Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-16
A RUINED TOWN.
THE AWFUL CATASTROPHE AT
SABINE PAS3.
A Few Victims Rescued from Neigh
boring Swamps-Upward of 100
Persons Swept into Eternity.
TELEGRAPH TO THE EKcoRD-uNIoN. |

beaumont kleX. J, OCTOBER l0tn.-Ihe nrSt
reports Of the great disaster at Sabine Pass
were not in the least exaggerated In fact,
they underestimated the number of deaths
caused by the storm. The death-roll has
now reached 80, with number missing. Il
is thought that fully 100 persons net their
death on the night of the gal, 4 relief
party that went down as near .Nbine as
possible, on the Sabine and East Texas
Railroad are still there Trains could not
get within twelve miles Of the ruined
town, but over dozen tow-boats have been
sent there, and all are az work saving life
and property. There is considerable back
water at Sabine yet, hemmed in and held
there by the railroad embankment. The
most intense excitement has prevailed here
| since the first news of the fearful catas-
| trophe People have surrounded the
wharves and depot, waiting for the return
of train or boat from the devastated town.
RETURN OF THE RELIEF BOAT.
The steamboat L. O. c. Lamar left Orange
on Wednesday night with the Relief Com
nittee on board. At midnight last night
| the whistle of the Lamar was heard, and
| people hurried to hear the news and re-
ceiye the sick and destitute. The Relief
| Committee aboard the Lamar consisted of
twenty citizens from Beaumont and about
| forty from Orange. They travelled up the
Neches river between P. NJ. and midnight,
which was an extraordinary trip, fraught
with fearful danger. Twenty-Five of the
committee were sent to Sabine Pass. to re-
cover some of the bodies, many of which
are reported to have been washed dozens of
miles over into Louisiana. The members
of the Relief Committee who returned
were so tired and worn out and so over
come by the horrible devastation they had
| witnessed, that it was next to impossible to
get coherent story from them.
TERRIBLE ORDEAL.
BEAUMONT, October 15th-3 P M-From
the reports brought by the committee, the
flooded district embraced a section of coun-
try many times larger than at first sup
posed. The Gulf seems to have moved
overland for miles, in one high, unbroken
wall of water. The committee report that
1O1 persons are missing, 90 of whom are
known to be drowned. Some 35 of the
victims were white, and 55 were colored.
Joseph Smith, a famous local character.
known as Alligator" Smith, was supposed
to be among the lost, as the people on the
relief train saw him driving before the gale
on Lake Sabine at the rate of twenty-five
miles an hour, clinging to his skiff and
calling loudly for help. Great was the sur
prise, therefore. when " Alligator" over
hauled the steamer on its return, bringing
with him in his small boat three persons
whom he had rescued in the swamp Many
other miraculous escapes are related.
Ninety-one
HALF-cLAD, sHIvERING AND wRETcHEp
VICTIMS
| OF the storm were brought up on the La
mar. Blankets and bedding were immedi-
ately gathered from house to house for the
comfort of the heart-broken sufferers. every
one of whom has some dear friend or rela-
tive among the dead. Nearly all the refu-
gees are sick and prostrated from exhaus-
| ton and hunger. They are being tenderly
cared for by our citizens.
LANGUAGE CANNOT ExAGGERATE THE STU
TIoN.
New ORLEANS October 18TH p. NJ
DR.. +. 3. Calhoun, one of the Relief Com
mittee, says there are many persons in the
vicinity of Sabine Pass who are utterly
destitute, being without clothing to cover
their nakedness. DR.. Calhoun requests aid
for the destitute. He says it makes no diff
ference what is sent, whether food, cloth
ing, medicine or money, they need them
all. DR.. Calhoun is Mayor of Beaumont,
whatever is sent to him. From all ac-
counts gathered, language could not ex-
aggerate the state of affairs At Sabine,
out of more than $50 houses in the village,
less than six remain standing, and they
are ruined. Women and children were
swept away and drowned in the
presence Of their husbands and fathers,
who were powerless to save them.
The wild waves broke against the
lighthouse in solid walls 90 feet high,
tearing out the windows at the very top of
the structure. Corpses have been picked
up at distance of 80 miles from the scene
of the disaster. Friends and relatives of
the drowned residents are coming into
Orange and Beaumont by every train. The
steamboat Lamar took on board a cargo of
food, blankets and clothing, and also fresh
relief committee, and at daylight this
morning started down the Neches to sue
cor the unfortunate. She will probably
reach here on her return trip about mid
night tonight
The pecuniary damage at Sabine, includ-
ing that to the Government works, will ag-
gregate nearly $1,000 900 as many planta-
ions sustained serious injury. Following
is the latest list of
THOSE KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN DROWNED.
Mrs. A. W. Junke, Charles c. Junke,
Mrs. B. F.. McDonnaugh Miss McDon-
naugh, Mrs Columbus Marie and child, |
Mrs Pomeroy and three children, Mrs. G. !
Pomeroy and child, Mrs. Mulligan and four
children, Mrs. Vonday and three children. !
.. N. Brown, Miss Mahala Chambers, /!
Homer King, wife and child, two children |
OF VIM. Shaw, child of Captain Stewart,
Mrs. Whiting, John Wilson and B. Foley. (
The foregoing names are all of white per |
sons. The names OF the ffty-fye colored |
victims have not been ascertained.
FEELING AT GALVESTON.
GALvEsToN, October 15th--p. M.-The ex-
citement and interest over the dreadful
catastrophe at Sabine Pass is in no way
abated here. Citizens are taking steps to-
ward extending substantial relief to the
surviving victims. The Government tug
boat Penrose, which started for Sabine
yesterday, has not yet returned, but is ex-
pected this evening. Her return is anx-
iously awaited, but it is doubtful if the
parties aboard of her can bring any later
intelligence than has already been received
from Beaumont
FURTHER LOSS OF LIFR
NEW ORLEANS. October 15th.-Captain
Bailey. a bar pilot at Port Eads. reports
that there were twenty-six lives lost during
the recent storm on the bayous leading
from the Gulf in the direction and back Of
the quarantine station.
THE DISASTER AT JOHNSON BAYOU. +
New ORLEANS, October 15th-10 PM
An Orange special to the Tines Democrat
says A correspondent who was with the
relief party on the steamboat Lamar saws
the boat sent out to Johnson's Bayou re-
turned to the steamer in the afternoon with
the most distressing reports from that COM
munity. Hundreds of persons were /.
drowned, as well as the complete destruc
ton OF property, including thousands of !
head of live stock. Cameron Beach Hotel :
was seriously threatened, but was saved by (.
cattle crowding into the lower story, there !,
by preventing the building from floating off . /.
with its upper stories filed with terror
stricken humanity. 1t is safe to say that
no such destruction to life and property !
was ever known before on the Gulf Of Mar.
10. arad kal.. s;Il = - =. -