Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-09-08
THE FLOODS IN TEXAS.

Full Details OF the Awful Damage Wrought
Only just Beginning to Come to Light
Hundreds Of Miles of Prosperous Farms
and Ranches Devastated and Several
Towns Damaged-The Work Of Relief Be-
gun.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Sept. THE
reports from the flooded district of
west Texas is far from complete and it
will be probably several days before
the remote settlements and ranches
are heard from. This fact leads to the
belief that the loss of life will be even
greater than was indicated in the
earlier dispatches. The country for
100 miles east and west and about 800
miles north and south is covered with
water to depth of from two to ten
feet and the Leona, Sabinal and Saco
rivers are still raging torrents of
water. In that great cxpanse of
flooded country there are few high
spots which were not reported covered
by water and the places of safety are
crowded with men, women and chill
dren and live stock.
1t is thought there must have been
great destruction of property and life
south of the Southern Pacific track for
distance of 200 miles in the valleys of
the swollen streams. These valleys
are thickly settled with prosperous
farmers and ranchers. In the valley
of the Leona river alone it is estimated
that the loss to the crops will
reach 100000, and along the
Saco and Sabinal fully $780, 900 addi-
tional. To this loss is to be
added the drowning of thousands
of horses and cattle and the destruc-
tion of farm and ranch buildings.
No relief parties have as yet reached
the town of Ulvade. Forty miles of
the trip would have to be made over
land and through waters forty feet
deep and across swollen streams which
are without bridges. A number of
private dispatches were received here
yesterday, however. giving more de-
tails as to the situation there
The Leona river has subsided several
feet, and its great destructiveness is
beginning to make itself apparent.
The part of the town which was flooded
is completely devastated, scarcely a
house remaining standing, and the es-
cape of all but six people from the food
is looked upon now as almost mirac-
nlous. The homeless and destitute
families are being provided for as best
the limited means Of the people who
were not caught in the delugc will per-
nit. About 200 families are being
given shelter.
There are still no tidings from the
| Leona settlement situated seven miles
below Uvalde on the banks of the
Leona. Efforts have been made to
reach that settlement, but the waters
are found to be impossible. The be-
lief that the entire settlement of
seventy-five families was washed away
grows stronger.
There are several other small settle
ments in Uvalde, Seavalade Medina
and Fryo counties from which no word
has been received.
A courier arrived yesterday from the
town of Batesville, situated near the
Leona river. and the county seat OF
Seavalade county. and brings the in
formation of a terrible condition of af-
fairs at that place. The flood struck
Batesville about o'clock in the morn
ing and wrought terrible havoc. The
entire town was submerged. There
were many residences and business
buildings washed away and there is
great destitution among the people of
the town, which had a population OF
500.
i. Fears are entertained that the vii.
lage of Buena Vista. south of Bates
vile, has suffered similar fate, and il
is in the path of the water from both
the Leona and Nueces rivers.
The courier from IIatesville states
that the entire county for distance of
fifty miles east, and he does not. know
how many miles west of Batesville is
under water. Several train-loads of
material from the east passed through
here yesterday for repair work.