The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-15
TERRIFIC STORM.
An Entire Town Reported to Have
Been Swept Away.
over Fifty Lives Lost Out of Popu-
Iation of 200.

GALVESTON, Tex, Oct. 14.-The town o1
Sabine Pass, at the mouth of Sabine river, i:
reported to be entirely washed away by the
terrific storm of Tuesday night. Over &
lives are reported lost out of a total popula.
tion of 200. All telegraphic communication
is cut off. Sabine Pass is 60 miles up the
coast from Galveston and 2S miles southwest
of Beaumont. 1t is thought that the bar in
front of the town will prevent any tugs from
landing, and owners Of tugs here regard il
as useless to attempt to enter the treacherous
channel since the storm.
BEAUMONT, Tex, Oct. 1.-two men who
rOWed several miles from Sabine Pass to the
East Texas railroad, and were brought here
on an engine, give this account of the
disaster:
the gulf and the lake together about 2
o'clock Tuesday afternoon and rose with
great rapidity. The citizens of the doomed
place did not realize the imminent danger
until it was too late to escape. When safety
by flight was out of the question, they be-
places of supposed safety. The water kept
rising, aud between 8 and 4 o'clock the
smaller houses began to yield to the resist
less iforce of the waves, which not only
moved them from their foundations, but
turned them over on their sides and tops. A
little later the larger houses began to give
way, and death by drowning seemed in store
for every person in the place. With the
yielding of the smaller houses several per-
sons were drowned, and when the residences
and business places began to crumble the
fatality grew greater.
The following is list of the drowned as
given by the men who came on the engine:
Miss Mahala Chambers
Jim V0udy and family of six.
The wife of 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.
A man named Nelson.
Mrs Arthur McReynOds.
Mrs. Mcdonald, daughter and grandson
Frank Mulligan and family.
Columbus Martin and family.
And about % colored persons whose names
cold not be learned.
The above list comprises over so human
victims of the storm, among them some of
the leading families of the place. Many, it
is feared whole families, in different places
the latter part of the afternoon beggared de-
scription. The manifestations of terror and
agony by people facing death, and realizing
that there was no escape, the cries of dying
women. the roar of the sea, the hoarse voices
OF men trying to save those dear to them, all
combined, made the scene too horrible to be
described
On the receipt of the news the citizens of
Beaumont Immediately began preparations
for the relief of the sufferers. The East
cAdS hdllIUdu Has pldCeu all buBluS dC LlielE
disposal, and party of men have gone to
procure boats and start for the scene of the
disaster.
The damage to property is very great. The
wharf property of the town was owned by
New York capitalists, who also own the adj
joining lands, and were aiming to make Sa-
bine Pass an important town on the Gulf
Coast.
ORANGE, Tex, Oct. 14.-Details of the
destruction at Sabine Pass and JohnsOn's
Bayou come in slowly, but all agree there
has been great loss of life and property.
Two brothers, named Pomeroy were picked
up by schooner in Sabine Lake. They had
been in the water 36 hours clinging
sisters and Mrs. Captain .Judson were
lost. The Pomeroys report that fifty lives
were lost at Porter House where people had
collected as place of safety. 1t went to
pieces at 9 o'clock. Many persons are miss
ing and still greater loss is reported from
Johnson Bayan. Whole families were
swept away and not house was left stand
ing within five miles of the lake. Parties
were organized last night and left on steam
ers Lamar and Emily with provisions and
bedding. They are expected back tonight
when further particulars will be learned.
A Bearem0nt special says that Sabine Pass
has been almost destroyed and about 27
whites and 80 negroes were drowned. The
wires are down. Among the lost were Co.
umbus Martyrs family of six. Martyrs be-
ng picked up alive and Mrs. Pomeroy and
,hree members of her family, two members
being saved.