The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-06
CAUSE OF THE FLOODS.


which at some points partooK Of the
nature of cloudbursts. In some cases
the rainfall was twenty inches, and
at several points it was reported as
eight inches. In the central part of
the State the flood reached its hight
Saturday and Sunday. The Brazos
River at Waco flooded a part of the
Gown, but there was no loss of life At
Hearne and Navasota the same was
true.
The Brazos Valley at Calvert, Rob-
ertsou County, was flooded so suddenly
tnar planting hands could not reach
high grounds. Reports were circulated
that fifty people were drowned. AS
the waters receded near Calvert the
facts are found to be that fourteen
lives were lost. All of the victims were
negroes except one. Many head of
cattle were drowned. Monday the rail-
roads in the central part of the State
were in fine condition, roads were re-
Stunning through traffic when, on Tues
day, the floods reached the southern
part of the State.
Tonight the flood condition in the
lower Brazos Valley at Brookshire,
Wallis, Richmond, Rosenberg, Thomp-
son. Duke, Arcola, Fulshear, Chenango
and Columbia is very bad. Wallis re-
ports the Brazos ten feet higher than
in 1895 and that back Water one and
a quarter miles from town is ten feet
deep. The San Antonio and Arkansas
Pass bridge at Wallis is two feet under
water. The Southern Pacific road west
of Houston is washed out near Rosen-
berg and Richmond. The Santa F'e
is washed out near Thompson. 1t is
feared when the rise now at Wallis
gets to Rosenberg and Thompson the
consequence will be serious. At 8
o'clock tonight the river is rapidly ris-
ing at Thompson. The Columbia tap
road is washed out.
The Internationalan and Great Northern
is open north and will be open to San
Antonio tomorrow morning.
Ali communication from Galveston
and Houston via the Santa Fe, Calves
ton, Houston and San Antonio: San
Antonio and Arkansas Pass and the M.
K. and T. railways is cut off. The
only lines open are the Texas and New
Orleans, Houston, East and West
Texas, International and Great North
erii and K. C. P. and G.
The little town of Brooksh;~a. in
Water County, where the Missouri,
+. ansas and Texas Railway crosses the
PraZoS River, is surrounded by water.
Many people were caught in trees.
Those driven out of the valley 1ocked
70 the town, and are being fed. The
citizens of Brookshire appealed to Gov
ernor Sayers for help. Governor SayerS
appealed to the citizens of Houston,
Galveston and San Antonio. The first
car load of provisions was sent from
Gals eston.
Congressman Hawley has wired Gov
error Sayers to ask the Secretary of
War for authority to send bopts. from
Galveston UP the Brazos River to res
cue people caught in the flood. Boats
have, already been sent from Houston.
others have been made on the scene
CT tn, food.
The fact which tends to discredit
heavy loss OF life in the lower Rrazos
Valley is that the planters knew the
Hood was coming and had time 10
warn their hands.
Outside OF the disasters at Calvert
and RrooLshire there has been about
six drownings during the past week ct
different points in Central and Southern
Texas, due to the floods.
The News" will not attempt to give
n'estin1ate as to the crop damage. but
believes The rains have done more good
than harm. Crops outside the flooded
-ti'cts are ir fine condition. -:h.'
waters recede rapidly and tn. crops
will ret be a total loss.
TERRIBLE HAVOC WROUGHT BY
THE FLOODS.
HOUSTON (Texas), July ga CORE
spondent, who has just returned from
voyage through the flood districts
says:
1.-The half has not been told of the
| havoc wrought. The disaster is so APP
palling that description is not possible
| After the flood will come sickness I'M
doubtedly, and what a week ago was
| the fairest part of Texas is now almost
a God-forsaken wilderness. The waters
| of the BraZos have for six days covered
| its valley to a depth of from six to
| thirty feet. Where a week ago there
We're on every hand fields of cotton and
corn and thousands of acres of water
melons and cantaloupes, to-day there is
Shiny mud over all the vegetation, with
the carcasses of cows mules, pigs, dogs
and cats perhaps of human beings, for
! many are missing. Our party left Bryan
at sunrise yesterday morning, going to
the Navasota bridge at point about
three miles from Millican. Here we en-
countered everywhere an overflow from
the Navasota, which spread out fully
two miles on either side of the Houston
| and Texas Central track
Everything is under water from
two to seventeen feet It looked on all
sides like a great lake, and the water
was so high that for vast area it
completely submerged the telegraph
and telephone poles along the line. In
truth, portions of the Navasota bot
toms are even now a perfect sea, ex-
tending four or five miles wide at GER
tain points. / saw hundreds of houses
| there totally submerged and as many
| more were swept from their founda-
tions and destroyed. The planters of
the bottoms are still moving whatever
is left of their stock to places where
! they can be cared for They are all
| nobly helping each other and taking
refuge wherever they can, some of
| them seeking safety on housetops
'All the planters stated that the out
side world has no conception Of the
| floods or losses incurred. by the &C.
struction of crops, stock and buildings
Nearly every planter has built boats
and sent them through the flooded dis
trict to render assistance to the people.
| and, if possible, to save some of their
drowning stock.
1.-THE flood district has a length of
oven 500 miles, breadth of probably
,~,S1 A.