The record-union., 1899-07-03
Believed TO be Not Nearly 50 Large as
Was First Reported.
Estimates of the Damage to the
Country Tributary to the VAL
ley Not Exaggerated, and Will
Amount to Fully Four Million
Dollars - While Stock Was
Drowned by the Hundreds.

AUSTIN, july Z.-IlepOIlS ITOIu Tic
Brazos bottoms to-day reveal de-
plorable condition. The waters are
still very high but are slowly receding,
and it is believed that the worst is
over in that particular section of the
State.
The estimated damage of 81, 900, 900
to the country tributary to the Brazos
Valley is none too high, as reports re-
ceived to-day and tonight merely con-
firm the tale of suffering reported yes
terday
1t is not believed the loss of life will
be anywhere near as large as reported,
and will be principally among the ne
groes.
Reports from along the bottom state
that hundreds of pepole have been res
cued during the past two days by
means of improvised RATS.
The rushing waters are rapidly &C
cumulating hundreds of dead horses
and cattle at the mouth of the BraZos.
Reports from there to-day are to the
effect that they are floating out into
the gulf there by the hundreds, and
that many hundreds are stranded in
the eddies along the low lands adj
jacent.
There were heavy rains again to-day
to the south and west of here, and the
rivers in that section are booming to-
night, but no fatalities have been re-
ported.
THOUSANDS OF ACRES UNDER
WATER
BRYAN (Tex.), July 2.-Reports
from the Brazos River continue to show
that the rise is unparalleled. Thou,
sands of acres of corn and cotton which
was laid by is under water, and the
loss cannot be estimated until the
floods recede.
Those who have visited the river bot
toms at the Jones Bridge, nine miles
south of here, report that houses.
household effects, bedding. cows e. 2
hogs, alive and dead, and hundreds OF
other things We're coming down.
Parties who went. out to investigate
the flood situation between the Big and
Little Brazos rivers above here report
that the two rivers met Friday below
Hearne, forming a vast basin of water
covering large plantations on which are
gins. stores and residences The same
conditions prevail in the bottom be-
yond the Big Brazos. The river IL
snreading out opposite and beyond Bry-
an. principally on the Burleson County
road.
William Thomas and Patrick Ward
have returned after a tWenty-tnree'
mile trip to the overfowed district be-
tween the Big and Little Brazos rivers
They went to a number of neighborlne
towns in a boat, rowing over fields ana
through plantations. The water was
twenty-eight inches deep in front of the
stores at Steeles. The Hearne ana
Brazos Railroad is probably submerged
its whole length, and much of it washed
away. The people have been gathered
together at the gins by the plantation
owners. and are reported safe the
same plan appears to. have been pur-
sued across the Big Brazos bottom, and
there were only one or two instances
of drowning. One of these was negro
named julie Chapman, who was
drowned on the Little Brazos while try
ing to get his family.
The Big Brazos River has been at
standstill for twenty hours.
Captain George Smith, one of the
best cotton men in this State, says ne
thinks the cotton crop of the Brazos
bottom is ruined. He telegraphed &c
New York this evening estimating the
loss from Waco to the Gulf in the Bra
EOS Valley at 100000 bales
The Navasota River is said to De
seven to ten feet higher than ever be
fore here and at Madisonville it is ots
feet wide.
Communication with the interior
country is impossible until the streams
go down.. a
HUNDREDS OF STOCK DROWNED
BRENNAN cTex.). July 2.-Emi
Steinman was in this evening from
yegua and says that not less than 30t
horses and cattle have been drowned
in that stream between Clay and In.