Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-07-05
$4,000 SCARE Miles in the State
was Under Water.
LOSS OF LIFE Is TERRIBLE.
Damage TO Property WIN Amount 10
Many MILLIONS Statement OF the
Extent OF the Catastrophe.

Houston, Tex. July 81 correspond
cnt has Just returned from voyage
through the Hood district. The half
has not been told Of the havoc wrought.
The disaster 10 80 appalling that de-
rcrIpuon Is not possible. After this
Hood will come sickness undoubtedly.
and what week ago was the foircat
part Of Texas. ia now almost a God
fofHakcn wilderness.
The waters OF the Brazos have for six
days covered It's valley 10 "A depth Of
frum Fix to thirty feet; where a week
ago there were on every hand feids OF
cotton aud corn and thousands of acres
of water melons and cantaloupcs. to-
day there IL Shiny mud over all tho
vegetation. and the carcaascs Of cows.
mules, pigs. dogs and cats. mayhap
humans. for many are missing. our
party left Bryan at sunrise yesterday
morning. going TO the Nayasota bot
toms. and TO point about three miles
from Mllllcan. Here we encountered
everywhere an overflow from the
Naynsutu, which spread out fully two
miles on either side OF the Houston and
Texas Central track.
Everything IL under water from two
20 seventeen feet. II looked on all sides
like a great lake and the wator WIS -
high that for a vast ARIA Il completely
submerged the telegraph and telephone
poles along the line In truth, portions
OF the Nayuaota bottoms are even now
perfect sea. extending four or Ave
miles wide nt certain points, l saw
hundreds " houses there totally sub
merged and as many more were swept
from their foundations and destroyed.
The TtIUWNUHm of haa 80
moving whatever IL left Of their stock
10 places where they can be cared Tor.
They are all n0bly helping each other
ana taking refuge wherever they can.
me o. them seeking safety on house
tbs.
All the planters stated that the out
side world has no conception u the
Hoods or losses incurred by the de-
htructlon " crops. stock and buildings.
Nearly every planter has built boats
ana sent them through the flooded dis
tricts 20 render assistance TO the people,
ana Il possible save some OF their
drowning stock.
The Hood district mas length OF over
700 miles. a breadth OF probably ffty
miles, and In all this vast damage In
calculablc has been done
The loss TO life Will never be fully
known, pcrhaps the bottoms were
thichy settled, mostly with negro
tenant farmers; among these has been
the greatest loss OF life. To show the
damage done the following estimates
have been made By men who arr In n
position to know. Lives lost from ous
hundred 10 three hundred; loss 10 farm
tra, Including crops as well as 1.-Two
stock. from si0Oo,000 90 So. 1000. 900. dam
nae 10 railroads aud 10 country bridges.
a2,OOO,000 20 Si00O.0O0. These estimates
are taken In the whole area. II is
known that more than sixty people
have met their death; that many
bodies have been recovered. II n NOT
believed that all of the drowned viii
ever BE- recovered.
At Brookshlrc the river haa over
noWed the country for miles. No loss OF
life IN reported there. The citizens
have asked the governor FOR assistance |
and measures have been taken for the |
relief OF the sufferers, Mayor Jonps Of |
Galveston ~ making a personal can- |
Nasa Of the business district No word /
was received from Dewey today