Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-10-15
LOST In THE FLOOD.
THE TOWN Ov SABINE PASS, TEX.
WIPED OUT.
More Than Fifty Dead-Houses Torn
from Their Foundations and
Swept Away.

from Their Foundations and
swept Away.
BEAUMONT, Tax, Oct. 13.-Our town
was In state Of intense excitement TO-
night at news just received from Sa-
bine Pass. It is news of terrible loss of
life and destruction Of property in that
place from the high water. We have
no telegrAphic Communication with
Sabine Pass. a. the wires are all down,
but an engine arrived here tonight
over the East Texas Railway that left
there about six o'clock. Two citizens,
who roweu In small boat ACROSS al
expanse Of tossing waters, distance of
several miles from the town Of Sabine
to the railroad track, came in on an
engine and gave q heaitrendiDg &C.
count OF the affair. They say the waters
began to invade the town from the
Gulf and the lake together about two
O'Clock on Tuesday afternoon, and rose
with unprecedented rspidity.
The citizens OF the doomed place did
not realize the imminent danger until
1t was too late to escape. When safety
by flight was recognized MS being out of
the question, the people who were stu.
ated 80 they could do 1t betook them.
selves TO houses and resorts and ad-
Judged them TO be safe. The water kept
rising, and between 8 and O'Clock the
smaller houses began to yield to the
force of the waves, and not
only moved them from their founda-
tions, but turned them over on their
sides and tops. A little later the larger
houses began to give way, and death
by drow ming Eeemed In store for every
person In the place. With the yielding
of the sm a,ler houses several pei SONS
who had remained in them were drown.
ed, and when the residences and busI-
ness places began to crumble the fatal
ity began to double.
Thirty three white and twenty ave
colored persons are known to have been
drowned, among them s3me Of the lead
ing families Of the place. There are
others, and many of them doubtless
drowned without any one now living
knowing anything Of 1t. 1t is feared
that whole families In different places
have been swept away without leaving
a vestiee of their fate. Ii Is said that
the situation during the latter part Of
the afternoon beggared description.
Toe manifestation Of terror and agony
by the people looking face to face at
death and realizing that there was no
escape; the dying cries OF women audi
BILE but rendered almost noiseless by the
roar of the mad sea; the hoarse voices
of pall.d Juen trying TO save those near
to them, ell com bined m ade Ecene too
horrible to be described.
On receipt of this news the citizens Of
ont Inn n al
tions for the relief of the sufferers. The
East Texas Railway has PLACED an en-
gine at their disposal and party OF
men have gone 10 procure boat and
start to the scene of the disaster. The
damage to property Is very great. The
wharf property Of the town was owned
by New York capitalists, who also own
the adjoining lands and were aiming to
make Sabine Pass an important point
on the Gulf ecass
ANOTHER REPORT.
ORANGE, Texas, Oct. 14-The town
of Sabine Pass was totally destroyed by
the overfiowing of the Sabine river last
night. 1t is known that sixty lives
were lost. Last night during the over
flow a hotel containing fifteen or twenty
pereons was swept out into the bay and
all the occupants were drowned.
The captain OF schooner from there
to day said that not house was left In
the whole county, and that every liv
ing thing was drowned. A party OF
meD came down from Beaumont this
evening IN train with tAe intention oi
joining the people of Orange and going
down TO Sabine with q relief boat. Tbs
wires here have been down all day On
both sides of Orange. Sabine Pass Ii
twelve miles below Orange on Sabine
river.
Details of the destruction by tn,
storm at Sabine Pass and Johnson'i
Bayou come in slowly. Two brother
named Pomeroy were picked up by tn,
schooner Andrew Baden in Sabin,
Lake. They had been in the wate
thirty-six hours, ciipeing TO their cap
sized yawl. Their mother land sister
and Mrs. Captain Jun ker, her son ant
u little girl of the party were lost. Tn,
Pomeroys report that fifty lives wert
lost at the Porter House, where tn,
people had collected as the best place o
| .alety. 1t went to pieces at 8 o'clock
Many persons are missing. Still
greater loss is reported from johnson I
II
away. Not house was left standing
within Ave miles Of the lake. Partie
were organized last night and left OF
the steamers Lamar and Emily P
with provisions and bedding.
THE STORM ELSEWHERE.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. IA "A specia
from Port Eads says: "rhe extent o
the damage occasioned by the lat,
storm is not known, but IL has heel
widespread from the jetties to Pointe 1
Ia Hache. The wind, from fresh Satur
day night, was blowing hard all da,
Sunday and on Monday increased to ,
hurricane. There were ~ feet of waite
| in Port Eads, and the sea was runnin,
heavy over the east eide of the jetties
Here lie situated great concrete wal
extendiDg from the inner reef to th'
end of the works which are intended t,
prevent the waves of the Gulf from
washing sand into the channel. 1t 1
nearly parallel to and distant about 20
yards from the jetties proper.
Immense blocks Of concrete had beei
moulded in boxes, and measured, II
solid contents, eight feet by fifteen fee
and weighed many tons apiece. 4
house had also been built where cemen
vas stored for concrete blocks, Som
Idea OF the terrific force Of the gale AM
pounding tea can be arrived at when
is known that many OF these heav.
blooks were lifted out of position an
swallowed mp in the sea. Others wer
stood upon end, and others twisted ou
OF place, causing considerable damage
The buikhesd that is being built be
tween this wall and the jetties prope
was entirely submerged, and the water
rolled over II from end TO end. TIL
building was swept away, not a vest G
of 1t bsvipg 1t been left to mark tn
.pot where 1t stood. Ths plank roa
that served Port Eads as public stree
hoated off and became debris anon