The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-07-22
Destruction in Texas According tc
Weather Bureau ofhcials Report.


The weather bureau has issued q
special bulletin on the recent Hood
in the Brazos river district, Texas.
Prof II. A. Hazen, in an introduc.
tory article, after citing the heaviest
of the rainfalls says IT is remarkable
fact that no serious disturbance Of
the atmosphere is indicated IN the
twice daily weather msps during the
storm period He says:
In seeking for an explaration of
such a very remarkable phenomenon,
and so localized, we are forced 10 ac-
knowledge a dearth of facts bearing
upon the condition Of the atmospheric
strata which can produce such a
downpour. The onward advance of
high pressure from the north
caused winds from northetly dl'
rectlon, which, impirging upon those
from the south or southeast, caused
some of the rain. Also the topogra
ply must have some effect. II must
be said that, after allowing for all
the conditions, we still have most
rerious difficulty in accounting for
such rains which are analogous to
so.called cloudbursts, about which
almost nothing is known
I he following report has been pre-
pared by |. NJ Cline, local forecast
official and section director, III
charge of the Texas section
THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FLOOD.
1.-The flood in the valley Of the
Brazos river. commencing June - in
central Texas and passing out into
the Gulf Of Mexico between the 18th
and the 10Th of July, 1899, has been
in all respects the most destruc
tive food which that section,
one Of the most productive In
Texas, has ever experienced. The
Brszos river, with its deep channel
has the capacity for carrying of a
vast amount OF water and as result
destructive floods on this river are
very rare. According to calculations
published in a special bulletin Of the
Texas section, climate and crop ser
vice, the BraZos river discharges
into the Gulf of Mexico, on an aver
age annually, during the months OF
April, May aud June, G,447 + 3 $40
cubic yards of water. In this IN
stance it has been required to carry
off more that this amount of water IN
fifteen days.
RIVER TWELVE MILES WIDE.
"Phenomenally heavy rains fell OIL
June 2S and % over the drainage
basin of the Brszos river in the cen
tral portion of the State, aud these
we're followed by heavy rains for
four or five days in succession. On
June % all the tributaries of the Bra
zos river from McLennan county
south to Brszos county were higher
than they had ever been before This
water, with that OF succeeding rains,
caused a food in the Brazos which
inundated all low lands to depth
ranging from two to twelve feet. 10
places it is said that the river was
more than twelve miles wide. The
food moved southwark very slowly,
and it was fourteen days from the
time the crest of the food was noted
in central Texas until it passed out
into the Gulf of Mexico.
ALL CROPS or RIVER BOTTOM LOST.
"The damage to crops has been
very great. All crops on the lmmed-
late river bottoms from McLennan
county south are total loss. The
land bordering on the BrszOs river is
the most productive in the State
There was large acreage in cotton
corn, sugar ca1e and other crops
The following are the counties which
have suffered the greatest damage
McLennau, Falls. Robertson, Milan,
Brazos, Grimes, Washington, Waller,
Austin, Fort Bend and Brazoria
There has been a small acreage in
undated in some other counties, but
no great damage resulted outside of
these. Cotton planters have suffered
most. The loss of corn has been
great, and besides the crop now
growing, there was large amount of
last years crop yet in the bins which
has been spoiled. Sugar cane plan.
tstions in Brazos bottoms have suf
fered much. In some places half the
crop has been destroyed. The minor
crops also are of considerable i'm
portauce in some of these counties,
and the loss Of these represents a
large sum.
HOMES WASHED AWAY.
Farming implements, stock and
many Of the small tenant houses in
the bottoms have been washed away.
Houses left standing are in many n.
stances not 10 fit condition for use
The total losses, judging from press
reports and other available infOrms
ton, will aggregate nearly ten mil
lion dollars. The number Of people
who are left without means of susie
nance is very large. The towns
which have suffered most are Calvert,
Brookshire, Richmond, Sandy Point,
Columbia and Brazoria. 1t now sp
pears that the total number of casu'
alities ss result of the q BOD will fall
somewhere between forty and fifty.
"Action has already been taken by
some farmers to plant other crops
where cotton and corn have been de.
stroyed. Some cotton will be
planted, but to what extent cannot
be even approximated. Efforts are
being made to get the farmers in the
food district to plant variety OF
crops. 1t is desired to make the dis
trict self-sustaining as soon as pos
sible, and many who baye interests
along the Brazos river consider this
the best course to pursue"