The San Francisco call., 1899-07-04
FLOOD DESTROYS
THE COTTON CROP
Texan Fields Are Left
Barren.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOSS
TWENTY-FIVE COUNTIES UNDER
WATER.
Work Of Rescuing Stranded People
Prosecuted Tirelessly in the
LowIands Along the
Brazos.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

AUSTIN, Texas, July 3.-In some local
tiles of the flooded district of Texas the
situation is improving. The rains during
the past twenty-four hours have not been
SO general, but a terrific rainfall is re-
ported to have occurred between Hearne
and Hampstead. The Brazos River is
falling in its upper course, but is still
slowly rising and inundating additional
territory near the gulf
All hope of the flooded cotton surviving
has now passed owing to the long period
that it has been under water. Prominent
cotton buyers who are familiar with the
yield and productiyeness of the flooded
region estimate that the total number of
prospective bales of the staple lost by
the high waters is not less than 500 ,QOO.
If this statement is anywhere near cor
rect the monetary loss from this source
alone is fully $4,000 900.
Reports that are now beginning to come
in from the southern counties in the Hood
ed region bear out the accuracy of the
report There are about twenty-five coun-
ties almost completely covered by water,
and the estimated loss of cotton in each
county is from 600 to 80 900 bales. If the
waters subside in time there will be some
replantng done.
The railroad companies have everything
in readiness for quick work in making
repairs to roadbed, track and bridges
when the t3 waters t reeede; Each OF aine ine
and hundreds of laborers to the water s
edge, and as fast as the flood goes down
the rebuilding will be carried on.
The report of the washing away of the
steel bridge of the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas Railroad at Little River was un-
founded. The approaches to the bridge
were washed out, but the repairs 10 the
bridge were quickly made and trafhc was
delayed for a short time.
The work of rescuing of waterbound
men, women and children in the BrdZoS
bottoms continues. In many instances the
rescued people are in pitiful condition
when found. Some of them have been in
tree tops and other places of refuge for
three days in almost continuous RAIN ana
without food. The bottoms are being
thoroughly searched and every effort is
being made to SuccOr every stranded per
son negro or white. There are no further
reports of loss of life.
No news was received here to-day from
Calvert in regard to the large number of
negroes reported missing in the territory
covered by the junction of the Brazos and
Little Brazos rivers. Telephone adVlces
were received here to-day from NaVaSota
stating that where the BraZos and Nava-
sofa rivers meet, below that town, the
water is about eight miles wide. Many
residences and costly plantation buildings
in Grimes County have been washed
away, and the backwater is reported to
have flooded some of the houses in the
town of NavaSota.
e94e OF 3%94t9 94+H x 1*89t@*%4f1 1*@@
driving the prize will be awarded to the
player driving the longest ball out OF hVe,
the carry only being counted In the ap-
preaching contest the ball will be lofted
from sixty yards distance over a
net, and the prize will be given for the
average distance from the cup of the
three best balls out of five. The entries
for all the contests are as follows: Il.
Greenway, Emerson Warfleld, w. G. Cur
tbs, r Cugler Smith. F. H. Green, Lieu
tenant Games Roberts, w Gerstlei D
Sonntag H. Francis, R. w. Brown, c. p.
Pomeroy, F. S. Johnson, P. W. Tompkns,
]. j. Crooks, H. F. Dibblee, r. A: Parker,
D. Donohoe Jr., Clement Arnold, NJ. H
de Young, Dr. H. o. Hewitt, Ben Holli-
day, w. w. Morrow and c. P. Eells.