Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-10-23
TWO TOWNS DESTROYED.

HOUSTON, TEXAS, Oct. To-
Further details at the great deluge
at Sabine Pass add additional hor-
row to the disaster. The loss oflife,
it is thought, will reach two hundred
persons. The new house of Bradley
Grant was swept away with his
family of five persons. After float
ing two and half miles the house
landed on ridge, back of the town,
all intact and with nobody hurt.
The boats that left Beaumont to
succor the distressed took large
quantities Of drinking water, there
being nothing but salt water for ten
miles around Sabine Pass. Mrs.
John Stewart and her daughter
we're separated at their home when
the food struck the town. The
daughter seized a feather bed and
the mother a window frame and
thus supported themselves. After
being out all night they landed at
Aurora, on the lake shore, within
hall mile of each other, each sup.
posing the other had been lost
They traversed fifteen miles before
they were found. Postmaster Ward
of Beaumont, has telegraphed Post
master General Villas asking permits
sion to distribute the Sabine Pass
mail from Beaumont, as the post
mistress and her assistant al Sabine
are both reported drowned.
To give some idea of the velocity
of the wind, a silver spoon was
blown from the residence of VIM
Harris, a distance of twelve miles
Mrs. Junker's body was found this
evening and casket has been tele
graphed for from Orange. Mr.
Noise Broussard lost $4,000 worth
of cattle, some reports say much
more than that. All cattle not lost
will die, as nothing is left for them
to subsist upon--the salt water GOV
ering everything. Mrs. Otto Brown
floated twenty-five miles on q
feather bed. She had her caild with
her, but it got benumbed, and died
in convulsion. During it's strug
giles, it knocked the mother into the
water. The waves pitched Mrs
Brown back on the bed. She was
finally found in a little inlet and was
saved. Captain F. A. Hyatt and
VIM. Guy report that they had g
singular experience AS members o.
the relief committee on their way tt
the Pass. The train in which they
we're travelling stopped on dunn
five miles from the town. The
water all around this neck of land
on which was placed the track, was
fully eight feet deep. The hands O
Messrs. Hyatt and Guy are blistered
from fighting snakes, which literally
covered the dump for distance o
five miles. There were thousand o
water moccasins from the overf1owet
district taking refuge on the narrow
stretch ofland, and every step across
it had to be fought through tht
twisting serpents, many Of them The
deadly stump-tailed moccasins
larger than mans arm. Wild
cats, also frenzied at the waters
fury, crushed pell-mell upon pedes
TRANS, while coons and every variety
of animals snapped at passers-by
with hydrophobic rage. Many times
pedestrians left the dump and swan
around the angry reptiles, rather
than try to pass them. Captain
Hyatt alone killed over one hundred
and fifty snakes during his walk o
five miles, which consumed abou
ten hours. Mr.. Guy say that M
money could tempt him to make the
trip over again. In stepping abou
in the dark, be was tripped up an(
thrown by snake two inches il
diameter, and fully five feet long.