Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-10-20
The Murkrille @uqnirer.

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YORKvILLE, s. c.:
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1886.
SWEPT AWAY BY THE FLOOD.
The town of Sabine Pass, at the mouth of
the Sabine river, the dividing line between
Louisiana and Texas, has been destroyed by
a terrific storm that swept over that section
on Tuesday of last week, and more than
ninety people are known to have been
drowned in the rush of waters that sub
merged the place. Telegraphic and all
from the town of Beaumont, tWenty-eight
miles distant, have been learned details of
the appalling disaster. Two citizens of the
stricken town left Sabine on locomotive
and reached Beaumont at a late hour Tues
day night. They were obliged to row
small boat across an eXpanse of tossing
waters distance of several miles from the
town of Sabine to the railroad track. They
say the waters began to invade Sabine Pass
from the gulf and the lake together about
2 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon and rose
with unprecedented rapidity. The citizens
did not realize the imminent danger until
it was too late to escape. When safety by
flight was out of the question the people
themselves to the higher points, where they
believed they were safe. The water kept
rising and between and o'clock Tuesday
afternoon the smaller houses began to yield
to the resistless force of the waves and 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 persons who had remained in them
were drowned, their residences and busi-
ness places began to crumble and the death
list swelled to appalling proportions.
It is said that the Situation during the
latter part of the afternoon was of the most
distressing character. Phe terror and ago.
ny of the people looking face to face at
death and realizing that there was no es-
cape; the dying cries of women, audible,
but rendered almost noiseless by the roar
of the mad sea; the hoarse voices of men
trying to save those near to them, all COM
bined, made q scene too horrible to be de-
scribed. During the overflow, hotel con-
tanning fifteen or twenty persons was swept
out into the bay and all the occupants were
drowned.
A Lake Charles special says: the loss of
property along the Cameron Parish Gulf
Coast and for some distance west of Sabine
Pass by the storm of Tuesday night was
fearful. The mail-boat from Cameron par
ish reports that the water at Calcasieu pass
was eight feet deep at the light house and
that the entire. country east and west was
submerged Tuesday night, drowning thou
sands of cattle and running crops. No lives
were lost at Leesburg or Calcasieu Pass, but
at Johnson's Bayou, La, seven entire fam
lilies and many individuals, whose names
have not been obtained, are known to be
lost.
A Beaumont, Texas, dispatch of Friday
says: The steamer l.. @. C. Lamar, which
left Orange at ten o'clock on Wednesday
night for Sabine Pass with relief commit
tee on board, returned here at midnight last
night and reported that one hundred and
one persons are missing at Sabine Pass, of
whom ninety are known to have been
drowned. The committee consisted oftwen-
ty citizens from Beaumont and forty from
Orange. They made the perilous passage
up the Neches river between p. NJ. and
midnight and left twenty-five of their num-
ber at Sabine Pass to make attempts to re-
cover some of the bodies, many of which
are reported to have been washed dozens of
miles over into Louisiana. Those who re-
turned here were so exhausted by their ex-
ertions and sickened by the terrible spec
tacle of devastation and death they had
witnessed that they were not able until to-
day to tell a coherent story. They found
also near Sabine Pass the rescuing parties
that had gone down on the East Texas and
Sabine Railroad, but could not get within
twelve miles Of the afflicted ,.because of the
back water from the gulf and lake that is
hemmed in and held by the railroad en-
bankment.
Every possible effort to succor the suffer
ers is being made. The details of the dis
aster are appalling. The Gulf of Mexico
seems to have moved over the land for
mi es in one high and unbroken wall of
water. Of the 80 drowned at the Pass 80
were white and 55 colored. Joseph Smith,
famous local character, known as "Alliga-
tor Smith," was supposed to be among the
lost, as people on the relief train saw him
driving before the gale on Lake Sabine at
the rate of twenty-five miles an hour, cling
ing to his skiff and calling loudly for help.
Great was the surprise, therefore, when
"Alligator" nverhauled the steamer on its
return, bringing with him in his small boat
three persons whom he had rescued in a
swamp. Many other miraculous escapes
are recorded. Ninety-one half-clad, shiv-
ering, wretched victims of the storm were
brought up on the Lamar, blankets and
bedding were Immediately gathered from
house to house for the comfort of the heart
broken sufferers, every one of whom has
some dear friend or relative among the dead.
Nearly all the refugees are sick and pros
trated from exhaustion and hunger. They
are being tenderly cared for by citizens of
Beaumont DIR. B. f. Calhoun, one of the
relief committee, says there are many per-
sons in the vicinity of Sabine Pass who are
utterly destitute, being without clothing to
cover their nakedness.
From all the accounts gathered language
could not exaggerate the state of affairs at
Sabine Pass. Out of more than $50 houses
in the village less than six remain standing,
and they are ruined. Wives and children
were swept away and drowned in the pres
ence of their husbands and fathers, who
broke against the lighthouse in solid walls
fifty feet high, tearing out the windows at
the very top of the structure.
Corpses have been picked up at distance
of thirty miles from the scene of the disas-
residents are coming into Orange and Beau
mont by every train. The damage at Sa-
bine, including that to the government
works, will aggregate nearly S50O,0OO
The New Orleans Times Democrat pub
fishes q disnatch from Tohnson's Ravou