The record-union., 1899-07-06
LATEST FROM FLOOD DISTRICT.
APPALLING CALAMITY WHICH
HAS VISITED TEXAS.
Now Estimated That Two Hundred
Lives Have Been Lost in Vicin-
ity of Sea1ey and Brookshire.

1ty OF Sealey and BrOOkSh1re.
| ST. LOUIS, July "a special to the
Republic" from Dallas, Tex, says:
All former flood disasters in Texas
River districts have been eclipsed by
! the appalling calamity now central in
the vicinity of Sealey and Brookshire.
| 1t is estimated that 200 lives have
! been lost, and the number may be
much larger. The property loss will
reach so far into the millions as to
make the Calvert flood appear insight
ficant by comparison.
/ Tonight Deputy Sheriff Swearingen
made this statement to the Republic"
correspondent over the long distance
! telephone from Sealey:
/ 81 am dumbfounded by the extent
how to talk about it. Fully twenty
4 lives have been lost within a radius
| OIL twenty IIlllcS VI Ocdlcy last
night and to-day nearly 100 have been
drowned in the vicinity of what is
locally known as The Mound.
This is a small piece of high land
three miles from Sealey near old San
lPhilippi. AT first when the flood rushed
| down upon the negro cabins in the bot
toms of the Brazos, three days ago, the
alarmed black population ran for this
piece of high land for safety, driving
their live stock with them. The rush
of the waters was SO sudden that they
could not get to Sealey or San Felipe.
Gradually the water rose and en-
croached upon their place of refuge.
until tonight not more than half an
acre of the ground is out of water, ard
that not more than on6 foot above the
On this half acre mound are huddled
together tonight a raving, Surging,
gesticulating, screaming and praying
assemblage of 800 negroes, death star
ling them in the face in various forms.
Drowning seems certain, but starva-
ton, exposure and exhaustion also are
doing fatal work. Crowded in among
these poor humans are cattle, horses,
| hogs, mules and other domestic ami
mails. as frantic and uncomfortable as
the poor negroes. There is not a cabin
or other bit of shelter-not so much as
a tree-on The Mound There is not
a mouthful of food to eat, clean water
weak and sick can rest. The nearest
point of 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.
with all kinds of floating bodies of
! livestock and with houses, out-build-
ings, fences, logs, trees, lumber, farm
implements, furniture, merchandise and
other material. Clinging to many of
| these objects are negroes doomed to
almost certain death.
Il have given you the situation as it
exists in and about Sealey; it is equally
as bad at and around Brookshire. but
1 can give no details, as we are cut
off. 1 know there are at least 400 me-
groes on small island three or four
miles from Brookshire in a condition
similar to that on The Mound
From present indications the loss of
life is likely to reach 500, unless relief
comes promptly
TWO HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
| CHICAGO, July "a special to the
Tribune" from Fort Worth, Tex, says:
Tonight telephone message sfrom
Deputy Sheriff Sweringen of Calvert
says that fully 200 lives have been
| lost by flood within radius Of thirty
miles of Sealey. Last night and to-
day nearly 100 were drowned in the
| vicinity of The Mound small piece
of highland near Old San Filipi to
which hundreds of negroes fled from
the Brazos bottoms taking their horses
| and cattle. The waters have gradual
ly encroached upon them until only
about an acre of space remains, and
this the water probably will sweep be-
fore morning. There 800 negroes ara
huddled Tonight with death staring
them in the face. Drowning is almost
sure. while starvation is certain. The
nearest point of land is three miles
away.