San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-08-31
CATASTROPHE BY FLOOD.
UVALDE AND D'HANIS UNDER
WATER.
Tremendous Cloud Burst Causes
Death and Suffering and Great
Destruction to Property.

Yesterday afternoon news reached this
city Of a startling nature, ofsthe destruc-
tion by food and storm Of large amount
OF property in the towns Of Uvalde and
D'Hanis. on the Southern Pacific rail-
railway, and also of the loss of many
lives.
Investigation of the matter proved the
truth of these rumors, though informa-
ton was difficult 10 procure, as telegra-
phic communication direct with Uvalde
was cut off, wires all being down. This
neceSsitated a long and very circuitous
route from San Antonio to Galveston
thence to Fort Worth, to Kansas
City and Ell Paso and thence to Uvalde,
by the telegraph messages, which render
ed news slow in travelling. Several pri-
vate kilograms arrived, among them one
saying the town was under water from a
cloudburst, and three people were
drowned. Another telegram announced
two children drowned at D'Hanis.
The Southern Pacific dispatchers re-
| ceived,word that wires were down be-
tween Sabinal and Uvalde.
The two-Span iron bridge east of WAL
| de, together with IL miles Of track east
was washed away, and two-span iron
| bridge at D'HaniS, with II miles of
| track, from the depot east had
| also been demolished by the flood,
| together with small washouts of 100 to
| 200 feet of track and bridge approaches
| on the line between Sabinal and UValde-
The damage done in Uvalde was caused
| by the Leona river swelling out of its
| banks by the very heavy rain and burst
/ ing on the sleeping town Unexpectedly at
2 o'clock In the morning. The weather
had been threatening but the storm did
not break until a. m. About the same
II ha AaI hn
| part OF Uvalde, on low ground. Houses
were swept away and many people
drowned. Five bodies were recovered
| yesterday, as follows: Mrs. Joe Hatch,
two Mexican children, MIR. Maley's child
and Miss Matte Edwards. The water
rose until it reached the courthouse,
or a depth of over three feet
refuge in trees or on high ground. 1t is
| thought many more people were drowned,
| but no more bodies have been recovered.
| The destruction TO stock and farm
| property was terrible, man y farmers losing
all they possessed.
| TO relieve the distress OF the flooded dis
| trct, the proper committees being APP
| pointed at a meeting held yesterday, and
| work was Immediately begun.
| The news from D'Hanis is meagre,
| though it was reported last night that
two children had been drowned at that
| place.
The railroad company got out its pile
| drivers and construction gangs all
| along the road yesterday after
noon and set full force OF
| men to repair track, build false work for
| bridges and get the road open as soon as
| possible BY tonight everything will be
| collected, in the way of material, and the
company announces that IL expects to
| have through trains running in or 5
! days, or a week at the utmost.
| A telegram was received over the wire
1 this morning from Uvalde as follows:
a slight earthquake shock was felt in
| this vicinity last night and the ground is
torn for miles in places. with no apparent
bottom to the TCntS. Among the drowned
Miss Matte Edwards, daughter of Fire
Chief Edwards, of the local volunteer de-
partment The extent of the damage
and ruin wrought is not yet known here
on account of lack of news facilities, but
many more ives are feared to have been
lost by the heavy flood in some portions of
1.-THE county.
A telegram from Uvalie today tells of
a track walker who did brave deed dur
ing the flood. The water continued TO
rise as he advanced toward the LeOna
and finally it was up to his neck. With
| his lantern still ligh'rd he kept on until
a freight train, which was coming along,
and which was almost ready to plunge
into the raging food, the bridge being
| gone, was stopped.