Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-26
North Texas Inundated as a Re-
suit OF the Heavy Rains.
Heavy Loss of Property and RumOrs Of
Ruined Crops in All Parts.
Traffic Delayed.
The Trinity Broadens into q Lake at Fort
Worth-The Surrounding Country Cut
of-Latess Dispatches.

precipitation in the history OF the city;
and the effect upon the Trinity has been
almost as great as at the time of the
floods of June, 1889.
Immediately after the furious storm of
Thursday morning the Clear Fork began
to show evidence of an unusual REIN
forcement and poured through its chan
mel with ever increasing force and guam
tity Steadily the volume of water in
creased and by 10 o clock she had reached
a point twenty-five feet above the low
water mark. Then a subsistence began,
and by daylight a drop Of twelve feet
had occurred.
But another deluge came, the sub
sidence was checked and the increase of
volume, with greater rapidity than be-
fore began again. All through the day
with but slight intermissions, the
precipitation continued, and the
rise was at the rate of a foot every ten
minutes for time. Still the river held
its tide.
At 2 O'Clock yesterday afternoon,
however, the news spread in the city
that the water was getting over Its banks
on the North Side. and hundreds of peo-
pie flocked to the North Fort Worth
bridge, Drawing the heavy rain
which fell all through the after
noon, to see the inundation that
was fated to occur. At the slough
directly north from Main street the first
break was made, and then the water
poured over North Fort Worth from all
sides. Still the river rose, and farther
and farther spread the waters.
Midstream was raging torrent,
that could be heard half a mile away,
~ lr-Ir, M
tract with marvellous rapidity.
All this time the West Fork
had attended strictly TO its
own business. 1t rose several feet
but at no time did it
show signs of an unusual flood. Grave
rumors were afloat that an immense tor
rent coming down that branch, carry
ing away bridges and washing out
houses, leaving desolation broad
cast over its route; and it
was expected that whan this
flood Joined it's force with the Clear Fork
the overflow at Fort Worth would be the
greatest ever known here. Fortunately
the rumor had no foundation, or If any,
the flood was delayed by washouts and
did not arrive on schedule
sine. The Clear Fork is due all the
credit for the North Fort Worth over
flow yesterday.
By 5 O'Clock in the afternoon the
water had taken possession of
all available space on the North
Side. The only question was, how
deep would the inundation become?
The Cotton Belt yards were entirely COW
cred and the depot was inaccessible. The
North Fort Worth bridge ran into moth
ing but water apparently, like the
,liI OF no Nof
The people living in the overf1owed
district got out without personal danger,
though some of them lost few house
hold utensils which they had not time TO
remove. Below the bluff at the head of
Main street the cottages were flooded to
depth of six and eight feet, according
to location.
At 9 o'clock at night nothing could be
seen that would indicate life north of
the city, except at the waterworks
pumphouse. There, cut off from land
on every side, with the raging river at
its back door, ana level sheet of water
extending to the bluff on the front,
expecting every moment that the flood
| would burst the building and inundate
the machinery, a full force of men
| worked all day and all night, with lights
shining through every window to let the
world know that all was o. KIP
1t was at IL: 80 last night that the flood
reached its climax. At that time it yet
lacked ten inches of the height in June
| 1889. Then it began to subside from the
| face of the earth. In half an hour 1t
had fallen four inches, and later began
| to go down faster.
West of the city the only damage in the
| immediate vicinity of Fort Worth was
| done. There the temporary bridge
| erected for the Arlington Heights street
railway was carried away early in the &C
| ton, and so complete was the demolition
| of the structure that not stick was left
| to show where it stood. The Chamber
| lin people have already instituted pro-
| ceedings to replace 1t.
| Damage to crops in tbs countr- sur
| rounding Fort Worth cannot esti-
mated, but they are thought L . quite
heavy. No such precipitation in such
| q short space of time is
rem embered by the oldest in
habitant Of these parts to have occurred
in Tarrant county before. AS it was i'm
| possible, by the rain that was falling
for couriers to conveniently reach the
city from the country during yes
| terday, little authentic informa-
| ton about these matters could
/ NO - TSC6iFSQ
Axle says the damage to crops will be
| great, as the whole country il flooded
| and an officer who rode out
| beyond Birdyille brought the informa-
| ton that the land was all besogged, and
had the appearance of having been
l washed out in all directions. People in
/ the city fear the worst.
The railroads have suffered greatly
/ and some Of them will lose heavily by the
| storms. On the Texas and Pacific every
/ thing seems to be all right to the east of
/ Fo-t Worth. The west-bound ar
| rived at the Union depot last
| night an hour and three-quarters
late; but passengers who arrived on il
said that there was immediate danger at
kV1lage creek, about nine miles east
| ward, where the stream was run
| ming several inches over the tracks
West from Fort Worth there is break
EIt1s about thrae-0nArxeEs OF asznila- this