another. Neighbor met neighbor, and
told their troubles and tribulations of
the previous night. Death and de-
struction are all around us. The
houses are crushed TO the ground, 9th
ers swayed round and leaning over.
The wind fully dying down and the
water disappearing from places in the
street. those that could sailed out 10
learn the news. Bodies of men. wo.
men and children were found in ALI
directions. Police and guards were
organized, and search was made for
the missing by relatives and friends.
How many have lost their lives in this
fearful storm it is impossible to learn.
UP TO this time sixty or seventy bodies
nave been found and buried"