Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-04-24
GAINESVILLE.
Particulars Of the Floods in Cooke aud
Montague Counties Many Mar
row Escapes,
The Loss to Crops Unprecedented : OF.
fioers Heotedby the Grand lodge
Of Knights Of Pythias,



In few hours the waters OF Pecan |
and Elm creeks were confined within |
their banks. The water in Pecan |
creek has receded sufficiently to per-
nit crossing in vehicles without dan
ger. The reports Of loss Of life were |
greatly exaggerated.
The family OF Mr.. McAfee were all
rescued, while several families, after |
being imprisoned several hours in the
tree tops, were safely brought to land. |
The wife and two children OF q Mr..
Wilson were reached 10y negro
named Buck Shanks. He took them
In boat and started to land, W hen the
boat was capsized by swift current,
One Of the children was drowned, but
the brave negro held to the mother
and the other child until assistance
reached them. Bob Sparks, another
negro living near the scene of devasta.
ton, acted in a heroic manner. Plac-
ing a woman and her children
in skitl he started to shore,
when the skiff was upset and all were
thrown into the water. Selling the
woman and children by the clothes
the negro swan TO the nearest tree
and placed them on limb. He re-
manned with them untilit was evident
} the cold rain and many hours OF ex-
posure would result in the death OF all,
when he tied them securely to the
, tree with parts of his clothing and
swan ashore for aid.
All the country adjacent to the
creeks was submerged, and people in
e great numbers abandoned their homes
i and fled to higher ground for safety.
= Many tarried too long and their
I houses were surrounded with water
e before they could escape, and numbers
d of men, women and children, to save
!, themselves from watery graves, were
. compelled to climb trees and remain
in the rain in half-perished condition
s until aid could reach them.
. SO far as is definitely known, only
, one person was drowned, but 1t IL
q feared that many persons have per
o ished both above and below this
|, city. Communication is only open fol
a q few miles each way and correct
g. reports are not yet received. The dam
u age to buildings, fencing and growing
" crops along the course of the streams II
!, greater than was ever before known
In this section. On the west and soutl
Is of the city Elm creek was a perfec
,. sea OF water, being about two mile
1t wide at several points. Pecan creek
ss which divides the eastern portion o
y the city, assumed the huge proportion
i. Of mighty river.
ut Manager Harris OF the water wor k
e. gives the following concerning tn
in damage there: AT 4 o'clock yesterda.
Il, morning the pump-house was inun
Mt dated, caused by the rain softenini
80 the bank In the rear OF the house ant
IL the current washing out a considers
i'd BILE portion of 1t. During the day tn
r, water rose and fell alternately, and no
10 until 5 p. IN, was any personal com
ne munication had with the engineer ant
RI fireman. The flood is not yet sufli
p ciently subsidized to ascertain the dam
ne age to the abutments and dlkes. Pre-
,r. paration has been made 70
pumping the water out. The damag
h. to the company will bs several thou
ii,s sand dollars.
-. Cmtcher & HarIison's lumber yar'
ct- suffered greatly by the loss OF lumber
lrt Some OF the houses in Silver CIT
hu were demolished, while others wer
us carried great distance and lodged Il
Ise fields. The Inmates were only rescue
I'D after the waters had receded.
W BY great exertion most OF the graf
ch and machinery in the large ilouriD
80. mills OF Scruggs & Whaley were pre-
Dy tected.
70 One OF the abutments of the brjdg
ON across Elm river is'badly damaged an
A puts the whole structure in danger
t ~ GUS condition.
10 A frame store house, the property c
he n. B. Taylor, situated on the banks
IN Pecan creek was washed away and
w q total loss.
liz The house of II. II. Barlow on Peca
.se creek is now standing on lot ont
VT third it's original size, the remalnde
e. having been washed away.
Wit A special from st. Joe says: 18th
ge most disastrous storm in tn
on history OF the country VII
ba tied this city Tuesday night at
De- o'clock. The storm broke loose In a
sp- it's fury, sweeping everything before /
A number Of residence-houses, barr
and out-houses we're entirely demo
ished. The cries Of distress among ii
70, horror-stricken women aud childre
al were heart-rending in the extrem