Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-01
LIVES LOST BY FLOOD
A Hundred Persons Drowned by Cloud
burst
Death Came without Warning-Dam-
age Over a Million Dollars
Tracks Washed Away.

About 100 lives have been lost by floods
throughout southwestern Texas and north
ern Mexico. Towns are submerged and
bridges and tracks have been carried away.
When full reports are received. it is believed
many more deaths will be recorded.
At Uvalde the LeoIa liver, swollen to a
raging torrent by recent rains, rushed, with
out moments warning, down upon the
town, submerging and wrecking many
houses and drowning a number Of people
In that arid section such destruction by the
elements has never before been chronicled.
In the excitement Of the day 1t is not def
nitely known how many have been drowned
Among the bodies that have been identified
are: Mrs. Joseph Hatch. Miss Matte Ed
wards, child Of Mr.. Maley, and two Mex
leans.
1t was about o'clock in the morning
when the food came. The weather had
been threatening AMI there were ominous
clouds to the north and east of the town.
The atmosphere had been close during the
evening and predictions of a storm were
freely made.
just the storm broke over the city a
torrent Of water rushed down the Leona
river; overlooking the banks of that stream
and flooding the lowlends on either side to a
depth of several feet. The east side Of the
city Is built on low land and was directly in
the path Of this water.
Panic In the Darkness.
All the houses in that part of the town
were submerged. and in the darkness and
throughout the downpour Of rain could be
heard the cries of distress from the ILL
fated inhabitants in their wild efforts to
save themselves and those Of their families
and loved ones. There were a number of
miraculous escapes, and the rescuers and
the rescued performed many heroic acts.
As soon as those in the higher part of the
town were made aware of the flood the work
of rescuing began and was carried out as
rapidly as possible in the darkness of the
night.
Great apprehension is felt for the set
Elements along the river south of Uvalde,
where from % to 100 families live. 1t is
feared they have been destroyed. One
Mexican family living on the ranch of
Schwartz, five miles below town, is sup
posed to have been lost, no vestige of
the ranch being left.
An Earthquake shock.
An earthquake shock of some seconds
was distinctly felt during the night. At
one place about a quarter of a mile of
heavy cracks appeared on each side of the
I.eona river, having apparently no bot
tom. A trackwalker of the Southern Pa
cific, after wadinS 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. Three families living
below Cvalde are known to have been
drowned. The names have not yet been
learned
The city of Dhanis was flooded and two
children there were drowned.
An Enormous Loss.
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 300 labor
ers left San Antonio for the scene of the
wreckage last evening. The damage to
the Southern Pacific extends eastward
seventy-five miles from Uvalde.
A rough estimate Of the loss to property
in general and the railroad company will,
as far as known. reach 81 100000.
The Rio Grande is higher than for five
years.
The storm extended into Mexico, and sew
eral miles of track of the Mexican Inter-
national and the Monterey and Mexican
Gulf railroads are washed out. The cities
are badly flooded and three children were
drowned. 1t will require several DAYS to re-
pair the damage to railroads.