The Brookhaven leader., 1886-10-21
APPALLING CALAMITY.
The Town of Sabine Pass, Texas,
Completely Swept Away.
The Awful Effects of an Unprecedented Rise
of Water. - Ninety Human Lives
Lost-The Pitiab'e Condition
of the Survivors.

railroad communication, your corre-
spondent has succeeded in obtaining con-
frmatIon of the reported destruction OF
the town OF Sabine Pass. Beyond the
fact that the town has been almost en-
tirely swept awav by the food, very little
accurate information has be n received
as yet. 1t is a certainty that there has
been great loss OF life; moderate esii-
male places the numDer drowned al filtv.
l. is not known, and perhaps never Will
be known just how many perished.
THE TOWN.
Sabine Pass Is a to IN of some eight
hundred people at the mouth OF the Sa-
bine River, on the Texas & Louisiana
line, sixty miles up the coast from CAT
weston, and twenty eight miles south
east of Beaumont, the county seat OF
Jefferson.
b RY uF THE sUlv vORs.
Two citizens who survived .ne terrible
far, at the risk of their lives rowed In
a small boat five miles through the rag
inc food to the railroad track, whore
they secured the engine which hroutht
them here. They say that on Tuesday
morning some of the people noticed that
the water was rising Iapidlv, and by noon
the situation beca ne alarming.
Bv two O'Clock the water began invad-
ing the town and spreading through the
streets The food came from both lake
aud gulf, but it app ears that the danger
was not considered very great unlll the
lower floors OF some OF the houses were
actually flooded. The danger WAS then
seen, but not until 1t was too late 10 es-
cape from the CITY. Sat,ty by flight be-
ing out of the question, people who were
situated SO that they could do it betook
themselves to the roofs OF houses
thought to be safe. The wa er kept rising.
Between three and four O'Clock the
smallerlhou>eS began to yield to the resist
less force of the waves, and not only
| moved IRON their foundations but turned
on their sides and tops. A little later
and the larger houses began to give away,
and death by drowning seemed in store
for every citizen of the place. With the
Welding of the smaller houses several
persons who had remained in them were
drowned, and when the residences aud
business places began TO crumble the
fatality began to double.
The situation during the latter part OF
the afternoon be4gars description. The
mantle tation of terror aud aGOnv by the
people looking death In the face and
realizing there was no escape; the dylng
cries OF women rendered almost inaudible
by the roar OF the wild sea; The hoarse
voices of palIid men trying to save those
dear to them-all combined made scene
too horrible to be described
SOME OF THE LOST.
The parties who brought the informa.
ton here say thev think about thirty 10
forty negroes and about twenty-five
white people were drowned. They
could not give anything like Il complete
list of the victims, but furnished the fol-
loving names of whites persons known
TO be drowned:
James Vondy and family, consisting OF
wi e and five children.
Otto Brown, wife and two children.
Homrr King, wife and Guild.
Mrs. POmerOy and five children.
Mrs. Junker and son.
Mrs Stewart, daughter and s on.
Mrs. Mcdonald, daughter and grand
Frank Mulligan and family of lour.
Columbus Mar er and family.
Mrs Arthur McReynnlds.
Miss NJ hala Chambers.
Henry Nelson.
Ed Wvle.
Mr.. Chambers.
R " Wilson.
Mrs. B. McDonouch.
Miss Jac,ie McDonVush.
r. V. Mel N.
II. B. Antow.
w Marrow.
Henry Dew.
Ed Wantrrw.
Joseph Smith.
Besides these, your correspondents In.
formunts say they have personal knowl-
edge OF the drowning of about twenty
five negroes.
CoNFIRMATORY DETAILS.
HoUsToN, Tex, Oct. 10. The reports
regarding The overflow and terrible d'sas-
Ter visited upon Sabine Pass, have heen
positively confirmed. Citizens of Hou--
ION have been wiring to Beaumont and
trying in every possible wav to ascertain
the extent OF the damage done and the
number OF lives lost.
The Houston Post sent correspondent
10 the Pass and The followin: facts from
the Post were ascertained. The cores
pondenL describes many heartrendinI in
cidents He states that Major Sianford's
wife and infant were at Sabine anG tine
Major was at Beaum mt. Al about nine
p. m. Mrs. Stanford, rcalZin: that h"r
house must soon he torn TO pieces by the
surgng waters, took her baby in her
arms, and by desperate struggle an
great presence of mind, succeeded in
catching a good tree. Up This she
climbed, and with her infant in her arms
clung to tine tree all night.
The Pomeroy boys report that they
saw Mrs. Junker and her son Carlisle
(reported lost) in the same boat when 1t
swamped; that they m .naSed to reach
the roof of a house, from which they
were observed hours after. The last
they saw of Mrs .Junker and her son the
boy had one arm around his mother and
was holding on TO II boat with the other.
Carlisle Junker is noted for being the
most expert swimmer in all East Texas,
and his bravery and GOODNESS lead his
friends to believe that his mother and
himself are safe.
Joe Smith alligator JOEY, agent for
r. s. Solomon, Newark, N. j., dealers in
alligator pelts, was lost by being carried
out into the gulf In boat. The candid
opinion of those best informed Is that
the report Is not exaggerated regarding
the number of lives lost. which Is about
sixtv-five. Relief trains have been sent
to the Pass from Beaumont carrying bed
ding, medicine and other necessaries 10
assist the stricken people. Two addl'
tional trains have been sent from Beau
mont within seven miles OF the Pass.
Mrs. B. +, McDonough and her daugh-
ter, Miss Jackie, reported lost, were WELL