Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-10-21
APPALLING CALAMITY.
The Town Of FJabine Pass, Te- as,
Complet ely Swept Away.
The Awful Elects of an Unprecedented Else
of Water - Ninety Human Lives
Los t-The Pitiab.e Condition
of tire Survivors.

BEAUMONT, Tex, Oct. l5.-Despite
the diahculties encountered in the way of
bad telegraph facilities and INSTRUCTED
railroad communication, your CORE
spcndent tsas succeeded in obtaining con-
fTmation of the reported destruction of
the towg of Sabine Pass. Beyond the
fact that the town has been almost ell
tirely swept away by the food, very little
accurate Information has been received
as yet 1t is a certainty that there has
mate places the number drowned at fifty.
It Is not known, AMI perhaps never viii
beSnown just how many persisted.
TEE TOWN.
Sabine Pass is "a town of some eight
hundred people at the mouth of the So
Dine River, on the Texas & Louisiana
Zine, sixty miles up the coast from Gal
weston, and twenty. eight miles south
east of Beaumont, the county seat of
Jefferson.
STORY orr THE sURv voRs-
Two citizens who survived the terrible
affair, at the risk of their lives rowed In
a small boat fave miles through the rag
they secured the engine which brought
them here. They say that OH Tuesday
morning some of the people noticed that
the water was rising rapidly, and by noon
the situation became alarming.
BY tWoso'clock the water began inyad-
ing the town and spreading through the
streets. The flood came from both lake
and gulf, but it appears that the danger
was not considered very great until the
lower floors of some of the houses were
actually flooded. The danger was then
seen, but not until 1t was too late TO es-
cape from the city. Safety by flight be
ing cat 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 water kept rising.
Between three and four O'Clock the
smalle houses began to yield to the resist
less force of the waves, and not only
moved from their foundations but turned
on their sides and tops. A little later
and the larger houses began togive away,
and death by drowning seemed in store
for every citizen of the place. With the
Yielding of the smaller houses several
persons who had remained in them were
drowned, and when the residences ard
business places began to crumble the
fatality began to double.
The situation during the latter part of
the afternoon beggars description. The
manifestation of terror and agonv by the
people looking death in the face and
realizing there was no escape; the dying
cries OF women rendered almost inaudible
by the roar of tine wild sea; the hOarse
voices of pallid men trying to save those
dear to them-all combined made a scene
too horrible to be described.
SOME OF TuE LOST.
The parties who brought the informa-
ton here say they think about thirty to
forty negroes and about twenty five
white people were drowned. They
could not give anything like a complete
list of the victims, but furnished the fol-
lowing names of whites persons known
TO be drowned:
James Vondy and family, consisting OF
wife and five children.
Otto Brown, wife and two children.
Homer King, wife and child.
Mrs. Pomeroy and five children.
Mrs. Junker and son.
Mrs. Stewart, daughter and son.
Mrs. Mcdonald, daughter and grand
son.
Frank Mul|igan and family of four.
Columbus Marter and family.
Mrs. Arthur McRevnolds.
Miss Mahala Chambers.
Henry Nelson.
Ed Wyhe.
MIR. Chambers.
r. ". Wilson.
Mrs. B. T. McDonough.
Miss Jackie McDonough.
r. v. Melam.
H. B. Antow.
w. MARROW.
Henry Dew.
Ed Wsn,rew.
Joseph Smith.
Besides these, your correspondents in !
formants say they have personal knowl- |
edge of the drowning of about twenty |
five negroes.
CONFIRMATORY DETAILS.
HOUSTON, Tex, Oct. l5.-The reports |
regarding the overflow and terrible disas-
ter visited upon Sabine Pass, have been |
positively confirmed. Citizens of Hous-
ton have been wiring to Beaum ont and !
trying in every possible way to ascertain
the extent of the damage done and the
number of lives lost.
The Houston Post sent correspondent
to the Pass and the following facts from
the Post were ascertained. The cores
pondent describes many heartrending in
cdents. He states that Major Stanferd's
wife aud infant were at Sabine anG tine
Major was at Beaumont. At about nine
D. m Mrs. Stanford, realizing that her
house must soon be torn to pieces by the
surging waters, took her baby in her
arms, and by a desperate struggle and
great presence of mind, succeeded in
catching a good tree. Up this she
climbed, and with her infant in her arms
lung to the tree all night.
The Pomeroy boys report that they
saw Mrs. Junker and her son Carlisle
reported losO in the same boat when it
wamped; that they managed to reach
he roof of a house, from which they
we're observed hours after. The last
hey saw of Mrs.Janker and her son the
10Y had one arm around his mother and
vas holding on to a boat with the other.
Carlisle Junker is noted for being the
most expert swimmer in all East Texas,
nd his bravery and GOODNESS lead his
riends to believe that his mother and
himself are cafe.
Joe Smith ALLIGATOR Joe), agent for
:. S. Solomon, Newark, N. j., dealers in
lligator pets, was lost by being carried
nut into the gulf in a boat. The candid
pinion of those best informed is that
he report is not exaggerated regarding
he number of lives lost, which is about
Relief trains have been sent
D the Pass from Beaumont carrying bed
ing, medicine and other necessaries TO
ssist the stricken people. Two addi-
ional trains have been sent from Beau
lont within seven miles of the Pass.
Mrs. B. F. McDonou@h and her daugh-
er, Miss Jackie, reported lost, were we'll
nown in Galveston and Houston, where
ley formerly resided. 1
The people at Beaumont having friends /,
nd loved ones at the Pass are frenZied :