The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-01
The Treaeherous Leona River Bursts
from Its Banks and mandates
Many Homes.
THE EARTH CAPPED WIDE
BOttOmless Cracks a Quarter Of a
Mile Long Appeared.
Forty Miles of Track and Many Bridges
Washed Away, the Total Damage
Being Placed at S1,50O,O0O.

UvALDE, Tex, Aug. 31.1A terrible ca
tastrophe befell this thriving town last
night, and to-day there is mourning in
many households. The calamity was en-
tirely unexpected. The trsacherous Leona
river swollen to a raging torrent by recent
rains. rushed without moments warning
down upon the town, submerging and
wrecking many houses and drowning a
number of people In this arid section such
destructiveness by the elements has never
before been chronicled. In the excitement
of the day it is not definitely known how
many have been drowned. Among the bod
les that have been identified are:
MRS. JOE HATCH.
MISS MATTE EDWARDS.
CHILD OF MR.. MALEY.
TWO MEXICANS.
1t was about o'clock in the morning
when the flood came. The weather had
been threatening and there were ominous
clouds to the north and east of the town.
The atmosphere had been close duri>g the
evening, and predictions of storm were
freely made. Just as the storm broke over
the city in ali its fury torrent of water
rushed down the Leona river. overfiowing
the banks of that stream and flooding the
low lands on either side to a depth of sew
eral feet. The east side Of the city is built
uD on low ground and was directly in the
path of the water. All Of the houses i'm
that part of the town were submerged, and
in the darkness throughout the city could
be heard the cries Of distress from the
Inflated inhabitants In their wild efforts
to save their lives and those of their fam
hies. There were number of hair-breadth
escapes, and the rescuers and rescued per-
formed many heroic acts. AS soon as
those in the higher part of the town were
made aware of the terrible flood and dire
consequences, the work of rescuing was
begun and carried out as rapidly as possi-
BILE in the darkness.
Great apprehension is felt for the fam
lies living on the ditch south of here where
from seventy-five to one hundred families
live. and the land lying fifteen feet lower
than here. 1t is feared they have been de-.
stroyed. One Mexican family living on the
ranch of L. Schwarz. five miles below town.
is supposed to have beer lost. no yestige
of ranch buildings being left. II is feared
that lndianola's history is repeated
An earthquake shock of some seconds
duration was distinctly felt during the
night. AT one place near the city about a
quarter of mile of heavy cracks appear
on each side Of the Leona river, having
the Southern Pacific. after wading through
water up to his neck with his lantern ele
waited 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. News late this
evening reaches here that three families
living below town were drowned The
names have not been learned
According to reports received at the
Southern Pacific office this evening, the ter
rible food was augmented by a most re-
markable phenomenon which was caused
by the earthquake. The loss to the South
ern Pacific company is enormous. forty
miles of track and many bridges having
been washed away. Over one hundred car
loads of material and three hundred labor
ers left San Antonio for the scene of the
wreck this evening. The damage to the
Southern Pacific extends eastward about
seventy-five miles from the city,
A rough but safe estimate as TO the loss
to property in general and the railroad
company will, as far as known, reach a
million and half dollars.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Aug. 31-Advices
from Waldo, ninety miles west of here
state that settlement of seventy-five fam
lilies a few miles below that place was
washed away by the terrible Leona river
flood yesterday, and IL is feared that all
were drowned. nothing has been heard
from the place, and ii was on low ground
directly in the path of the raging torrent
Three Mexican families and six other peo-
pie were drowned in the flood at Uvalde
Thirty miles of the Southern Pacific track
is still under water.
While reports are Incomplete regarding
loss of life it is estimated tonight that
no less than twenty or twenty-five persons
have been drowned, and the losses to prop
erty of all kinds will exceed s., ,0000o0.