The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-05-09
Especial correspondence

eLO INAGOhiA VI - AOOll Itl
ugee as related to the writer:
'Tell you about it? Certainly, al
though we are none too proud of oui
part in the matter. You see, we wer
new to that part of the country anc
didn't know what an irresistible force
we were pitting our puny strength
against, and the experience has cost u,
dear. We relied too much on the fan.
cied strength of the levees, not realiz
ing till too late that they were only
piles of sand and half rotted timbers
after all
'We had moved into southeastern
Arkansas only two years ago, and be
ing unacquainted with the region We
didn't even know the country was sub
ject to overtiows, let alone how danger
Gus they were.
"When we were enlightened by &
kindly neighhor, we simply laughed.
for we were five miles from the great
river, and that seemed far enough il
our Ignorance to be quite safe even in
case of high water. Still, father die
give heed enough to repeated warnings
to build his house OH the highest Spot
on his land. That was only broad
knoll perhaps a dozen feet above the
level Of the swamp that lay between III
and the river.
THE house when completed was firm
and substantial-a square, two story
affair, with fiat deck, to which pail
Of stairs led up through the garrett ant
1t was closely surrounded by fine
grove of tall pecan and oak trees.
mention these oaks because they played
brave part in our late troubles, and
because but for them ! should probably
not be relating this story.
"Our family consisted of father,
mother, three grown sons, 4-year-olc
nephew and myself. Fathers name il
Josiah Bently, and he had lost most OF
his money i'll business failure Just be.
fore we came west, where we had hoped
to make new home with the small
sum he had saved after his debts were
paid.
Crops were well under way and /.
great campaign Of work planned for the
season when rumors spread of coming
flood, and every man was warned gu
to work on the Mississippi levees CD.
posite us.
"Of course the three boys went, and
the news they brought that night was
dlscOuraging i'll the extreme. The river
was raging torrent almost even with
the top of the levee, and there was al.
ready several feet of water in the
sWamps.
'We grew uneasy and alarmed, but
not for cur personal safety, feeling
much confidence in our few feet of ele-
walton to keep us high and dry. Every
body on the fats prepared to move to
higher ground, but we refused to go,
only at the last sending Tom, my young
est brother, along with the horses and
COWS, which we imagined might come
to grief III case of an overflow, and, Of
course, he remained on the hills to look
after them.
Several days went by, the water
steadily rising until it was almost even
with the doorstep Every body but our
selves had fled, and the hour soon came
when we, too, would have gladly join
ed the refugees, but it was then toe
late, as we had no boat save AN old punt
that would carry but three, aud no one
was willing to 60 and leave the others
behind
$50 we staid, perforce, and, finding
the water was surely entering the house,
the men carried everything of value in
to the second story, even storing pro-
visions and lighter goods in the attic.
From the roof we could see for miles
up and down, and the stagnant, ripple.
less eXpanse of water disheartened and
discouraged us.
81 have been told since that much Of
it came from the Arkansas and its trib-
utaries, but then we only knew it was
there and slowly, noiselessly creeping
always higher and higher, until it drove
us into the attic and onto the roof.
"Then it rained and rained, and the
wind blew gale all one night. Tn
darkness was intense, and many times
the men crept to the stairway and put
down their hands to see if the water
was invading our last shelter.
Daylight revealed reason for the
rushing, roaring sound, which we had
not mistrusted. The creek l mentioned
had changed its course during the night
and now poured wild torrent of water
past the house so closely that it washed
the very caves.
Long before night the underpin-
nings were so undermined that the
building began to lean, and a perch
was hastily prepared for mother, little
Hughie and me in one of the huge oaks
whose branches overarched the roof.
1.-The little lad cried pitifully, and /
will not Say my own eyes were dry
when / scrambled into the tree. Moth
er was bravest of all, but she, too. shed
tears when about dusk the house tipped
over aud settled down into the dark wa
tiers.
THAT night was a horror such as l
hope never again to experience. Sleep
less and shivering with nervous dread,
we chung together, listening to the roar
of the surging food and momentarily
expecting to be plunged into it 10y the
falling of the tree.
1.-The forenoon passed, afternoon
waned, and we were lust concluding