Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-06
HUNDREDS ARE DEAD
Many Lives Lost in the Flooded Regions :,
State Of Texas,
IMMENSE PROPERTY DAMAGE INFLICTED
Half Has Not Been Told Of the Havoc that
Has Been Wrought.
MANY BODIES OF THE DEAD SWEPT AWAY
MANY BODIES OF THE DEAD SWEPT AWAY
District Five Hundred Miles Long is Com
pletely Covered with Water,
STANDS SEVENTEEN FEET DEEP IN PLACES
Millions of Dollars Will he Required
to Replace the LOsses-Widc-
spread Scene of Death
and Dcsolation.

ST LOUIS, July 5.-A special to the Re-
public from Dallas, Tex, says: All former
flood disasters in Texas river districts
have been ecipsed by the appalling calam-
ity in the vicinity of Sealey and Brookshire'
II is estimated that 200 lives have been lost
and the number may be much larger. Inc
property loss will reach so far into the
millions as to make the Calvert flood appear
insignificant by comparison.
Tonight Deputy Sheriff Swearengen made
this statement to the Republic correspond
ent over the long distance telephone from
Sealey: Last night and today nearly 100
have been drowned in the vicinity OF what
is now locally known as The Mound This
is small piece OF high land three miles
from Sealey near old San Felipe. Al nrst,
when the flood rushed down upon the negro
cabins in the bottoms OF the BraZos three
DAYS ago the alarmed black population
ran for this piece Of high land for satety,
driving their live stock with them. The
rush OF the waters was so sudden that they
could not get to Sealey or San Fellpe.
Gradually the waters rose and encroached
mpon their place of refuge until tonight not
more than half an acre Of the ground Is out
of water and that not more than one foot
above the raging torrent surrounding it for
miles On this half acre mound are huddled
together tonight a raving, surging, ges-
ticulating, screaming and praying assem-
blage Of 300 negroes, death staring them IN
the face in various forms.
Drowning seems certain, but starvation,
exposure and exhaustion also are doing
fatal work Crowded in among these poor
humans are cattle, horses, hogs, mules and
other domestic animals, as frantic and un-
comfortable as the poor negroes. There Is
Mt hit of Sheltpr-QOt so
much as n tree--on 1.-THE Mound" There
is not a mouthful OF food to eat, clean water
TO drink or a spot where the tired and weak
and sick may rest The nearest point on
land is more than three miles away and no
human can live in the raging torrents who
would try to reach it. Many have been
drowned making the attempt.
Fields thirty Feet Deep.
HOUSTON, Tex, July 5.-A correspondent
has Just returned from a voyage through
the flood districts. The half has not been
told OF the havoc wrought The disaster is
20 appalling that description Is not posi-
BILE. After this flood will come sickness
undoubtedly, and what week ago was the
dairest part OF Texas is now almost GOD
sorsaken Wilderness The waters OF the
Brazos have for six days covered it's lands
from six to thirty feet where week ago
there we're on every hand fields OF cotton
and corn and thousands Of acres of water
melons and cantaloupes, today there is Shiny
mud over all the vegetation. The carcasses
OF cows, mules pigs dogs and cats. may
hap humans, for many are missing, are
to be seen on every hand lhe
party left at sunYise yesterday morning,
going to the Navasota bottoms and TO
point about three miles from Millican. Here
it encountered everywhere an overflow from
flIN fVAn
miles on either side Of the Houston d
Texas Central track.
Everything 10 under water from two to
seventeen feet. 1t looked on all sides like
a great lake, and the water was so high
that for a vast area it completely sub
merged the telegraph and telephone poles
along the line In truth, portions or the
Nayasota bottoms are even now perfect
sea, extending four or five miles wide at a
certain point. j saw hundreds or houses
there totally submerged, and as many more
were swept from their foundations and de-
stroyed The planters OF the bottoms are
still moving their help and 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,
Saving Life and Property.
world has no conception OF the floods or
losses incurred by the destruction of crops.
stock and buildings Nearly every planter
has built boats and sent them through the
flooded districts to render assistance, and, II
bossiblc, TO save some OF their drowning
stock.
The food district has a length OF over
800 miles a breadth OF probably fifty miles.
and In all this vast space incalculable dam
age has been done
The loss to life will never be fully known,
perhaps The bottoms we're thickly set
tied, mostly with negro tenant farmers, and
among these has been the greatest loss OF
life. To show the damage done the toll
lowing estimates have been made by men
who are in position to know.
Lives lost from 100 TO 300; loss to farm
ers. including crops, as we'll as live stock,
from $4,000 900 to $l5.000,0OO; damage TO
railroads and to country bridges, S2OOOOOO Ia
$4,000 900 These estimates are taken In
the whole area. II is known that more than
sixty people have met their deaths, that
many bodies having been recovered 1t Is
not believed that all of them will ever be
recovered,
At Brookshire the Brazos river has over
flowed the country for miles. No loss of life
is reported there. The citizens have asked
the governor for assistance and measures
have been taken for the relief Of the suffer
ers Mayor Jones OF Galveston is making
personal canvass of the business district. NJ
word was received from Dewey today.
Thirteen Dead Bodies Recovered.
ST. LOUIS July 5.-A special to the Post
Dispatch from Dallas, Tex, says: At IA
p. m. today Deputy Sheriff Swearngen o
Austin county made the following statemen
over the long distance telephone at Sealey
'Relief has not yet reached the flood victims
in this section. Thirteen dead bodies hay
been recovered near the town of Brookshire
thirteen miles from here. Forty five per
sons above Sealey are reported missing AM
given up for dead. Seven were drowned 10
day in boat about seven miles below Sealey
About 400 persons are isolated on a small
piece OF land In the Brazos bottoms, thre
miles from BrookEhire SaVeral hundra