The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-10-21
A Thrilling story Of the Texas Floods.

W ~ ASS ouodAAdl CuulCCOA . ACASS
in the great storm, told, as it was, in the
language of truth and simplicity, convey
ing a better idea thus than it could have
done in any other way. Passing, as she
did, through all and more danger than
any other, witnessing the death of one
after another of her acquaintance and
fellow.sutferers, hearing the despairing
entreaties sent forth by agonized lips to
the throne OF the Most High for help and
succor and mercy in those terrible hours
that fearful day and night, when the
awful majesty of God revealed itself in
the sublime tempest that swept away
scores of lives and Furnishing city of
5000 inhabitants.
Wednesday came the first indication of
a severe storm, though 50 usual were all
the phenomena that no more than ordinary
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 results.
Thursday morning dawned, lowering
with heavy stornl-clouds, and with the
wind blowing strongly and tiercely from
the east The waters rose still higher, yet
no danger was felt. Evening came,
with an increase of wind, when the bay,
filled high with waters from the gulf, and
the bayou near where their house was,
aided in the destruction commenced at an
early hour Thursday evening First, the
waters Tapped gently the streets; then a
little higher, the doorstep; higher still,
Before this they 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 had time to cook the
water was sweeping through the room and
over the stove. Retreat was made to the
upper story, all the valuables 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 secure) had taken refuge with
him, driven from their own homes by
the rising water. In the humanity and
love borne by the old man toward 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 habita-
ton those who were not so securely stu
ated as 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 the rites of burial.
Harder and harder rose the mighty
wind, higher rose the remorseless bay,
until 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 strong men stricken with
an awful fear, and from tiny, child lips
did that cry go up.
One mother, Mrs. Cole, when entreating
for mercy in that fearful hour, was chcercd
by comfort from a source hardly expected.
From the lips of her little four-year-old
daughter, above the raging of the wind
within, fell words that will linger forever
in the memory of those who heard them:
Don't cry, mamma; God will not let us
die! God will save us-don't, don't cry,
mammal" God did indeed answer her
prayer, and saved the life of the little
petitioner and mamma and papa, too.
And little two-year-old boy in 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 element, 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
every moment to tear the roof from over
their heads, with the giant waves, their
white crests laden with the timbers of
some ruined wharf or wrecked vessel, and
serving as a battering-r ram with which to
tear down their frail protection-it must
have been terrible to hear the wailing
cries Of those children and know that no
hope, no succOr, no chance of life existed
but the feeble security offered by the
weak building in which they stood. Soon
! plank from a part of the house most
exposed was torn off. Instantly the con-
Stunning waters rushed through; another
and still another, widening the opening,
and revealing to the untortunates 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. AL.
most coincident with the tearing away OF
the sides of the house the roof was lifted
bodily up and set down in the water out
side, 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 build.
ing to the roof, believing that it would
float and sustain them. In the brief mo-
ments before all were separated occurred
scenes never to be forgotten. Capt. Law.
ton was attempting to save one woman
who was struggling in the water. Several
times he attempted to pull her upon the
raft which he was, but she would not de-
sert her children. "Let me die, but save
my children" were the last words the
poor woman spoke. All were lost-her-
self and both little ones. Upon every
hand now were seen the struggling forms
OF despairing men and women, and the
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 terrible Storm King.
But little while did the frail support
bear the combined weight of the six or
seven 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 it,
took her back to the roof with him, and
had barely placed her in fancied security
when it parted, separating in pieces too
small to afford refuge, when the mother,
so CALAMITY rescued, went down to rise no
more.
Susannah, with the little sister of Capt.
Brennan in her arms, had taken refuge
upon large timber from one of the
wrecked wharves. A tame bear, a pet of
Mr.. Morrison's family, swan to it, crossed
it, and wound rope that was around his
neck several times around her body.
How got it off cannot tell,' she said,
"but presently I became disentangled
from the coil, and hardly had showed
the animal away when ahuge wave, which
almost Immediately buried me and the
little one below the surface, threw across
the bears body large log, crushing his
life out, saving mine.'' At the same time
her hold upon the child was lost, and it
too sank with one last wild cry Of " Oh,
save me, Susie, save mel"
Regaining her hold upon the friendly
plank, with all her companions gone, with
no apparent hope OF life, her presence Of
mind and courage, her faith in God did
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