The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-10-07
The STORM a, rnainno,a, Texas,

l IA X
The following extracts of letter from the
son of Captain r. Colstop, OF this city, which
has just been received, will give some idea
of the great suffering whica resulted from
the late storm in Indianola:
The storm commenced here on Wednes-
| day the 18Th, aud was so violent that night
that got up. dressed. and went 10 sleep
with q friend. Next morning the streets
were under water, which was still rising
abou. three inches an hour, notwithstanding
the fitness of this country. went down
town at 0 O'Clock to help to keep water out
OF some of the houses; started lack home
at -, wadine in the water up to my waist.
Found 1t impossible to 60 farther than
concrete building two squares beyond, so l
stopped there, thinking 1t the safest place.
BY 3 o'clock The small houses began TO
float OF, and by O'Clock houses all around
me were either beginning to float of, to be
blown down, or undermined. We (eight in
numbe,) were then totally confined TO the
upper story. At | O'clock at night there
were only two or three houses 10 sight, and
it was bright night, though rain was falling
very heavily. In promenading the room |
happened TO look up upon reaching The back
end, and, alas ! | saw crack in the centre OF
toe end extending nearly to the floor. l i'm
mediateiy gave the alarm to the party, most
Of whom were asleep on the dry goods stored
in the room, and we rushed 10 the front end
aud commenced hauling out on the shed
the raft of three planks which We had
| tied together in case of necessity; but
before we could get ii out the back walls
crumbled into the water, and We climbed
down Oft the shed into the water, which
was nearly neck deep. aud which was re-
| turning to the bay at the rate of about
twenty-five miles au hour. (The tide and
wind had changed by this time) We clung
TO the posts for while, hoping the trout
walls would rot fall and feeling at the same
time that it would be certain death to jump
into such q current, I concluded that the
best thing for us all to do would be 10 strike
for q large building which still stood across
the current but in order TO do this We must
start from the side door Of our house. SO
agreed to 60 with one man into the
! house and open the door. Two Of the
others stood in the front door, and
the others became so frightened that
| they swan off and left US, though be did not
kuow they had gone until afterwards.
Whilst I was STOPPING to unfasten the
bottom catch Of the door the whole wall fell
on me and my companion. Twas first struck
on the head by brick, then q rafter fell
across my shoulders, and another on the
small OF my back, which combined force, OF
course, crushed me down to the Il DOR in two
feet of water. caught myself Oh my elbows,
and was thus enabled to keep my bead above
water. For a few momens | was insens-
| Bile, aud did not move. Upon recovering
myself concluded it was necessary that l
! should move, or | should die; so | made
| Il ri
weight gave way somewhat, / was enabled
hnafly to extticate myself. After num-
Der of these etfJrts I scrambled on the top
of the pile Of brick, exhausted and almost
insensibe. / was soon reused from this
condition by the pitiabe cry Of my compa-
Mon, and / jumped into the water again,
and alter some difficulty found him fastened
and dragged him our. Instead OF there
| being eight in our party there were now but
| i've, and these were unhurt except us Two,
| who were in the house. Among tue miss.
| ing was NY best friend, Ned Grassland,
whom / supposed dead. From that time,
which was about l O'Clock, until daybreak,
~e sat on the brick-pile in The most severe
storm ever imagined, from The northwest,
| too. probably suffered more than others,
as before the house fell | took off all my
, clothes, thinking | would have to be pre-
pared 10 swim. 50 that Was naked the rest
of the time. BY o'clock the next moro
ing the water had fallen enough for US TO get
on the street. aud after crawling and wading
| reached store, where l got some clothes
that had been saved there. | went up the
street to Mr.. Proctor'S, which was
fun to oyerfl3wiUg with men. women,
and children. 1t being on a little bill, was
one of the few buildings that were not washed
hol 70 rid
there, and 10 that distance there were not
more than dozen houses, some Of them roof
less, and others setting out in the streets.
The suffering here now far exceeds my
ability 10 describe. Whole families bavt
been washed away, and amongst them some
Of the best citizens. Detachments OF men
some in boats, others on horseback, and all
with spades and hoes have been sent iG
every direction to bury the dead. they
have found one hundred ard forty-iour
corpseS, chiefly women aud children. Many
more are supposed to lie under the wrecks.
| have DO doubt that when correct record
is made the number missing will be iuily Two
hundred. There are hundlc eds Of people per-
fectly destitute nothing TO eat except what
the committee gives them no clothes
or shelter | have not thing in the VOL 10.
lost my wa'cn, clothes, and money, except
! the little had loaned to Il friend. and he Is
now as poor as [ am. | heard that two
flmlici took refuge in my room, and at
| were drowned bat one boy. John Leake:
who had just arrived from Kentucky TO take
his brothers practice during his absence 10
New York, was drowned. He had just era:
| duated 10 Louisville. and was TO be married
here iu Two weeks. Rev. Mr. Jope, bis wife,
aud five children were lost. His wIie's BODY
alone has been found.
The writer gives further details. lie SPEAKS
of the great kindness of DR.. Thomas L.
Cooke, to whose house, in Victoria, he mas
been taken, and expresses the opinion tnat
the site Of Indianola will be abandoned, most
of the surviving families moving to Port
Laraca. some fifteen miles up the bay.
SOLVING THE SEcTAKIAN QUEsIlos.-The