The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-12-08
THE TRINITY RIVER.
Hisiary Of the Fseshess Dariss the
Past thirty Years The Recent High
water Unprecedented rs "a Fail Mfse
ro enc Editof oI ths HeraId.

I WAFER topSeeeaeBffd rs "A Fall Miss
TO the Editor OF the Herald.
1 The recent extraordinary risesiti th
Trinity suggests the idea of giving vol
brief history of the noticeable rise
that have occurred in the last thirt,
years
This last rise is remarkable for helm
fall rise. and one of those that hav
succeeded each other in the last is'
weeks; for being the highest rise bu
one. and for coming up so rapidly.
Colonel John y. Bryan. the distin
guished pioneer, and founder of this city
made the FIRST high water mark, in 1912
| If not in the fall, this was late IN tbs
summer, and more than thirty years ago
The colonel had very clearly detpd.
mark. the buttipg pole of his cabin
| But irom bear OF decay and that his catin
| might not withstand the progress, he
| anticipated, OF his embrio city. he de
| termined to fix the mark of that mas
| ter rise on permanent. If not imper-
ishable object Selecting solid, thrifty
Spanish oak, he hacked the mark on
that. But there is no accounting for the
ravages of time and the waste and dis
truction of cherished objects to crafty
grasping ayarice, and desire of fame.
To shield the ferry road from washing
ditch was dug hard by the base of that
staiwart oak The ditch soon became
deep gulch, damaging the tree by ex-
posing the roots. A whip>saw PIT was
erected upon the gulch, the tree becom,
ing one of its supports. Statutes Were
enacted requiring the banks OF streams
on ferry roads to be graded, and this
road was cut down, leaving the oak high
upon our side Finally the tree faded.
died, and fell ; but not till after the
great rise OF lS4e. Ia September of
that year the river began TO rise IN clear
beautiful weather 1t came, up and out
aud over the bottom. giving clear indi
cation of big rain. Ii was rising
slowly but surely, from six to eight in
ches day, till it came to be mat
ter of interest, and enquiry as to the
high water mark. Colonel Bryan was
sanght, came and showed the mark
The river rose on for three or four weeks;
the mark was reached and three feet
higher attained, and this would have
broughtit justa bout the comb, instead
of the eve OF the little house, had 1t been
there; but. alas. it WAS gone. This was
af all rise, and tixedt he high water
line for seventeen years.
Spring rises were common; were
looked for every year, and generally
came. Would miss some years, how
ever, and never came TO Colonel Brysn's
mark, again, until 1866.
On this occasion, in the spring. 9th
of May, it came up 10 Colonel Bryan's |
mark, to the mark of ls49. and as il to |
show its utter contempt for any limit |
that might have been fixed US lite |
boundry. in one night it sprsng up over |
three feet. and did not cease rising I'M
til it had reached six or seven feet above |
the highest water known 10 the oldest |
This rise brought great |
to the people OF the city |
tor besides the fears of 1t coming over |
the highest ground, there We're cries of
distress from SO many quarters, along /
the lower grounds. that it seemed i'm
possible to relieve them, although every |
person. and every means Were EN-
ployed.
The water was at the extreme high |
water mark, and no one could believe
{ possible for it 20 get higher 1t was
tuesday morning, it began. to rain
.fresh TO pour down in torrents. Such |
/ fsll OF water had neye been seen, per-
1aps. ty any of those settlers. 1t con-
Iinued, with no sign of abatIng, for six
mortal hours 1t ceased; the clouds
we're rolled up. the thunder died away,
.he sun shown out and quiet and cons
iort came to every family and treside.
Night soon came and rest and reliei
we're sought in that sweet restorer |
oalmy sleep
In the far depths of night the inhab>
tants of the city we're aroused by the
vail of distress, and cries for help. A
citizen, lady, in her
deep and sweet dreams, lot her hand |
all over the oed-rail, and il splashed in |
he water. which opened a scene of anxi-
ous fears and busy cares for the next |
twelve or fifteen hours but the energy |
Of the citizans were equal to the emer>
sency and all were save.
This rise lacked but eight feet of com
ing upon the public square from the |
river front, and only q few feet, perhaps |
but few inches of passing round, back |
Of che city. short distance east of
where the Lamar House now stands.
To make this rise the citizents fixed |
a metal plate on long cottonwood that |
stood a ew feel south OF where the west |
end OF the Dallas bridge now is; but |
strange to tell, this tree, though appar.
emily sound and well set. stood but a
short time.
This seems To have TO exhausted the
means, and The rises We're very moder-
ate until 1872, when on the Ith OF April. !
a great rise Came up to within about six
feet of the rise OF 1866. and within about
one foot of this last rise.
Since 1872 there has been fewer rises
than common, but the rises of this fail
is unprecedented. Thus rises in one
fall, in FIVE weeks. has never transpired.
here, before. There was singular
graduation in those rises; The last being
five feet higher than that OF the Sab
instant. and thst of the 9Th about one
foot higher that the rise of October IL.
This last rise was about one foot higher
than that Of 1872, and came within Ave
feet of the great rise of 1866
Toa close observer, the changes in
the topography of places, in and around
. growing city. is u matter of no
little curiosity They are imperceptible
to common observation; could only be
ascertained by careful measurement;
but are shown by the rises OF the river.
They are the results of wes.s by use
packing, rubbing off, aud fling up.
They would astonish those who have
assed over them for years, APP
parently without change, to. be shown
what great mutations they have UNDER
gone.
In giving ysu these facts. / do not
seek to have the communication pub
lished You can make such use Of them
as you think proper-pst them in such
form As will suit your taste and con-
venience. PACE TEA.
Csnssry school.
During the winter months in rural
districts, many children who have been
kept employed on the farm drought
| the busy season win have an opper-
tunity TO attend school Its the duty
of parents to see that this opportunity
is not neglected II is acknowledged
on all hands that the great need of the
/ agricultural community of the present
day is higher and mere general etlu,
cation, and no ehaace of attaining this
| Il -. II ~. ~.,f..ax,.1 n aH,i1ean tka~afar.