Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-07-13
THE TEXAS FLOOD.
Thi-ty-Eight Known Dead and 25,-
900 Destitute Refugees.
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ENORMOUS.
From 10000 to $1,000 Square Miles OF
Fertile Farming Country Under Water
Boats Rescuing Sufferers and
Relief Being Distributed.


square miles of fertile farming country
under water and property losses ex-
ceeding IS. 500, 000-this is the brief
story of the food that has swept down
the 1,000-mile 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
a 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 the figures quoted as 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 which are
being expended in behalf of and de-
livered to the flood sufferers as rapidly
as possible. From every section of
| Texas foed-stricken district now
comes the wall of suffering humanity.
Gov. Sayers, backed by the people of
Texas and charitably in clined persons
abroad, has rallied to the assistance of
the sufferers, and it is believed that
|
will be getting material assistance.
All the streets of Angleton 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 the
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 Caney, Matagorda county, on
the west to Chocolate ON the east,
distance of IS miles, and has carried
complete destruction and desolatiOn
with it. Absolutely nothing is left
which was touched by the food.
North of Hearne 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, but late reports from these sec
| tiOns are to the effect that the waters
have about run their course, and it is
believed that from now on more cheer
|
every section.
It is highly probable that the flood
| sufferers will have to be cared for by
| public charity for another week or ten
days, but after that it is believed thew
can return to their farms and begin to
rebuild their little homes. The charity
of the state and the friends from with
out has been without 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 SO
many in wretched physical condition
that many of them are sick, and not
few may possibly die from these causes,
| but not if tender attention and public
charity can prevent it.
/ Hundreds of people were reported
missing at the opening of the floods
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
| $1,000 people have been taken from the
river bottoms in boats. They are all
now members of that army of refugees
who. having sought refuge earlier in
the action in safe PLACES, have nothing
at all to live on.
The flood started on the upper Bra
EOS, about 1000 miles from the gulf, on
Wednesday week. Since that time the
entire district tributary to the Bra7os
river has been deluged. For the Arst
four days the flood was confined to the
territory lying between Calvert and
Hampstead. Since then the waters, IN
passing to. the gulf, have Hooded all the
country from Hampstead TO the
mouth of .ne Brazos. ab 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 so
much ground that it cannot possibly do
! the damage that it did on the upper
BrazoS-
An Escaped Indian Murderer CapFdred.
ArdmOre, 1. T., July 10.-Walker, es-
capped murderer of his aunt, was recap
tured last night. He had been hiding
in the Arbuckle mountains and was al
most starved when found. The pris-
oner will be taken to the scene of the
crime as soon as requisition papers are