Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-07
KlVEk HAD llO PkEl
Exhausted Negroes Fall from Tree Tops Into
the Swollen Current,
NO HELP FOR THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS
Food Cannot Be Obtained and Famine Awaits
the Survivors,
RELIEF BOATS DO NOT REACH SUFFERERS
No Telegraph Connection Remains with the
Stricken Districts,
BRAzoS RIVER is NOW FALLING SLOWLY
Vegetation Along the valley Ruincd'
However, and speedy Assistance
IL Observation-Disclosures Report
Reduces Death List.

CALVERT, Tex, July 6.-The following
list containing twenty-four names Is com
plete so far as can be obtained of the
drowned in this (Robertson) county. 1t has
been gotten from the various officers in the
different towns by telephone:
T. S. DAWSON, white; body recovered.
JOE WHITE, white; body not recovered.
TWO SONS OF JOE WHITE; bodies not
recovered.
MART TURNER.
TWO UNKNOWN MEN, white; bodies not
recovered.
DAVE WHITE, colored; body recovered.
TOM TYSON, colored; body recovered
ROsANA BROWN, colored; body recov-
cred
LULU CHOP, Chinese; body recovered.
TWO CHILDREN OF TOM DALLAS,
colored: bodies recovered.
FOUR MEN ON TOM ANDERSON's
farm. colored; bodies not recovered.
FIVE MEN, below Hearne, colored; bodies
not recovered.
1LEY NoRCRoss, colored; body re-
covered.
ST. LOUIS, July GA special to the POST
Dispatch from Dai1as, Tex, says: Az IL
O'Clock today short dispatch was received
from lineman at Dewey, just across the
Brazos river from Sealey: River falling
slowly since 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon
Conditions here terrible. Everything In
country swept away. Large number lives
lost in bottoms. Looks like starvation for
those left Situation has not been exagger-
ated. Several days before line repairs can
be made with anything like system.
This telegram was received over wire
spliced from Missouri, Kansas & Texas rail
and Postal Tarepranh cOmnany'S lines
and was the first that has been working into
Sealey and Dewey for three days. The wire
only worked five minutes and was then lost
Efforts to connect since then have failed.
Shortly after this information was re-
ceived by wire Deputy Sheriff Swearinger
at Sealey said over the ng-dstance tele-
phone: There is no Improvement in this
section OF the flood district. IL anything
the situation is growing worse. No relief
boats have yet reached here from Houston
or Galveston. Sealey and neighboring
towns have about exhausted their resources
for relief. Another negro family was seen
from here drowning, cut off from land about
two miles. this morning. Several lives have
been lost since last night, among the refu'
gees on the mound near Old San Felipe.
number of negroes have fallen in the water
from tree tops from sheer exhaustion after
rumOr Is current here of an awful dis.
aster near Richmond, below here, in For
Bend county. AS we are cut off from al
that southern section we cannot tell dein
nftely what has happened. but the situation
naturally must be as bad as here If moi
worse"
Loss of Life Exaggerated.
GALVESTON, Tex, July 6.--Reports from
a special correspondent of the News indi'
cate that while the property loss during
the recent floods has been enormous, tbs
loss of life has been greatly exaggerated
According to the News, only two lives have
been lost in the lower Brazos flood. Ev'
cry yenr the Brazos and Colorado valleys
suffer from inundations. Up to the pres
cnt flood. the greatest destruction from th'
annual inunda;io was in 1885, This year
the high water I,ark of 1885 has been sur
passed in Washington Waller. Austin For
Bend and Brazoria counties in southern
Texas
the Brazos is falling rapidly in the cen
trail part of the state, the scene of las
weeks fioci. The flood reached the south
ern part of the state Sunday night anC
Monday. The planters had received ampl,
warning, but many negroes remained in thu
Brazos valley, believing the water would
not reach higher than in 1885. From 1,50
to 1000 colored people were caught in thu
valley in Waller and Fort Bend countie,
and were forced to take to the trees anC
housetops.
An appeal was made to Houston for boats
but Houston had sent all boats available
farther up the river last week to Calver
and Bryan. Governor Sayers. at the sug
gestion of Congressman Hawley, appeale,
,h cell
send government lfesaving boats from
Galveston. Permission was granted and
special train left this afternoon for tn
flooded districts carrying several govern
ment and a number OF private boats. !
is believed that nearly all the people lodge
in trees and housetops have been rescued
but the boats sent from Galveston toda
Will patrol the flooded district and make
thorough search for stragglers. So far a
IS known but two lives have been lost il
the lower Brazos food.
Rations Issued to Hungry.
The War department has ordered Gov
ernor Sayers to distribute 10000 army ra
tions among the flood sufferers, the ration
20 be furnished the governor from San An
tonic, These rations will be distributed a
Wallace. Sealey, Richmond, Rosenberg
Thompson, Dunke, Arcola Fulshear, Che
mango, Columbia, Velasco. Navasota Cal
vert, Hearne, Bryan and Brenham. i
addition TO the War department rations
Houston and Galveston have sent severa
carloads OF groceries into the flooded dis
trict. II is believed there is now foo
enough in transit to feed the negroes unit
the waters recede and they can return I
plantation work.
Cotton is entirelys washed out in som
places, but on the whole more good tha
harm has been done by the flood to crops
Cotton will be replanted in most case,
Corn is not an entire loss. Those who ar
looking for big decrease in the Texa
cotton crop will be disappointed. There !
plenty OF time to raise cotton before Jan
uary, 1900.
The next trouble will be at Velaseo, tn
mouth Of the Brazos, which point the flood
reached today The town may be cut OF
from communication with the world for
day or two. but no less OF life is antici
pated. because the people had two days no