The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-04-30
4 WORLD OF WATER.
WORKS WRECK AND RUIN IN AND
ABOUT THE CAPITAL
CITY.
Houses and Bridges SM ept Away
and Trains DelaYed-A
RuinOuS RAIN.

over the city all Tuesday, made gooC
their threats at last. The warm cur
rents of air got in their work of con
denSa ion and down came the torrents
In one steady, undated stream fol
ten dreary hours. 1t must have been
ten hours of intense delight to Ole
Jupiter Pluvius. that is to say if the
old watery god has not fled the uni.
verse, along with, all the other classic
dieties that modern skepticism has
forever banished.
The two prin ipal creeks within
the city limits are: Waller on the east
side, and Shoal Creek on the west,
both emptying into the Colorado.
These are what are generally termed
SWEET weather" branches, and in ordi-
nary times contain but little
water. Yesterday they were rag
ing floods. Every ditch and
gutter helped to swell the dirty, foam
ing current as it hurried headlong to
the river.
A STORE SWEPT OFF.
The heaviest damage sustained on
Waller Greek was where this stream
makes bend near the intersection of
Red River and Mesquite street. On
this corner was store occupied by
Mr.. s. E. Emanuel, wooden structure
containing stock OF groceries. In
the rear were the sleeping apartments
Of the family. The water surged
against this house furiously, and I'M
able to stand the pressure it "went
glimmering." Nearly everything was
lost. Heavy articles of merchandise
floated off, as lightly as straws, on the
remOrseless waters. A little of the
household furniture was saved, but in
such wrecked and damaged state as
to be almost worthless. The unfor-
tunate owner told d reporter that g.
800 would scarcely cover his loss, which
from the nature of the cause
is not made good by any insurance.
The building itself was torn into
fragments.
The next sufferer was Green Hamil-
ton, colored hack-driver. His house
was just in the rear of EmanueI's, and
it is a wonder that it, too, was not
borne Off. Nearly all he had was en-
quilted in the destroying element, and
a good hack-his means of subsist-
ence-badly broken up.
OTHER DAMAGE.
Further up the stream anumber of
small houses that lined the banks
were submerged, and a dozen were
counted at one time, bobbing
up and down on the
mad current, as If seeing
which could be first in their race to
the Colorado. A good deal of damage
was done the railroad bridge of the
Capitol Syndicate, the timbers sup
porting the trestle-W being bulged
away out of place. The proprietor of
the Circle Skating Rink wore broad
smile. He got off with little loss,
only the outside railing, next the
creek, being taken.
] h re was even more destruction
on t..u west side, along the course of
Shoai Creek, on account of the
broader channel and greater volume
of water. The stone bridge on Plum
street, just beyond the Graded School,
was forced to go. Lower down a
stout bridge in the vicinity OF the
cotton compress shared the same fate.
A couple of hundred yards further
down was the International railway
bridge. The middle supports gave
way, and the central part fell, IN and
hung just few feet above the boiling
tide. 1t was somewhat after the
scene described by Macauly, where
"Battlement and plank and pier
Whirled headlong to the sea-"
The bridge will have to be rebuilt
before any more trains can draw up
at the depot.
ANOTHER LOSER
was Mr.. f. Schmitz, a dealer
in furniture and mattresses,
who does business on East Pecan.
His warehouse, situated on the right
bank of the stream mentioned above,
was full of new goo6s-sewing ma
chimes and furniture of various kinds
The water rushed through it, carry
ing off goods by the wholesale, and
badly injuring what was left. He
puts his loss, including damage done
the house and enclosure, at $1,000.
Three brand new wagons were among
the articles washed. away. A couple
OF horses were saved just in
the nick of time, being
rescued by servant who imperilled
his own life to save them.
Taken altogether, the entire loss,
including bridges and houses of every
kind, must be somewhere between ]
$1,000 and $1,000.
In the city considerable damage was
done and the merchants were put to
any amount of Inconvenience in the
way of removal of goods. In some
instances the water rose over the curb
stones and entered the houses, caus-
ing hopping process to be vigorous
lycarried OF.
Crow, Mexican & Co., had their
stock of goods injured greatly.
Workmen were engaged in putting on
a new roof, and so the rain came at
a most inopportune time, flooding the
second story and damaging them
several hundred dollars.
MOIST MENTION.
The way the water "came down at
Lodore" was no doubt worth seeing,
but the way it came down in Austin
yesterday astonished the natives.
The site of Col. Driskills new hotel
presented the appearance of a mill
pond. 1t will have to be drained.
Joe Wood, a boy of twelve rescued
little child from drowning in Shoal
Creek yesterday.
The river was on a tremendous
tear, and presented a wild waste of
madiy tossing waves. 1t had risen
fourteen feet at 8 o'clock p. m.
The Oldest inhabitant remarked that
it was pretty heavy rain, but moth
ing like the freshet of 1869 when the
water rose, etc., etc.
The report that two children were
drowned in Shoal Greek, could not be
traced to any authentic source, neither
another report that colored man had
been killed by lightning on Robinson
Hill.
A citizen stood on the banks of
Waller Creek, calmly watching several
coops of fine chickens go sailing off.
His good wife stood by him, tearfully
watching the feathered cargo depart.
swell, perhaps it's best that they
should 60 this way" the gentleman
remarked, in a sad tone. Better our
fowls should drown than fall into the
hands of that great American chick
en- thief, Oliver Townshend, ESQ.,
CURE FOR PILES.