The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-04-09
KENTUCKY SWEPT BY FLOODS
A DISASTROUS CLOUDBURST IN
THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF
THE STATE.
many PEOPLE ON persisted LIST.
The Devastation Along Buffalo and Sex
ton Creeks is Complete Hail
Storm Followed-A Portion of
BoOnville Under Water.

Louisville, April 3.-Late reports of the
ravages of floods in the southern part of
this State are appalling. The victims
now number IA and great property dam
age was done in the eight counties of
Breathitt, Clay, Owsley, Leslie, Knott,
Perry, Flood and Magoffin. The vista
ton was in the form of cloudburst, re-
sulting in the most disastrous flood in
years. Thel list of people SO far known
to have been drowned is:
On Buffalo creek:
Mrs. George Geipson and three children.
Will Burns and two children.
Miss Mary Garrett.
Two unknown people.
On Sexton creek and its tributaries:
Captain j. s. j. Bull.
Mrs. Wade Marlers and child.
Two unknown people.
Sexton creek rises near Burning springs
and is one of the feeders of the South
Fork of the Kentucky river 1t flows in
some places through deep gOrges sur
rounded by rocks. Through these
gorges the stream rushes, when in food
tide, with great speed, and striking the
bottom lands below spreads out with won
derful rapidity.
People little thought that the little brook
would rise rapidly or was capable of con-
tanning such volume of water. Five
people were drowned by the Little Sex
ton.
Buffalo creek is even more crooked than
Little Sexton, and by its action after the
burst nine people lost their lives. A great
many logs were hurled down the tide and
those speedily knocked the cabins and
buildings to pieces
The hail storm which followed the cloud
burst was the most severe ever known II
Kentucky. The hail stones were unusu
ally large and did great deal of damage
to houses, live stock and poultry.
The devastation along Buffalo creek il
complete, as every house standing on its
banks was washed away, as well as the
outbuildings and all the provisions fol
man and beast. Horses, cattle, sheep
South Fork of the Kentucky river is high
er than for years.
A portion of the town of Bonneville
county seat of Owsley, is under water
and the residents had to move out.
ANOIdER ACCOUNl.
Lexington, April 3.-The recent cloud
burst in Clay and Owsley counties was
more disastrous than at first reported
Buffalo creek, which is across the SOutl
Fork of. the Kentucky suffered NOR,
than Sexton creek by the unusual rainfall
Every house ON the bank of this stream
was washed away. Miss Mary e. Gar
rett was drowned while trying to escape
the flood. George Capsons wife ant
three children, two children of Will Burns
and two others whose names are not Civ
en-, were drowned. Mr.. John Crane,
logger, rescued his wife and small chill,
when they were drifting down the STREAM
on some uprooted trees. Thousands o
logs are going down the streams. TIL
large booms at Bonneville are choke,
with logs, and it is feared the booms ant
all will be carried away. Part of tn
town is inundated and number of per
sons have had to move their household eff
fects upon the side of the mountain.
North Fork and Middle creek are boil
overlooking their banks, and at jackson
Military Instructor Bull of the jackson
institute has been drowned while riding OIL
4 raft.