The times., 1899-07-03
TRICKY STREAMS OF TEXAS.
Dry Clutches That Suddenly Become
Raging Torrents

Austin, Tex, July 2-The most treaeh-
erous streams in the United States are
those Of western Texas For the most part
OF the year. and occasionally for a period
extending over several years. these rivers
and creeks are merely dry beds The older
inhabitants. who have profited by past ex-
perleneeS, are acquainted with the charac-
ter OF the streams and know that at any
moment torrent OF water may rush down
the dry bed and overflow its banks. sweep-
ing to destruction everything before II. IL
is for this reason that one never sees
COW and hunting camps located near
the creeks and rivers OF the section re-
ferred to. 1t is not only wise policy to
pitch camp ON high ground. but 1t has also
been proved that cattle and sheep should
be kept out of the low country when on
the trail. Instances are known when
herds of thousands of head OF cattle have
been swept away by a sudden flood.
The recent high waters in the Nueces
and Hondo rivers and Los Mores Greek
washed away many thousands of cattle.
horses, and sheep. Los Moros Greek is or
dinarily a dry stream. For several years
no water whatever has flowed in its bed
on its upper course. The new settlers OF
that locality looked upon II as a dry ar
roya. What was the surprise of these un-
knowing ones a few mornings ago when
they awoke TO find in place of the dry bed
OF the Insignificant creek a raging river
five to seven miles wide, its width vary
ing according to the character of country
through which the stream passed. The
terrible flood came down upon the unsus-
pecting people without warning.
There are many dry beds west OF here
which mark the course of former large
streams. 1t is related by old inhabitants
that during the period of about twenty
years. from 1928 to 1s4s, there were fire.
quent and terrific rains in Western Texas.
and that many OF the little water courses
that are now forgotten we're large rivers
then. In 1S45 there arrived in San An
tonic from Germany young man named
c. H. Guenther. He was a miller by trade
and soon after reaching this State began
TO look about him for a suitable place 10
establish grist mill. He went to what
is now Gillespie county. west OF here,
where large colony of Germans had To-
Gated but few years before. On his way
to that colony he came upon a stream of
large volume, and he picked cut a mill
site on its bank and proceeded to erect
grist mill. He ran the mill for three
years, when the waters Of the stream be-
gan TO recede so rapidly that the mill had
to be closed down and finally abandoned.
The ruins of that mill stand today, and
there was ever any water flowing in the
bed of that dry arroyo. 1t has been dry
for more than thirty years.
Many lives have been lost along the
course OF the Nueees and Hondo rivers in
sudden floods even within the past fi6een
years. About nine years ago party of
Louisiana sportsmen came to western
Texas with a camping outfit They To-
Gated their camp on the left bank of the
Nueces. not far from the town CT iva de.
There were six men in the party. among
them being T. L. Resseur. a wealthy
sugar planter. The first night they were
in camp a mountain of water rolled down
the Nueees Valley from the hills above
and swept everything before it. All the
members OF the hunting party were
drowned. the Southern Pacific Railroad
bridge was washed out, and thousands of
dollars damage was done to farm and
ranch property