Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-04-23
ANGRY WATERS.
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The People Of Gainesville Awakened at
Night TO Find Themselves Str.
rounded by Water
--4-A--------
Pecan and Elm Greeks leave Their Banks !,
Carrying Death and Destruction
on Their Bosoms
A Freight Train 0itohed gu the Santa
Te Near Valley Mills Great Loss
Among the Sheep,
..--.-------
Red River Rising st the Rate Of -Four
Feet au Hour "A Passenger Train
Derailed Near Donisop,
AT uAIsTsvrLLE.
Hpeoial.


GAINRsvlLLE, Tx, April % "A
most disastrous Hood has prevailed In
this city all day.
About o'clock this morning the cit
liens were awakened by loud cries for
help, the shrill shrek OF the alarm
whIstle and the souBu OF rushing wa
ters. The rain had been falling In tor
rents all night, and Pecan creek.
which runs through the eastern por.
tion OF the town, had risen to an
alarming extent. Many families liy-
ing in that vicinity were awakened to
find themselves surrounded by water.
MANY HOUSES WE'RE o>ERTuRowN
and washed down the stream. Help
was promptly on hand. Ropes were
thrown out and every possible
means used TO assist the suffer
ers, but the intense darkness retarded
the laborers and many persons had
taken refuge In trees when they found
that II was impossible 10 wade through
the torrents, and the air was filled
with the shrlebs OF women and chill
dren
In several instances mothers with
their babes In their arms remained
clinging TO the limbs OF trees for
hours, until they were rescued more
dead than alive. When day broke,
the banks OF the creek for n great
distance were strewn with debris Of
every description.
The accne on Elm creek west OF the
city was equally horrible. Soon this
morning word was brought that sew
eral families who had been caughtby
the water were lodged In trees and
WOULD BE DROWNED
unless assistance was rendered, Sew
cral people responded TO tho call aud
when they reached the scene the spec.
taclc WAS truly appalling. Men,
women and children were discovered,
some swimming aud some ollnglng TO
trees. Several RATS and boats were
procured and launched, but were
broken to pieces or sunk by the force
of the current. In one Instance me-
gro man succeeded In getting woman
aud her two children In boat, when
IL upset, and the frantic mother saw
her children
SINK ro'RIsB NO MORE.
Several new boats were constructed,
and after five or six hours labor they
succeeded In reecuing the majority
OF the sufferers. II lsimpossible 70 "a.
innate the damage which IN done %
property. IL 10 rumorcd that many
families above and below here are In
great distress, and that many Hives are
lost. Resculng parties left here but
have not returned. A telephone mes.
aage WIS received from Bt 10 above
here, which stated that the force OF
the Hood had not reached there, a
repetition ofto.day's horrors Is feared
tonight, Old residents say this Ii
riiE MOST DISASTROUS rIoop
that has ever Visited this por-
ton Of the state. The water
WtAi wv lew hhkAfA yuan ~
was twenty-seycn years ago when
there was great loss Of life and proper
ty. All the bridges In the city are
washed away. Those In the eastern
portion are entirely cut or from the
business part Of the town. The rail-
road bridges In the corporate limits
| are cOnaidernbly damaged, and lad to
be repaired before any trains left this
morning. No mail WAS received To-
day. The rain has continued during
the entire day, hat up TO the present.
time the waters have risen very little.
the scene Is the most heartrending
and distressing ever witnessed ia ;hlD
city, and the waters carry death ana
destruction In their restless currents.