The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-07-12
Boats Patrolltng Flooded
Texas to Pick Up Drown
ing People.

Galveston. Tex July 6 6-James
Collision. superintendent of ma
chinery 70. the Santa Fe railroad.
arrived in Galveston on the last
through train the road has been able
to run. The Brazos river at Rosen
burg is running wild. Mr. Collision
says, but with regard to the ultimate
damage he is very optimistic He
thinks the dsmsges are greatly over.
estimated, aud that the lose of crops
in the bottoms will be counter-bal-
anced by the increased yields on the
uplands. He left at noon on a
special train for the flooded district.
carrying provisions for the destitute.
At Sunnyside, IL miles from Brook
shire, the BRACES river is ordinarily
200 yards wide. About parallel with
this and two and half miles away,
is Elm creek, which is seldom over
80 feet wide, and in midsummer often
dry The two streams are separated
by low bottom lands and are now
united, making a river between FIVE
and six miles wide and from 80 to 10
feet deep. Along the currents l9
people were rescued yesterday 10
skif sent from Houston. The people
were demolishing their sheds and out
houses and making boxes that they
used for beate.
Cattle were found resting their
heads in the boughs of trees. making
q pitiable struggle for existence
At one point two houses were seen
coming down the stream In one of
them was a man and two women, and
on the other q woman and Eve chill
dren were clioging for life and
calling for help. One of these was a
6ne two story affair aud the other
was a smaller dwelling. They passed
on with the foauaing current aud may
have struck an obstruction aud been
smashed to pieces or found their way
into the gulf
Twenty Eve row boats, fully mann.
ed and provisioned, left here today
for the section overfowed. to assist
in saving life aud property.
Gov. Sayers has been asked by
Representative. w. &. Ellis to
cali . a special session of the
Legislature to relieve the distress
The Santa Fe main line trairs have
been abandoned between Galveston
and the Brazos river The Southern
Pacific and Missouri, Kansas aud
Texas bridges across the Brazos
river are reported to have been swept
away this morning
Reports from a special correspond
ent of The News indicate that, while
the property loss in the recent foods
has been enormous, the loss of life
hiss been greatly exaggerated.
Every year the Brazos and Colo
RADIO valleys suffer from foundations.
Up to the present food the greatest
destruction from the annual inunda.
tious was 10 1885. This year the
high water mark of 1885 has been
surpassed in Washington. Austin,
Fort Bend, Waller and Brazos county
in southern Texas The Brazos is
falling rapidly in The central part of
the State, the scene of last weeks
food.
TIE food reached the southern part
of the State Sunday night and Mon
day. The planters had received
ample warning, but many negroes
remained in the Brazos valley, beiiev-
ing 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 house tops
Gov Sayers, at the suggestion of
Congressman Hawley, appealed to
the war department to send govern
ment life saving boats from Calves,
ton. Permission was granted, and a
special train left this afternoon for