The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-06
1T BEGGARS DESCRIPTION
TUE NAVASOTO BOTTOMS LIKE
AN INLAND SEA.
MEN ENGAGED IN The WORK OF RESCUE
District flooded Five Hundred Miles Long by
Fifty Wide. Lives Lost from One 10
Three Hundred. Less Probably
Over Fifteen Million.


Houston. Texas. July "a CORE
| spondent has just returned from voy-
age through the flood districts. The
half has not been told of the havoc
wrought. The disaster is so appalling
| that description is not possible. After
this food will come sickness unloubted-
ly and what Il week ago was the fairest
! part of Texas, is now almost God
| forsaken wilderness. The waters of
| the Brazos nave for six Gays covered
its valleys a depth of from six to thirty
| feet: where Il week ago there were OH
| every hand fields of cotton and corn
and thousands of acres of watermeonS
and canteloupes, today there is Shiny
mud all over the vegetation and the car
eases of cows. mules. pigs. dogs and
eats, mayhap human beings for many
are missing.
Oar PARTY left Bryan at sunrise yes
terday morning, going to the Nayasoto
bottoms and to Il point about three
miles from Millican. Here we encoum-
tered everywhere an overflow from the
Navasoto, which spread out fully two
and Texas Central tracks.
Everything is under water. from two
to seventeen feet. II looked on all
sides like a great lake. and the water
was so high that for a vast area it
completely submerged the telegraph
and telephone poles along the line. In
truth portions OF the Navasoto bottoms
are even now Il perfect sea, extending
g., l.,
| saw hundreds of houses there totally
submerged and as many more We're
swept from their foundations and de-
stroyed. The planters of the bottoms
are still moving their help and whatever
is left of their stock, to places where
they can lie cared for. They are all
nobly helping each other and taking
refuge wherever they can, some OF
them seeking safety on house tops.
All the planters stated that the outside
world has no conception of the floods or
losses incurred by the destruction of
crop, stock and buildings. Nearly every
planter has built boats and sent them
through the flooded districts to render
assistance to the people. if possible,
and save some OF their drowning stock.
The flood district has a length of over
800 miles. a breadth of probably 30
miles, and i'm all this vast space dam
age incalculable has been done.
The loss Of life will never he fully
known, perhaps: the bottcms were
thickly settled, mostly with negro ten
ant farmers; among these has been the
greatest loss of life.
To show the damage done the fol-
lowing estimates have been made by
men who are in a position to know
Lives lost from one hundred to three
hundred.
Loss to farmers. including crops as
well rs live stock from S5.O0O,OOO TO
$15,0000O0.
Damage to railroads and country
bridges 100000 to $4,0O0,000
These estimates are taken in the
whole area. 1t is known that more than
sixty people have met their death: thar
many bodies have been recoverod: it l.;
not believed that all of them will ever
be recovered
THE BRAZOS STILL RISING.
Galveston, Texas. July 5.-Tonisnt
the Hood condition i'll the lower Brazos
Valley at Brooksia:re, Wallis, Rich
,mond. Rot'enburg. Thompson. Duke. Ar
cola. Fulshear, Chenango and Columbia
is very bad.
Wallis reports that the Brazos is ten
feet higher than in 1880, backwater
within one and Il quarter miles of town
is ten feet deep.
The San Antonio and AranSas Pass
bridge at Wallis is two feet under wa
ter. THE Southern Pacific road west of
Houston is washed out near Rosenberg
and Richmond The Santa F'e is washed
out near Thompson. 1t is feared when
the rise now mt Wallis gets to Rosen-
berg and Ia)mpSon the consequences
will be serious. At eight O'Clock tonight
teh river is rapidly rising at Thomp-
son.
The Columbia Tap road Is washed
out.
All communication from Galveston ana
Houston via the Santa Fe. the Calves
ton. Houston and San Antonio, the San
Antonio and AranSas Pass and the
Missouri Kansas and Texas Railroads.
i; cut off
The little town OF Brookshire. i'm Wal
ter county. where the Missouri Kansas
and Texas Railroad crosses the Rrazos
river, is surrounded by water. Many
persons were caught in trees. Those
driven out Of the valley 1ocked to
t!le town ard are being fed. One fact
which dends to discredit heavy loss of