The Portland daily press., 1883-09-10
STORMS AND FLOODS.
Immense Damage Caused by Floods in
Texas-RaiIroad Bridges Washed Away
-J.lOO sheen Drowned.


LAREDO, Tex, Sept. 8.-The rains of the
past two DAYS have caused an unprecedented
rise in the Rio Grande. At noon to-day 1t has
risen IS feet. Heavy rains have been falling
to-day and still greater rise is expected to-
morrow. Sheep owners apprehend great loss
among their fiocks by drowning Last night,
just after the Monterey train on the Mexican
National railroad had crossed the bridge over
the Rio Grande, large portion OF the struc-
ture was washed away. Trains are all de-
layed. The damage on the Texas & Mexican
road for 100 miles east is very heavy.
CoRPus CHRISTI, Tex, Sept. S.-The dam
age By rain and high water in the surrounding
country was much greater than supposeds AL
the creeks west, which had been dry the en-
tire summer suddenly became raging streams,
20 to 40 feet deep, and spread across the coun-
try, sweeping everything before them. Horses,
cattle and sheep were seen floating by hun
dreds down with the current. Windmills and
outhouses were swept away. The loss to stock
cannot be estimated, as nearly the entire west
is flooded. The Texas-Mexican Railway Co.
lost eleven bridges and culverts and several
miles of track. At Peru, station 100 miles
west, the situation is very bad. On one sec
tion east of here there are five bridges and
mile and half Of road-bed gone. The situa.
ton is worse at Realibos and along the coast
southwest of Corpus Christi, ,whree the damage
to stock will exceed the loss in the districts
noted above. A bridge at San Diego, "a miles
west, which was swept away this evening, was
450 feet long, and one of the strongest on the
Texas-Mexicsn railroad.
LAREDO, Texas, Sept. 9-0n the Interns-
tional railroad the floods have caused loss in
culverts and entertainments little less than on
the Corpus Christi route. The effects of the
first storm had been partially repaired, but the
second one has damaged the track to such an
extent as to entirely prevent the passage of
trains, and the hotels are filled to overfowing
with delayed travellers. The large bridge
over Salado river, in Mexico, on the Mexican
International road, was washed away last eve
ming. 1t will take the Rio Grande & Pecos
road two weeks to repair the damage, which
will cause the railroad supplies of coal from
the Hunt mines to run short At Maoueltaros
station on the Texas-Mexican road, 1,100
head of sheep we're drowned out of flock of
II, 900, aud other losses are reported but not so
heavy. The powder house of the Mexican
National Construction Company, in Laredo,
was struck by lightning, and large quantity
of powder exploded. In different locality
eight telegraph posts were shattered. About
so miles from LAREDO q shepherd was found
killed by the lightning. The prospect Is that
the rise is not get over.
ILATER.
The report that Salado bridge, on the Mexi-
can National railroad, had been carried away
by floods is incorrect
Rain has continued in showers to-day, in the
vicinity Of Laredo, and the weather is not set
tied. The International road has repaired the
breaks between the Neuces river and Lare do
and the train Tonight was on schedule time.
The trains on the Corpus Christi route cannot
be run before Wednesday.