The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-05-29
THE FLOOD At FL PASO
Tart of the Business Portion Is
Now Covered With Water
WORST Is YET FEARED,
Mundrsds OF Isopir Forced 10 Leave
rhsir uomss sud Move to uigheE
Ground nteaks In the lev.
ees Are Getting Worse.

n Paso. Tex. May eS-The food
situation here Is more serious. Part .
81 ,ho business portion is under water .
and 10 inches more will bring the
water Of the Rio Grande river into
the center OF the business portion.
The water ia In front Of the county
Jail and around the Texas and Pacific
depot
Yesterday morning the river showed
rise OF six inches over Wednesday
night. and the water was sweeping
down the river ~ terrific speed. The
head gate OF the canal. which Is above
the level. began TO give way. and 500
men with logs. sacks Of sand and will
low bales were put TO work TO prevent
a break az the head gate. while about
100 men were stretched along the inn
/ proyIsed lcyee at the other side OF the
/ city. where the water continued TO
crep up.
Al 3 o'clock In the afternoon the
head gate gave way and with rush
/ and roar the river began pouring into
] the canal The Ere alarm was sound
ed 10 warn people IN the lower dis
trl5ts. ana IN an instant the city was
IN such wild confusion that Tor half
an hour 10 was impossible to make any
organized EFFORT 10 take another stand
against the water. which vas soon
over the banks OF the canal. inun-
dating the territory through which It
passed on both sides.
The people living along the banks
OF the canal are the poor laborlng
classes and their homes were soon UNI
der water Fathers and mothers had
% wade through the water from their
houses taking their children In their
arms
The houses. being In most instances
built OF adobe. melted away at "a,
touch Of the rushing water, ana mousse
hold furniture, clothing etc. wer,
floating around In all directions. Will,
men were at work trying 70 keep n,
waters from crossing tho Santa X
yard. flooding the passenger depot anI
thou pouring down on the gas an,
electric liglt works and numerou
houses located just north Of the SAINT
Pc yards
The leyec at the foot OF ri Pas
. street also broke and 10 a short tim
twenty little residences IN that locallt
'i were flooded by this time the peopl
T. for three blocks north Of the loode
d were moving out and the streets Ner
re thronged with wagons carts an
5 whcclbsrrovs loaded with the belong
he ings OF those nscIua from the risin
T. waters.
D. For three miles across town and "a
' river front everybody is moving d
re- into the business portion OF tie cit
ct and 10 tho more elevated residon,
TT sections
" Al O'Clock Iu the afternoon ,he I
u wee on sixth street was abandoned
the city and Mayor Msgoian put SCI
W eral hundred men and teams 20 VOL
throwing mp new leyee on rourl
" street. from the Santa Re. across elg
blocks 10 Tago street
y, 4 hundred feet Of the lsyee on q
Mexican side Of the river has bet
- washed away and quite a number
W houses flooded Men are rt work tr
ing 20 save the two street railvi
bridges
'. At 10 o'clock last night the food HI
broken through the second leyee
=. Fourth street, and the waters had a
vauced 20 Second street, causing So
a. eral hundred more poor families 10 4
CO from their homes.
m. There are over 900 families on 1
.. streets Of r. Paso and a large numb
OF them are without food as they d
IT. laborlug people who have been hEhu
DIS the food instead OF earning bread
re- the mast IE DAYS