The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-09-01
SWEPT BY A FLOOD.
The Catastrophe That Befell a
Thriving Town in Texas,
A HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE FEARED.

The waters Came while the People
Slept, and It Is believed That Seventy
nve TO q Hundred Families Have Per
ished
UvALDE, Tex, Sept. 1. A terrible
catastrophe befell this thriving town yes
terday, and today there is mourning In
many households. The calamity was en-
tlrely unexpected. The treacherous lie
ona river, swollen to a raging torrent by
recent rains, rushed without moments
warning down upon the town, submerg-
ing and wrecking many houses and
drowning a number Of people. In this
arid section such destruction by the ele-
ments has never before been chronicled
II Is not definitely known how many have
been drowned. Among the bodies that
have been identified are Mrs. Joseph
Hatch, Miss Matte Edwards, a child Of
Mr.. Maley and two Mexicans.
1t was about2 o'clock in the morning
when the flood came. just as the storm
broke over the city torrent of water
Tushed down the Leona river, overflowing
the banks Of that stream and flooding the
lowlands on either side to depth Of sew
eral feet. The east side Of the city is built
on low land, and was directly in the path
OF this water. All the houses In this part
of the town were submerged, and in the
darkness and throughout the downpour
of rain could be heard the cries OF dis
tress from the i'll fated inhabitants in
their wild efforts TO save themselves, and
those Of their families and loved ones
There were a number OF miraculous es-
eapes, and the rescuers and the rescued
o. - l.,
those in the higher part Of the town were
made aware of the terrible flood and dire
consequences the work Of rescuing began
and was carried out as rapidly as posi-
BILE in the darkness of the night.
Great apprehension is felt for the fsmi-
lies living on the ditch south of here,
where from seventy-ive to a hundred
families live, and as the land lies fifteen
feet lower than here, It is feared they
have been destroyed One Mexican fam
lily living on the ranch OF Schwartz, FIVE
miles below town, are undoubtedly lost,
no vestige of the ranch being left. News
has just reached here that three families
living below town were drowned. The
| names have not yet been learned.
An earthquake shock of some seconds
duration was distinctly felt during the
a quarter Of mile of heavy cracks ap-
peared on each side of the Leona river,
having apparently no bottom.
A track walker Of the Southern Pacific,
after wading through water up to his
neck, with his lantern elevated above his
head, succeeded in feeling his way far
enough east to intercept a west bound
train and prevent its plunging into the
raging river where the railroad bridge had
been destroyed.
The loss to the Southern Pacific com
pany is enormous, forty miles of track
and many bridges having been washed
away. Over 100 carloads of material and
800 laborers left San Antonio for the scent
of the wreckage last evening. The dam.
age to the Southern Pacific extends east
ward about seventy-fve miles from thii
city.
A rough estimate of the loss to prop
erty in general and the railroad company
will, as far as known, reach 81, 5000 600.