Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-07-07
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
Floods in Texas.

A stretch 800 Miles Long and S5 Miles
wide Under Water 49, Many People
EDrOwned and the Property Loss Esti-
mated at S5,00O,OOO.
The flooded region OF Texas reaches from
the Northern Central district oSthat great
state to the gulf. The area coveredSy the
flood, or as it might almost be called deluge,
is estimated as 300 miles in length and 20
in width. The greatest damage has been
done in the country between the Brazos
and Trinity rivers, which are from 90 TO
60 miles distant from each other through
out their length. The floods are caused by
the excessive rains. The rainfall this sum-
mer has been disastrousy distributed.
While here in New England the country
has been parched by drought. Texas has
been overpowered by cloudburst rains.
Between June 8 and July the total pre-
cpitation in some places in the now flooded
region reached 90 inches. There has been
considerable loss of life in the flooded dis
tricts and the damage to property is
roughly estimated at $1,000, 900.
It is reported that 80 to 30 lives have
been lost at Calvert and vicinity by the
flood in the Brazos river Railroads can
not operate within 20 miles of the town,
and row boats are the only means of get
ting about. The entire county is seething
in land sea. The people are stopping in
the upper stories of the higher buildings.
In the surrounding country districts every
high piece of ground is occupied by
campers. Miles of railroad tracks have
been washed away, and no bridge or cul-
vert of any character is left in the county.
Railroad traffic will not be resumed for
many days.
! L. u
from along the bottoms state that hundreds
of people have been rescued during the last
two days by means of improvised RATS, and
that in each case of known drowning some
one had indiscreetly upset raft after get
ting on it, with the result that the entire
load was thrown into the water. The
rushing waters are rapidly accommodating
hundreds of dead horses and cattle at the
mouth of the Brazos. They are floating out
into the gulf, aud many are stranded in the
eddies along the lowlands adjacent.
Ten negroes were drowned near Calvert
Sunday. Seven men had taken refuge in
a farm wagon and were floating helplessly.
A rescue party on RATS from Calvert and
Hearne was trying to reach them, when a
large body of drift logs struck the wagon,
wrecking it and drowning every one of its
occupants. Two other negroes were
drowned a few miles from Calvert, and ia
son Turner, IA years old, was drowned
near the town, while struggling to get into
Calvert, after floating on a bunch of dirt
for nearly eight miles.
1t is now figured that 400 county bridges
and about $50 railroad bridges have been
swept away. News from Eagle Lake, Har-
ris county, directly in the path of the flood,
is that thousands of acres of growing to-
bacco, which escaped the flood until Mon
day, are now covered, and that the plant
will prove a total loss. There are nine lives
reported lost at Eagle Lake, though no
names can be secured.
In Mcclellan county alone the loss will
reach 81 100000 Reports from south
western Texas are to the effect that heavy
rains there have swollen the Guadalupe
and lower Colorado, and are spreading all
over the country again. By means of
building much temporary trestlework and
operating trains slowly some of the trunk
lines are moving through few trains, but
most of the railroad business in Texas is
still tied up and will be for another week.
Great Loss of Life Feared.
A despatch from Dallas, Tex, says that
another flood disaster which appears to be
worse than. that at Calvert Friday and Sat
urday occurred Tuesday in the Brazos val
ley, 100 miles down the river from Calvert.
Reports say that the large steel bridge of
the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad at
Dewey station, near the crossing of the
Brazos river, is gone. The river in that
section is higher than ever before known.
Immense drifts of houses, trees, fences.
ETC., are floating past Sealey and Dewey.
Alarming reports come from La Grange
and Sealey of losses of life in the vicinity
of Brookshire. Houston has been appealed
to for help, and Mayor Brashear of that
city has issued proclamation calling for
men and boats to rescue those in danger
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad is
sending out relief trains from Houston.
La Grange and other points. Telegraphic
communication with the new flood districts
has been cut off.
Chief Lineman Lowrey of the Postal Tele-
graph company Tuesday night, in state
meDt over the long-distance telephone from
Sealey, said: ''This afternoon there were
from 800 to 400 people on small island near
Brookshire and the water was rising rapid
ly. fear they are drowned by this time,
as they had not the slightest means of es-
cape"
A despatch from Houston to the New
York Sun says: Thousands of acres of cot
ton lands are under water as a result of
the unprecedented rains that have prevail
ed throughout the state the past four DAYS
Twenty-Five counties are submerged to a
greater or less extent, and the loss of cot
ton yield is estimated at from $4,000 to
10000 bales in each county. Buyers ia
miliar with the district say that not less
than 500, 900 prospective bales have been
lost, entailing a monetary loss of more
than $S,000,0OO.