Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-10-21
AN OCTOBER HURRICANE.
Swept by Wind and Flood, No
Trace Is Left of Sabine
Pass.
Scores of Families Perish in the
Seething Waters of the
Gulf.
lGalveston Texas, dispatch.

lOhlNeSJOn VIeNasD uispatch.l
Details of the destruction by the recent
storm at Sabine Pass come in slowly,
though they all agree that there has been
great loss of life and property. The waters
began TO invade the town from the gulf and
the lake together about 2 o'clock, and rose
with unprecedented rapidly. Citizens of
the doomed place did not realiza the i'm
minent danger until 1t was too late TO es-
cape, when safety by fight was out Of the
question. The wator kept rising, and be-
tween 3 and o'clock the smaller houses
began to yield to the resi- istless force
O. the waves, and not only
moved from their foundations but
turned on their sides and tops. A little
later the large houses began 70 give way,
and death by drowning seemed inevitable
for every citizen of the place. With the
yielding OF the smaller houses several per-
sons who had remained in them were
drowned, and when residences and bust
ness places began to crumble the fatality
began to double. The following incom-
plete list of the drowned was obtained:
Miss Mahala, Jim Vondy and family of
six, Mrs. Otto Brown and two children,
Homer King, wife, and child; Mrs. Junker
and son, Mrs. Pomeroy and family of five,
Mrs. Stewart, daughter, and son; - Will
son, Mrs. Arthur McReynolds, Mrs. Nc
DoEald and daughter, Frank Mulligan and
family, Columbus Martee and family.
About twenty five colored people, whose
names could not be learned, were also
drowned. This list comprises over sixty
souls, .mong them some of the leading
fnWn Ice n.
others, and it is feared that whole families
In different parts of the place have been
swept away without leaving a person or
vestige to indicate their horrible fate. 1t is
said that the situation during tie latter
part OF the afternoon beggars description
the man feStation of terror and agony by
people looking death in the face and real
lZlng that there was no escape, the diving
cries OF women rendered almost inaudible
by the roar of the sea, the hoarse voice of
paliid men trying TO save those dear to
them, all combined, made n scene too hor-
rible to be described.
The damage to property at Sabine is very
great. The wharf property of the town was
owned by New York capitalists, who also
own the adjoining lands and were aiming
10 make Sabine Pass an important port on
the Gulf coast. The citizens of Beaumont,
on receipt of the news, Immediately made
preparations for relief. The East Texas
Railroad PLACED ar. engine, at tbejr, Disposal.
piosure boats and start for the scene.
Another dispatch suy5 tho damage dono
bv the storm at Beaumont is also consider
able, q number of houses being blown down
and many of the principal lumber mills
damaged The track of the East Texas
and Sabine Railway is washed away for
miles in numbcr of places, besides dam
age ing done TO bridges anl depots.
According to the most experienced navi-
gators on this coast, it was Lake Sabine
which destroyed the town, which lies only
four feet above mean low water, and is
bounded on the west by a great swamp
The hurricane of last Sunday in the West
Indies blew the waters with great vio-
lence toward the Texas coast. This hurri-
cane wave was first noticed on this coast on
Su lday morning, attaining its maximum on
Tuesday afternoon, and was maintained at
a high point by the impetus of the waters
behind. Tue hurricane itself did not reach
these coasts at all, as scarcely a breath
of wind was stirring when the tidal wave
first touched the coast. When its maximum
was reached on Tuesday afternoon, how
ever, fierce northwestern gale sprang up
along the whole coast, and at Sabine this
gale blew the waters out of Lake Sabine
and drove them toward the gulf, where the
lake waters were met by the great swell
caused by the hurricane. This resulted in
driving the lake waters over onto the little
town, and submerging the country for ten
miles around without moments notice.
This account of the disaster is confirmed
by our experience here with the same gale,
and all information from Sabine also con-
firms the above theory.
An Orange (Tex.) special says: Two
brothers named Pomeroy were picked up
by the schoon Andrew Badin in Sabine
Lake. They had been in the water thirty
six hours clinging to their capsized yawls.
Their mother and sister, and Mrs. Capt.
unker, her son, and little girl of the
party were lost. The Pomeroys report
that fifty lives were lost at tie Porter
House, where the people had collected as
the best place of safety. 1t went to pieces
nj . o'clock. Many persons are missing.
A Lake Charles La.) special says: The
loss OF property along tho Cameron Parish
gulf coast and for some distance west of
abine Pass by the storm of Tuesday |
night was fearful. The mailbolt from |
Cameron Parish reports that the water at |
Cacasieu Pass was eight feet deep at the |
lighthouse, and that the entire country
east and west was submerged Tuesday
night, drowning thousands OF cattle and |
running crops. No lives were lost at Lees |
burg or Calcasieu Pass, but the following
lre reported lost at Johnson's Bayou, La: |
Albert Lambert and family; Marion Lukes |
and family; George Striever and family; |
l.. Charles Blauchet and family; Radford |
Grey and family; - Franesware and |
family; - Franesware and family. Be-
sides many others whose names have not |
been aceItained.
Sabine Pass Is situated at the southeast |
corner of Texas, in jefferson County, upon |
, narrow strip OF water also called Sabine |
Pass. less tLan two miles in length, through |
Which the waters of Sabine Lake empty in
% tie Gulf of Mexico. The lake, which |
s about fourteen miles long and ten miles
vide, forms reservoir into which the
'ivers Nechcs and Sabine flow. The town
IF Sabine Pass is tie terminal point OF
he Sabine x East Texas Railway, now
,art o. the Southern Pacific system, since
be completion OF which two years ago it
laS in rJas d from the three or four hun
lred inhabitants it had in 1880 to about
hr Q times that number.
Sabine Pass Las obtlined considerable
lotorie;y on account of its haibcr, which
iis leen frequently recommended by Gov
'rnmtnt engineers rs the be t in natural
advantages Not Of New Orleans. Upon
hese reports laige sums have been ap-
-. 4 A. 4