Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-04
The Trinity River Bottom Sub
merged for Two Miles.
Two Lives Said to be Lost-Great Dam
age to Railroad Property and
CrOps-Loss of Stock.
The Broken Sewer in Dallas Causes Further
Damage-The BenbrOok Bridge Gone.
West Fork Rise Coming.

emit. Truly she is city on hill, and
the adamantine rocks are her foundation.
Tuesday night when about 'elock it
began to rain, no one imagined that be-
fore morning the water to the east and
north would be two miles wide,
and that hundreds of thousands of
dollars would be lost to the peo-
pie of this and adjoining counties.
When the rain, however ,gcontinued una
bated for hour after hour people began
to think of those who had built houses
and pitched tents in the river bottom
north of the Trinity and on the low land
east of Fort Worth. At O'Clock the
river was still in its banks but the engi-
neer at the waterworks, Mr.. Gardner,
telephoned to THE GAZETTE that it was
rising rapidly and would soon be flooding
the surrounding country.
AT o o'clock
the faithful Gardner telephoned again
and said the river had risen four and
one-half feet in an hour, was out of its
banks, and that the low land on the
south side of the river was covered.
Policemen, who had been apprlsed of the
danger to those who were domiciled in
tents and who, all unconscious, were fast
asleep, gave the warning by firing their
revolvers, and when the startled camp
ers were awake told them the water was
coming and to hurry out of their dwell
ings. This warning was none too soon
for inside of half an hour the bottom was
covered with water several feet deep and
the water-works were on an island.
ON THE NORTH SIDE.
Up to this time the people on the North
tents, had not been alarmed. When the
pistol firing took place, many of the men
got up and watched the river closely, but
all said it would not reach that side and
did not consider it necessary to move.
By 'clock their hopes were all dashed,
as the water covered the low ground be-
tween the cemetery bridge and the iron
viaduct and gradually worked its way to
the north. By $3.50 the water began to
rise rapidly and then there was
a rush to abandon the tents and houses
and come to the city. At O'Clock a GA
ZETTE reporter crossed the big bridge
and beheld
A PITIFUL SIGHT.
1t was pitch dark except when the fit
full lightning frightened up the scene
temporarily. On the bridge was string
of men, women and children who had
abandoned all they had Of this world g
goods and were seeking a safe place to
plant their feet Here came a man wet
to his waist, carrying little two-yesr-
old child, following came the wife carry
ing an infant, while on either side were q
boy and girl six and eight years
of age. They were walking,
while behind them came three
wagons filled with people and such
l. II II
another family walking through the tor
rent of rain. Reaching the foot of the
big bridge the extent of the flood could :
be realized.
HALF MILE OF WATER
stretched out to the north from the
BRIDGES northern approach. In every
tent was light, and score of lanterns
moved hither and thither as those who
carried them moved about in their haste
preparing to leave. The horses to the
wagons were travelling through two feet
of water, while men off from North
Main street were wading waste deep
in water. The exodus was so
rapid that furniture, provisions, house
hold goods and clothing were left behind;
it was a'question of life or death then.
WHEN DAYLIGHT CAME
nearly all the people north of the river
had got away, but the water still
rose, and the men at the driving
park found that it would be
with difficulty Ithey could save the fine
horses stabbed there. Before the horses
were out the water was several feet and
a number OF the boys tending the horses
were forced to get on the roofs of the
stables. Seeing their plight Marshal
Farmer and E. D. Gallagher got one
TO- r1rNH
Claude Mcknight another boat
off The boat occupied by Tackabery
and Mcknight was capsized and both
men narrowly missed drowning. Farmer
and Gallagher went to their assistance,
and after the boat was righted and the
men in it they proceeded to where the
bows were and took them off.
In this party were S. B. Riddle,
C. c.. Carlisle, Ed Brown and s. Ham
mill. The boys, Marshal Farmer says,
were bll.e with cold and alarm, but were
not hurt.
TO I'VE EAST.
Rapidly the water worked its way TO
the east, and the valley on the west OF
the river was soon covered. The Syl-
yania road was soon out of sight with
four to six feet of water over it. The ten
or twelve brick and frame cottages
were soon reached and by 5 O'Clock
the water was up to the center of the
windows and doors, while the fences
were out of sight. The Woods, Yanceys1
SCOTS and others managed TO save few
household articles, but that was all. By
G O'Clock the water had reached within
a few feet of the Crystal ice works and
within half a mile of the courthouse at
the base of the bluff. At this point the
river was
MILE WIDE,
but none of SyIyania, except the eastern
part, was submerged. Men in boats
were plying between the head of First
street and the submerged houses, getting
out what few things could be reached.
At this point there was quite noticeable
current. even in what might be called
backwater and if was plain that the wa
ter was getting higher rapidly.
ARE THEY DROWNED?
Living in a little frame house on the
bank of the river to the left of the iron