The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-16
BRAZOS VALLEY FLOOD
CAUSED A LOSS OF BETWEEN FORTY
AND FIFTY LIVES,
And Destroyed Property Valued at
$1O,OOO,OOO-A Remarkable
enOn Noted by Weather Bureau.

WASHINGTON, July 15.-The Weather
Bureau to-day issued a special bulletin on
the recent flood in the Brazos-river district,
Texas. The bulletin. is accompanied by a
map and tables showing phenomenal rain
falls. Prof. H.. A. Hazen, in an Introductory
article, after citing the heaviest of the rain
falls, says 1t is a remarkable fact that no
serious disturbance of the atmosphere is In
dicated in the twice daily weather maps
during the storm period. In conclusion, he
says:
In seeking for an explanation of such a
very remarkable phenomenon, and so local
ized, We are forced 10 acknowledge a dearth
of facts bearing on the condition of the at
mospheric strata which can produce such a
downpour. The onward advance OF a hig
pressure from the north caused winds from
a northerly direction, which, impinging
upon those from the south or southeast,
caused some of the rain. Also the topog-
raphy must have had some effect. 1t must
be said that, after allowing for all the con-
d'dons, we have still a most serious diff
cllty in accounting for such rains which
are analogous to so-called cloudburstS,
about which almost nothing is known"
The following report has been prepared
by 1. NJ. Cline, local forecast official and
section director, in charge of the Texas Sec
ton:
THE flood in the valley of 1.-The Brazos
river. commencing June %, in central Tex
as, and passing out into the Gulf OF Next
CO. between the 18th and 18th of July, 1899,
has been. in all respects. the most destruc-
tive flood which that section, one of the
most productive in Texas, has ever ex-
perlenced. The BraZoS river, with its deep
channel, has the capacity for carrying off a
great amount of water and, as q result, de-
structive floods on this river are very rare.
According TO calculations published in a
special bulletin of the Texas section by the
climate and crop service, the Brazos river
discharges into the Gulf of Mexico on an
q n npa mn TITfnO tho nnnnfhG ~
April, May and June, 6,4i7, 1885 cubic
yards of water. In this instance IL has been
required TO carry of more than this amount
OF water III fifteen days.
"Phenomenally heavy rains fell on June
2S and - over the drainage basin of the
Brazos river in the central portion of the
State, and these were followed by heavy
halls for four or five days in succession.
on June % all the tributaries of the Brazos
river from McLennan county south to Bra
zos county were higher than they had ever
been before. This water, with that of sue
ceeding rains. caused a flood in the Brazos
which inundated all loWlandS to a depth
ranging from two to twelve feet. In places
it is said that the river was more than
twelve miles wide. The flood moved south
ward very slowly, and it was fourteen days
from the time the crest OF the Hood was
noted in central Texas until it passed OF;
into the Gulf of Mexico.
THE damage to crops was very great
The crops in the immediate river bottoms
from McLennan county south are a total
loss The land bordering on. the Brazos
y 40 NAO ALOoI OtaCt ~ tAN oN0N
There was a large acreage In cotton, corn,
sugar cane and other crops. The following
are the counties which have suffered the
greatest damage: McLennan, Falls, Robert
son, Milan, BraZoS, Burleson, Grimes,
Washington, Waller, Austin, Fort Bend and
Brazoria. There has been a small acreage
inundated in some other ounties, but no
great damage has resulted outside of these.
Cotton planters have suffered most. The
loss of corn has been great, and besides the
crop now growing there was a large amount
Of last years crop yet in the bins which
has been spoiled. Sugar cane plantations
in the BrazoS bottoms have suffered much.
stroyed. The minor crops are also of con-
siderable Importance in some of these coun-
ties, and the loss of these represents a large
sum. Farming implements, stock and many
of the small tenement houses in the bot
toms have been washed away. Houses. left
standing are in many instances not In a
fit condition for use. The total losses, judg-
ing from press reports and other available
information, will aggregate nearly $1,000
600 The number of people who are left
without means of S~uStenance Is very large.
The towns which have suffered most are
Calvert. Brookshire, Richmond, Sandy
Point, Columbia and BraZoria. 1t now APP
pears that the total number of casualties
as a result of the flood will fall somewhere
between forty and fifty.
Action has already been taken by some
farmers TO plant other crops where cotton
and corn have been destroyed. Some cotton
will be planted, but TO what extent cannot
be even Appropriated. Efforts are being
Made to get the farmers in the flood district
make the district self-sustaining as soon
as possible, and many who have interests
along the BrazoS river consider this the
best course to pursue"