The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-04
RELIEF FOR THE SUFFERERS,
BRENNAN WILL SEND OFT A PARTY
WITH PROVISIONS.
nottoms ny n Party In N
Small boat.

Brenham. Texas, July IA meeting OF
Giddinss & Giddings to devise ways and
means to give relief to 100 or 200 food
sufferers who are In the Brazos bottom
and who had not eaten for three days. w.
a. Wood was chairman and James Hays
Quarles secretary. Mr.. Attic Dever, who
had just returned from there, told the
story of the hardships. and those present
subscribed $40 On motion, w. L, Dwyor,
Otto Baumgart and w. ]. Grabcr were ap-
pointed a committee to solicit funds with
which to purchase provisions.
Merrs. Attic Dover and James Hays
Quarles agreed to go TO the vicinity Of
Clay station and distribute the supplies,
Messrs. Harry Haynes Ernest Reichardt.
James Hays Quarles and Attic Dever and
Robert Farmer were appointed a commit
tee to purchase those things necessary.
On motion. Agent Barnett OF the Santa
Fe was asked to request the company TO
furnish an engine to take the supplies and
Messrs. Quarles and Devor to Gay Hill,
from which place wagons will be used.
Messrs, Dever and Quarles will start
trlbuting supplies.
MIR. Attic Dever who has had charge Of
the BRENNAN Furniture company's logging
camp at the sand pit In Burleson county,
reached the city Monday morning. He has
been engaged during the past day or SO
IL, boi,
from the overlooked districts. and the story
that he relates of the hardships AMI SUI
ferings of many of the unfortunates is
narrowing in the extreme.
On Friday Mr., Dever accompanied by
the Clay brothers and other peisahOrs,
went from Independence to Clay station In
a boat. Everywhere they found people
who had taken refuge on their housotops
and in trees. Mr. Dever says the sounds
from the bottom are the most distressing
that ever smote ON mortal ears. To the
cries for aid from the distressed families
is added the neighing of horses. the lowing
of the drowning cattle and the braying OF
the mules One horse was found that had
been swimming for two or three days. The
poor animal was entirely exhausted. The
rescuing party succeeded in placing the
animal on the roof of n floating house
The Buchanan brothers lost ten hvad of
mules and have forty others that are tied
up in water up to their bodies and likely
to die from starvation, All OF the stock
belonging to Senator stone, with the ca
ception OF Il single yoke OF steers was
gotten to a place of safety. Mr.. Deyer
lost horse and two cattle. All the small
tenement houses contiguous to the river
are gone and their occupants are now
camped on the prairies The river rose
so suddenly and SO rapidly on Thursday
night that many left all their belongings.
even to wearing apparel, In escaping 10 the
hills Families were rescued on Saturday
from the tops of their floating houses who
had had nothing to eat since Thursday
evening except such drift In the shape OF
melons and pumpkins as could be picked
up out of the river.
Finney Clay and two negroes who went
out with the rescuing party, stopped at
two-story house to await the return of the
party The water came up nearly to the
roof and the men we're forced 10 take
refuge on top of the house. The boat
failed to return and the party was forced
TO spend more Ghan twenty -four hours
without food. finally several eggs came
floating by. They were eagerly picked up
and were cooked by means of n fire on the
roof
The Santa Fe bridges at Old River, Clay
Lake and Local Swamp are gone. and all
the wagon bridges are swept away. THIS
makes the work of rescue exceedingly dif-
hcult there being no means of reaching
the victims Of the food except by small
boats. which are entirely Inadequate foi |
the carrying OF supplies.
The Pennington brothers OF this city ero
camped on Taylor prairie. together with |
some 200 others
The scent from the decaying vegetation |
and dead animals In the bottom is already |
almost uncomfortable, and II is expected that |
a great deal OF sickness VIII follow the |
overflow The water has flooded the depot !
at Allenfarm
party of fishermen from this place. |
among them Robert Ammons and Ferry |
Eckert. were caught In the overflow. In |
attempting TO escape In boat II was over
turned and Eckert came near drowning |
being rescued by Finney Clay after going /
down the second time.
Mr.. Atkinson, one Of the wealthicst OF
the Burleson county planters. is reported |
to have been drowned last Friday.
telephone message received BY Mr.. J,
u. Campbell Monday morning stated tlint |
the river was up 10 within fourteen inches
OF the Central bridge and still rising rnr- |
idly. II Is feared that the bridge VIII give |
way.
Claim Agent Evans OF the Santa Fe re"
ceived wire from Thompson this morning |
stating that the river was rising RAPIDLY |
there and that the record OF 1885 had sl-