The Saint Paul globe., 1899-07-07
RELIEF In SIGHT
GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZES ISSUE
OF TEN THOUSAND RATIONS
TO TEXAS SUFFERERS
Will SAVE MANY LIVES
PROMPT RELIEF ACTION COMES
AT A MOST OPPORTUNE TIME
FOR UNFORUNATES
WORK OF RESCUE PROCEEDS

| Fleet of Government Boats Will Sail
Through the Flooded District and
Pick Up Refugees Surrounded by
the Waters of the BrazOs-COttOn
Crop Not So Badly Injured as Has
Been Reported.
GALVESTON, Tex, July 6.-Reports
from a special correspondent indicate
that while the property loss by the re-
| cent floods has been enormous, the loss
of life has been greatly exaggerated
Only two lives have been lost in the low
er Brazos flood. Every year the Brazos
and Colorado valleys suffer from inunda-
| ton. Up to the present flood The great
est destruction from the annual inunda-
tions was in 1856. This year the high
water mark Of 1885 has been surpassed in
| Washington, Waller, Austin, Fort Bend
| and BrazOria counties, in Southern
| Texas. The Brazos is falling rapidly in
| the central part of the state, the scene
! of last weeks flood.
The flood reached the southern part Of
| the state Sunday night and Monday. The
| planters had received ample warning,
! but many negroes remained in the Brazos
valley, believing the water would not
reach higher than in 1885. From 1900 to
| 1000 cOlOred people were caught in the
| valley in Austin, Waller and Fort Bend
counties, and were forced to take to the
trees and housetops. An appeal was
made to Houston for boats, but Houston
| ha oil
| the river, last week. to Calvert and
Bryan. Gov. Savers, at the suggestion of
Congressman Hawley, appealed to the
war department for permission to send
| government Iife-saving boats from Gal
! weston Permission was granted, and a
special train left this afternoon for the
flooded district, carrying several govern
ment and number of private boats.
1t is believed that nearly all the people
! lodged in trees and in housetops have
! been rescued, but the boats sent from
! Galveston today will patrol the flooded
| district and make thorough search for
| stragglers. So far as known but two
! lives have been lost in the lower Braz0s
| flood.
RATIONs FOR SUFFERERS.
The war department has authorized
! Gov. Sayers to distribute 10000 army ra-
tions among the flood sufferers, the ra-
| tons to be furnished the governor from
! San Antonio. These. rations will be dis
J trlbuted at Wallis, SeaIey, Richmond
! Rosenberg, Thompson, Dunke ArcoIa
| Fulshear, Chenango. Columbia. Velasco
! NavasOta, Calvert, Hearne. Bryan and
| Brennan. In addition to the war de-
partment ratiCns, Houston and Galveston
have sent several carloads Of groceries
into the flooded district It is believed
! there is now food enough in transit to
feed the negroes until the waters re-
cede and they can return to plantation
| work.
AS to crops, cotton Is not lost. It IS
| entirely washed out in sCme places but
| on the whole more good than harm has
| been done by the flood to crops. Cotton
will be replanted in most cases. Corn has
soured in some localities but the cron
is not an entire loss Those who are
| looking for big decrease in the Texas
cotton crop will be disappointed. There
Is plenty of time to raise cotton before
January, 1900
The next trouble will be at VeIasco the
mouth of the Brazos. which noint the
floods reached today. The town rne,, he he
! cut on from communication with +ho
world Tor a day or two but no loss oF
NE Is anticipated, because of two days'
notice that the flood had broken Iooeo
AnoVe' and was coming down. The rev
enue cutter, Galveston will leave here
tonight for Veasco, to rescue thoso
really In danger at that point.
Ihe sending of government boats to the
mooaeo districts was advisable although
II Is believed nearly every person In
uahger mas been rescued. The donatio,,
OF the war rations was most tin,aI11 90
several thousand homeless naornoe, ,,,iI, as
nave to he fed for ten DAYS
L ne Hood situation is now we'll IN hand
Inc destitute Will be fed and given work
On on railways until the food will permit
them to return to their homes
reports up to midnight from tbe Rr,zoa
valley flood districts reveal no a7dttio1,oI ,
loss OF Hfe. The Brazos Is risino 49,
only near its mouth. For 100 miles inIand
the river is about at a standstiu and
beyond the 200 miles radius is falling ran
iuIy. boats sent to the valley gathered
up refugees. Four hundred negroes ora
housed tonight in box cars at Duke
Inc distribution of rations IS ranid1,,
assuming system, and there would searo
TO be no reason for further SUFFERING
Graphic stories are told of the rescue Of
treed families NC oI
A special from Calvert renorts +to
waters in the Brazos bottoms but it'll
lower than yesterday, and there is a
great deal of distress and desti+Ition
among colored refugees there
Judge Banks has called precinct meet
lngs Tor Monday to make temporary pro-
vision for the sufferers. More money o,o7
! Y
one negro was drowned while at+enont.
ing to rescue two children who nuIiad
MIN under with themselves.
KNOWN DEAD
The following Is a complete list an +ar
as can be obtained Of the drowned IN
Robertson county. It has been gotten
from the various officers in the different
towns by telephone:
S. F. Dawson, white body not recov-
cred.
Joe White, white. body not recovered.
Joe Whites two sons, bodies not recov-
cred.
Mart Turner.
Two unknown men, white, bodies not
recovered.
Dave White, colored, body recovered.
Tom Tyson, colored, body recovered.
Rosana Brown, colored, body recovered
Lulu Chop, colored body recovered
Two children of Tom Dales. colored
bodies recovered.
Two men on Anderson's farm, bodies
not recovered.
Five men, below Hearne, bodies not re-
covered.
Ike Normecross, colored, body recover
ed.