Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-07-06
AN APPALLING
DISASTER
Scene of Desolatlon in a Texas
Valley.
RUIN ON EVERY HAND
Tho Fatrcst Part OF the Lone Star
st"te week Ago, Is now Almost
God Forsnkc en- Wiiderness Loss
fLire May Meyer BIO known, But
10 Hoavy-Enormous Loss Sustain
ed by Farmers.
tBy Telegraph to vIrginIan-pnot,


Houston. Texas. July 5.-A CORE
spondent has just returned from a 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 flood will come sickness undoubt-
edly and that n week ago was the fair
est part of Texas, Is now almost a God
forsaken wilderness. The waters of the
Brazos have for six days covered it's
valley depth of from six-to- thirty
feet. where a week ago there were on
every hand fields OF cotton and corn
and thousands of acres of watermelons
and cantaloupes. to-day there is Shiny
mud all over the vegetation. The car
cases Of cows. mules, pigs. dogs and
cats, mayhap human, for many are
missing.
EVERYTHING UNDER WATER.
Our party left Bryan at sunrise yes
terday morning, going to the Novaste
bottoms and to point about three
miles from Millcan. Here we encoun
tered everywhere an overflow from the
Navasoto Correct spelling) which
spread out fully two miles on either
sides of the Houston and Texas Cen
trail track
Everything is under water from two
to seventeen feet. 1t looked on all sides
like great lake, and the water was
so high that for n vast area 1t COM
pletely submerged the telegraph and
telephone poles along the line. In truth
portions of the Navasoto bottoms are
even now a perfect sea, extending four
or five miles wide at certain points.
HUNDREDS OF HOUSES SUB
MERGED.
saw hundreds of houses there to-
tally submerged and as many more
were swept from their foundations and
destroyed. The planters of the bot
toms are still moving their help and
whatever Is left of their stock. to places
where they can be cared for. They are
all nobly helping each other and TAX
Ing refuge wherever they can, some OF
them seeking safety on house tops.
All the planters stated that the out
Side world has no conception OF the
floods or losses incurred by the destruc-
ton of crop. stock and buildings. Near
ly every planter has built boats and
sent them through tho flooded districts
10 render assistance to the people and
II possible save some OF their drown
ing stock.
The flood district has n length OF over
900 miles. breadth OF probably fifty
miles and in all this vast space dam
age incalculabe has been DONE
THE LOSS OF LIFE.
The loss OF life viii f4eres.-he-f fully
known perhaps; the bottoms were
thickly settled, mostly with negro ten
ant farmers and 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.
Loss to farmers, including crops as
well as live stock, from $1,000 600 to
$4,000. 900.
Damage to railroads and country
bridges 100000 to 100000.
These estimates are taken in the
whole area. 1t Is known that more than
Sixty people have met their death; that
many bodied have been recovered it is
not believed that all Of them will ever
be recovered.
RELIEF STILL LACKING.
st. Louis. July 5.-A special to the
Post-Dispatch from Dallas, Texas,
says:
At LAS p. m. to-day Deputy Sheriff
Swearingen, of Austin county. made
the following statement over the Long
Distance Telephone at Sealy:
Reiief has not reached the food VIC
bodies have been recovered near the
town OF Brookshire, IS miles from here.
Forty-five persons above Sealy are re-
ported missing and given up for dead.
Seven were drowned to-day in q boat
seven miles below Sealy.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ISOLATED.
About 400 persons are isolated on a
small piece OF land in the Brazos bot
toms. three miles from Brookshire. Sew
eral hundred more are surrounded at
San PHILIPPE. three miles from Sealy.
Unless relief can soon reach these two
places the 800 lives will probably be
lost. Many will die, as 1t is, from hun
ger, exposure and exhaustion.
THE water to-day Is running through
the town of Brookshire. something
never known before. The Go lives re-
ported lost here to-day were in a radius
of twenty miles north and south of
Eealy. We are completely isolated at
Sealy, but this town Is not In danger.
We cannot estimate the situation be-
yond limits ] mention. The whole face
OF the country here Is sea. The chan
mel Of tho BRACES river here has shifted
about three miles and the water Is Is
miles wide. Logs. houses, lumber and
railroad material, merchandise. live
stock and other floating objects make
It worth the life of rescuers to go to
the relief of the endangered people,
most Of whom are negroes. The rail-
roads are DESTROYED for miles An i'm