The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-10-21
Disastrous Flood.


Tuesday the 18th, seems to have been
complete. Six or eight houses, in a dilapi-
dated condition, only remain About 81
persons are missing and believed to have
been drowned The waters of the gull
swept over the town in an unparalleled
gale from the South. ard carried every
thing before it.. Places where water had
never been known to be over feet, it rose
to 8 and 10, and where the inhabitants
rested in fancied security the volume was
so great that it undermined and swept
away whole tenements, carrying them of
on the bosom of the flood, and in some
cases with their occupants, by which
whole families were lost. Some very re.
markable escapes were made, and singular
experiences passed through. Mrs. John
Steward and her daughter were separated
at their home when the food struck the
town. The daughter seized feather bed
and the mother window frame. and thus
supported themselves. After being out
all night they landed at Aurora, on the
lake shore, within half mile of each
other, each supposing tho other had been
lost. They traversed fifteen miles before
they were found.
To give some idea Of the velocity of the
wind silver spoon was blown from the
residence of William Harris distance OF
twelve miles. Mr. Noise Broussard lost
$25, 600 worth of cattle, and some reports
say much more than that. All the cattle
not lost will die, as nothing is left fo1
them to subsist upon-the salt water Gov
ering everything. Mrs. Otto Brown floated
twenty five miles on feather bed. She
had her child with her, but it got be-
numbed and died in CONFUSION. During
| its struggle it knocked the mother into the
Iriver. The waves pitched Mrs. Brown
back on the bed. She was finally found in
q little inlet, and was saved.
Captain F. A. Hyatt and William Guy
report that they had singular experience
as members of the relief committee on
their way to the Pass. The train on which
they were travelling stopped on dump
five miles from the town. The water all
around this neck Of land, on which was
placed the track. was fully 8 feet deep.
The hands Of Messrs. Hyatt and Guy are
blistered from fighting snakes, which lit
orally covered the dump for distance of
five miles. There were thousands of
water moccasins from the overlooked dis
trict. taking refuge on the narrow stretch
Of land. and every step across they had to
be fought. Many of them were the deadly
stump-tailed moccasins, larger than a
man IS arm. Wild cats also, frenzied at
the waters fury, rushed pell-mell upon
pedestrians, while coons and every variety
of animals snapped at passers-by with
hydrophobic rage. Many times the pedes
TRANS left the dump and swan around the
angry reptiles rather than try to pass
them. Captain Hyatt alone killed over
| 100 snakes during his walk of five miles
which consumed about ten hours. Mr.
Guy says that no money could tempt him
to make the trip over again. In stepping
about in the dark he was tripped up and
thrown by snake two inches in diameter
and fully feet long.
A dispatch from Johnson's Bayou, dated
the 10th, gives description of the de
struction at that point. The village o.
johnson s Bayou is high ridge on thu
sea coast, and the bayou from which i
takes its name runs through the inhabi
table parts of that section of the settle
ment, in which is also situated the post
office station known as Radford. The.
are in Cameron parish, on the Louisian;
shore. six m lies east of Sabine Pass.
The bayou is nineteen miles in length
and varies from one to four miles il
width. Ridges face the gulf twelve fee
above the sea level, and in the rear is
dense and impenetrable marsh. The pop
ulation on last Tuesday morning mum
bered l 200 souls. To-day eighty five O.
that number are counted with the dead
Forty bodies have been recovered. Rad
ford was thickly settled and contained
!! Cotton gin and cotton and cane planta
tions. It was the head OF navigation
and its stores were many. Cotton AMI
sugar are the chief products of the ridges
which are composed of the richest grazing
country, and the parish had 5000 head Of
cattle and horses. Communication witt
the outer world was through two steam
vessels.
| At A o'clock Tuesday afternoon thu
4 storm descended upon the bayou. Every
body took to their homes. The waters
rising with the wind, swept through the
lower stories of the buildings, driving The
afrighted people into the attics and upor
the roofs House after house fell in OF
was swept away, and Radford and John
sons Bayou were destroyed completely
For twelve hours the storm ragged ovel
the devastated settlements, and then came
a lull. Hope revived as the waters re-
ceded, and the survivors gathered on ele.
waited points viewing the scene Of desola
tion, Houses that stood the storm were
completely Quilted. There was no food
| nor drink, the salt water having invaded
everything.
A year ago President Cleveland contrib
uted 81 900 to the Democratic campaign
fund in New York, and this year has con-
tributed 800 to relieve the thousands Of
sufferers from the destructive storms and
floods in the South.
las the editor OF the Spectator was pres
emit at the Democratic side.show in the
Court House last Monday, we are sur
prised that no mention Of it's proceedings
appeared in that paper on the goth. Mr..
johnson will have to enquire into this
neglect.
Let the people Of Augusta county re-
member, when the Democratic speakers
appear before them. that the Democratic
party is free trade party and that it is
opposed to the Blair Educational Bill, and
anything they may say to the contrary is
mere assumption.
s The report of the Commissioner of PEN
sions ending June Both. 1885. shows that