The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-03
DAMAGES REACH MILLIONS.
- Large ~ Reported. an1 10
CenAned Principally to Negroes
Hundreds Rescued with Rats.

AUSTIN. Tex, July 2-RepoTts rom
the Braxos bottoms today reveal a de-
pforable condition The waters are stu
very high. but are slowly receding. and II
Is believed that the worst is over in that
particular section Of the state. The Ma
tfonal 4 Great Northern railroad this
morning started out a large wrecking
force TO work on the water between mere
and Hearne to replace the track ana
bridgea They have several bridges TO Dc
replaced and much OF their track has been
under water. The. Houston & Texas
Central do not expect 20 get their trains
running for six days yet. Their track 10
four feet under water for much OF its way
from Hearre down. and they have
number of bridges washed away and can
not get at the creeks TO replace them
owing to the raging torrents. They will OF
necessity have to wait until the waters
subside.
The estimated damage Of 100000 to the
country tributary 10 the Brazos valley t.
none too high, as reports received today
and tonight merely connrm the tale OF
loss and suffering reported yesterday. II
Is not believed that the loss Of lie Will
be anything near as large as reported,
and will be principally among the. ne
groes.
Reports from along the bottoms state
that hundreds of the people have been res
cued during the past two days by means
Of improvised RATS and that in each case
OF known drowning, some person has IN
discreetiy upset raft after getting on 1t.
with the result that the entire load was
thrown into the water. In this way have
SIX of the twelve persons known to have
been drowned met their fate.
The rushing waters are rapidly accum-
ulating hundreds of dead horses anG cat
tie at the mouth OF the BraZos. Reports
from thsre today. are to the effe It that
40 I'M init n mi
hundreds and that manv hundreds are
stranded in the eddies along the lowlands
adjacent.
There were heavy rains again today TO
the south and west of here and the rivers
IN that section are booming tonight. but
no fatalities have been reported.
There were no additional rainfalls re-
ported along the Erazos. however. and 1t
Is hoped that the worst Is over. though Il
will take a week for the waters to re-
cede.
BRYAN, Tex. July 2-Reports from the
Brazos river continue 10 show that the rise
is unparalleled Thousands of acres Of
corn and cotton, which were laid by. are
under water. and the loss cannot be esti-
mated until the foods recede. Those who
have visited the river bottoms at the Jones
bridge. nine mics south Of here. report
that houses, household effects, bedding,
cows and hogs. alive and dead. and hum
dreds CT other things. were coming down.
Parties who went out TO investigate the
flood situation between the Big and Little
Brazos rivers above here, report that the
two rivers me, Friday below Hearne.
forming q vast basin OF water covering
large plantations on which are gins. stores
and residences The same conditions pre-
vail in the bottoms beyond the Big Bra
xoA The river Is spreading out opposite
and beyond Rryon. principally on the
Burleson county road.
William Thomas and Patrick Ward have
returned. after q twenty-five mile trip
through the overflcwed district between the
Big and Little Braxoe rivers They went
TO a number OF ne!ghboring towns In q
boat. rowing over fields and through the
plantations. The Hearne g. Braxos rail-
road is probably submerged its whole
length. and much OF II washed away. The
people have been gathered togethered at
the gins by the plantation owners and
are reported safe. The same pan appears
TO have been pursued across the Big Bra
EOS, in the bottoms and there were only
one or two instances of drowning One Of
these was a negro named julie Chapman,
who was drowned on the Little Brazos
while trying TO get his family. The Big
BRACES river has been at a standstiil for
twenty hours.
Over 300 Head Of stock Drowned.
ftENhAA- lex. July Z-EmiI STEIN
man was in this evening from Vegua. and
says that not less than 300 horses and cat
tie have been drowned in that stream be-
tween Clay and Independence.
Cotton Crop of Bra.os Ruined.
BRYAN. Tex. July Capt George
Smith. one of the bestknown cotton men
in this state. says he thinks the cotton
crop Of tie Brazos bottom Is ruined He
telegraphed TO New York this evening es-
timating the loss from Waco to the Gulf
in the Brazos valley at 500 600 bales.
The Navasota river Is said to be seven
to ten feet higher than ever before here,
and at Mad!sonyille IL is 37S feet wide
Communication with the interior cnun-
try Is impossible until the streams 60