The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-07-14
THE TEXAS FLOOD.
Thirty-Eight Known Dead and 25,-
600 Destitute Refugees.
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ENORMOUS,
From 10000 to $1,000 square Miles of
Fertile Farming Country Under Water
Boats Rescuing sufferers aud
Relief Being Distributed.

! Austin, Tex. July lO.-Th.rty-eight
known dead. IS, 900 destitute refugees
herded into the towns, 10, 900 20 $4,000
square miles of fertile farming country
under water and property losses ex-
ceeding So. 800 000-this is the brief
story of the flood that has swept down
the 1. 000-lnile valley of the Brazos river
during the last ten days. The governor
has been busy directing the various
movements for relief. At Juliff hun
dreds of people were reported freed on
knoll in the bottom land. Gov. Say
ers, upon receipt of this information,
ordered boats sent from Houston to
their rescue, which order was promptly
complied with.
The constant appeals to Gov. Savers
indicate that thv figures quoted is to
the cases of restitution are, If any
thing, lower than really exist. During
the past two days the governor has re-
ceived about $50, 900 in money and a
great many provisions, all of wnicn are
being expended in behalf of aal de-
livered To the flood sufferers H. rapidly
as possible From every s,c.,a of
Texas hood-str!cileu district no
comes the wall OF suffering humanity.
Gov. S.yC:s, Backed by the people of
Texas and chartably inclined persons
abroad, has rallied 10 the assistance OF
the sufferers, and it is believed that
within the next day or so all of them
will be getting material assistance.
All the streets of Angletou are under
two or three feet of water. Very few
lives have been lost in that vicinity.
but the losses of live stock and crops
will be heavy. Cattle along tn,
Bastrops have been drowned by the
thousands. The destruction in Oyster
creek valley is absolutely complete.
Negroes cabins have been washed
away by the dozens and the poor blacks
are absolutely penniless, homeless and
hungry. The Brazos now extends
from Cancy, Matagorda county, on
the west to Chocolate on the east. a
distance of 35 miles, and has carried
complete destruction and desolation
with it. Absolutely nothing is left
which was touched by the flood.
North of Iearne the WORST is over
and the people are returning to their
homes in the bottoms, where they find
everything wrecked and ruined Will
ing hands, however, will overcome
these difficulties. South of that point
to the gulf the floods have wrought sad
havoc. hut late reports from these sec
tions are to the effect that the waters
nave about run their course. and it is
believed that from now on more cheer
ing reports will be forthcoming from
every section.
Il htgrl,i,, . a.
sufferers will have to be cared Cor by
public charity for another week or ten
days, but after that it is believed they
can return 20 their farms and begin to
rebuild their little homes The charity
OF the state and the friends from with
out has been without a parallel in the
southwest. Everything has been
offered the flood sufferers, from money
to lumber with which to rebuild their
homes and farm fences. The losses,
exposure and hunger have left 50
many in wretched physical condition
that many of them are sick, and not n
few may possibly die from these causes,
but not if tender attention and public
charity can prevent it.
Hundreds of people were reported
III tNNfllE tAt AlANa pl'NlAuk Vi lllt llputlH
who have since been located in tree
tops, on the tops of submerged houses
and on temporary islands formed by
knobs, and all rescued. Since last
Wednesday it is estimated that fully
10000 people have been taken from the
river bottoms in boats. They are all
now members of that army of refugee,
who, having sought refuge earlier in
the action in safe places, have nothing
at all to live on.
The flood started or the upper Bra.
EOS, about 1000 miles from the gulf, on
Wednesday week. Since that time the
entire district tributary to the Brazo,
river has been deluged. For the first
four days the flood was confined to the
territory lying between Calvert and
Hampstead. Since then the waters, in
passing to the gulf, have flooded all the
country from Hampstead to the
mouth of the Brazos at Velasco
with the result that while the stu
alton has been gradually improving
from Hampstead north during the
past four days, it has been grow
ing worse south of Hampstead. The
lands south OF Hampstead are so low
and the water will spread out over sc
T. CHI ground that it cannot possibly dc
tae damage that it did on the upper
Bra2os. Many hundred head of cattl,
have been drowned for the reason that
instead Of letting them loose to seel
their own safety their owners tieC
them up at what was considered SAT,
points and the high waters covered
these points.
An Escaped Indian Murderer Captured.
Ardmore, |. r., July l0.-WullSer, es