The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-09-01
OELUGE FROM
UNDERGROUND.
An Earthquake Rends a Sub
terranean Reservoir
in Texas.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE DROWNED.
A Whole County Laid Desolate-
Millions Of Loss; Thousands
Homeless.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE DROWNED.
URALDE LAID IN RUINS

1t is now said that the deluge of water
which swept over the country west OF
this city, did not come from the Clouds
as was at first supposee. but that it came
out of the ground, and it's bursting forth
was caused by an. earthquake which rent
the earth, as under several places along
the Leona River near Uvalde, the cracks
in the earth with the water pouring there
from are still seen. The Leona River,
so-caned, is a dry stream ten months OF
the year, but it is known that subter-
ranean basin and stream of water exist
underneath the dry bed, as flowing ar
tesian wells are obtained by boring a few
hundred feet It is supposed that this
artesian basin OF water is now escaping
through the cracks caused by the earth
quake. The shock of the earthquake was
distinctly felt at Uvalde and at points
for many miles around
The devastated area begins at point
about fifty miles distant from here and
extending for nearly 200 miles, was one
of the most terrible catastrophes that has
visited the State since the Indianola
calamity, when all of the coast towns
were swept into the Gulf of Mexico. The
number of deaths is not so great, but
the damage to property will probably
exceed that at Indianola. Among the
bodies that have been identified are:-
shild of Mr.. Maley, two Mexicans.
SEVERAL HUNDRED DROWNED.
Yesterday more complete reports of the
devastation were brought here, and
enough is known to lead to the belief
that several hundred persons were
drowned. 1t is definitely known that at
least six women in the town of Uvade
wer drowned, and also three Mexican
families. numbering in all about Y per-
sons living just outside the town, met
watery graves. There were a number
of miraculous escapes, and the rescuers
and the rescued performed many heroic
acts. AS soon as those in the higher
parts of the town were made aware
of the terrible flood and dire consequen-
ces, the work of rescuing was begun,
and carried out rapidly as possible III
the darkness of the night. Great appre-
hension is felt for the families living
on the ditch south of here One Mexi-
can family living on the ranch of j.
Schwertze, five miles below town, are
supposed to have been lost, no. vestige
of ranch buildings being left. A despatch
has been received here from Uvalde,
stating that the list of drowned will
probably be greatly increased as soon as
reports from the surrounding country
comes In.
UVALDE WRECKED.
About one-half of the residences and
buildings in the town of Uvalde, which
has a population of about $500 persons.
were swept away, and there is great
destitution among those who were made
homeless.
The flood came in the night and about
fifty families sought refuge in trees.
The town of Dranis. so miles west of
here. is submerged to depth of several
feet. but so far as known there are
no deaths at that place from drowning.
1t is reported that number of cases of
drowning occurred on the ranches along
the valleys of the Leon and Saeo riv-
ers. Thousands of head of cattle and
horses were swept away. The extern
sfve plant of the Litho-Carbon Rubber
Company, situated near Cline, was dam
aged nv water to the extent of several
thousand dollars
News late last evening reached here
that three families living below town
we-e drowned The names have not
yet been learned.
RAILROAD WASHED AWAY.
The greatest monetary loss is that
which the Southern Pacific Railroad suf-
< fered. and is still suffering Forty miles
of track and road5ed are washed away
and four large bridges and several small
erones are gone. One freight train load
ed WIN peflSHdDle lFult Is lieu up JnSI
east of Uvalde. It has been there for the
past thirty-six hours. being cut off to the
front and rear by wash-outs that will
require several weeks to repair. All west
bound freight that arrived here from New
orleans is tied up. All through passen-
ger traffic on the road is, of course, sus-
5ad Gc,,tbarn Pacific of4icials oet;
mate that it will cost about s1.2oo,ooo to
rebuild the forty miles of track and re-
place the steel bridges. over 100 carloads
of material and 300 laborers left San An
tonic for the scene of the wreckage last
svening.
The damage to the Southern Pacific
4 extends eastward about seventy live miles
from this city.