Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-06

WILL LIE MN
EXPOSURE.
ST. LOUIS, July 5.-A special to the
Post Dispatch from Dallas, Texas, says:
At LAS p. m. to-day Deputy Sheriff
Swearingen, of Austin county, made the
following statement over the long dis
lance telephone at Sealey:
Relief has not reached the food vic
Tins in this section. Thirteen dead bod
les have been recovered near the wi
of Brookshire, thirteen miles from here.
Forty-five persons above Sealey are re-
ported missing and given up for dead.
Seven were drowned to-day from a boat
seven miles below Sealey.
About four hundred persons are iso-
lated on a small piece of land in the
Brazos bottoms, three miles from
Brookshire. Several hundred more are
similarly surrounded at San PHILIPPE,
three miles from Sealey. Unless relief
can soon reach these two places the
eight hundred lives will probably be
lost. Many will die as it is from hun
ger, exposure and exhaustion.
THE water to-day is running through
the town of Brookshire, something new
er before known. The 60 lives reported
lost here to-day were in a radius OF
twenty miles north and south of Sealey.
We are completely isolated at Sealey,
but this town is not in danger. We
cannot estimate the situation beyond
the limits | mention. The whole face
Of the country here is a sea. The
channel of the Brazos river has shifted
about three miles and the water here
is fifteen miles wide. Logs, houses,
lumber and railroad material, merchan-
disc, live stock and other floating OBJ
jects make it worth the life of rescuers
to go to the relief of the endangered
people, most of whom are negroes. The
railroads are destroyed for miles. An
immense washout occurred on the San
ia Fe, south of Sealey, this morning.
This cuts off our last strand of railroad
communication. The Missouri, Kansas
and Texas, the Gulf, Colorado and San
ia Fe, and the Southern Pacific are all
completely stopped. The weather is
cloudy this afternoon and more rain is
feared"
GALVESTON, Texas. July 5.-The
Texas flood situation is the result or
four days steady rain, beginning June
26th, which, at some points, partook
of the nature of ~cloudbursts. In some
cases the rainfall was twenty inches
and at several places it was reported
as eight inches. These heavy rainfalls
caused rivers to overflow, in some cases
reaching the highest points Known. In
the central part of the State the flood
reached its height Saturday and sun
day. The Brazos river at Waco Hooded
part of the town, but there was no loss
of life. At Hearne and NaVasota the
same was true. The Brazos Valley at
Calvert. Robertson county, was flooded
so suddenly that plantation hands could
not reach high ground. Reports were
circulated that 80 people were drowned.
AS the waters recede near Calvert the
facts are found to be that fourteen lives
were lost. All the victims were ne
groes except one. Many head OF cattle
were drowned. Monday the railroads
in the central part of the State were IN
fair condition. All roads were resum-
ing through traffic when, on TUESDAY,
the floods reached the southern part or
the State.
Tonight the flood condition in the
lower Brazos valley at Brookshlre,
Wallis, Richmond, Rosenberg, Thomp-
son. Duke, Arcola, F%ulshear, Chenango,
and Columbia, is very bad. Wallis re-
ports that the Brazos is ten feet higher
than in 1885, back water within one n
a quarter miles of town is 10 feet deep.
The San Antonio and Arkansas Pass
bridge at Wallis is two feet under wa
ter. The Southern Pacific road west OF
Houston is washed out near Rosenberg
and Richmond. The Santa Fe is wash
ed out near Thompson. It is feared
when the rise now at Wallis gets to
Rosenberg and Thompson the conse-
uuences will be serious. At s o'clock
tonight the river is rapidly rising at
L OmpSO
The Columbia tap road is washed out.
The international and Great Northern
is open north and will be open TO San
tonic tomorrow.
All communication from Galveston
and Houston via the Santa Fe, the Gal
weston, Houston & San Antonio, the
San Antonio & Arkansas Pass and the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroads are
cut off. The only lines open are the
Texas & New Orleans. the Houston,
East and West Texas, the International
& Great Northern AMI the Kansas City,
Pittsburg & Gulf. The little town of
Rrookshire. in Waller county, where
the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad
crosses the Brazos river, is surrounded
by water. Many persons were caught
in trees. Those driven out of the val
lev fiocked to the town and are being
fed. The citizens of B~rookshire APP
pealed to Governor Savers for help.
Governor Savers appealed TO the citi-
zens of Houston, Galveston and San An
tonic.
The first carload of provisions was
sent from Houston this morning. Two
car loads of provisions were sent from
Galveston. Rumors were current that
many lives were lost at ~Brookshire, but
the News only has positive Information
that two lives have been lost. Con-
gresham Hawley has wired Governor
Savers to ask the Secretary of Wal for