The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-10


A..59.c9 a few years ago The waters
- tie Colorado River we're san plungi1s
and foam.Ug around the wreck. eatiu,
away the biz pile Of granite which once
formed the dam as though Il was moth
iHg more than chalk rock 50 fierce uas
mo current that great powders were car
flei haf mile from the dam being
rolled over and over by the turbulent
tide.
The power house. which succumbed 20
i1e terrific wash o. the water this morn
.ng, lies mass % wreckage on the edge
oi The river. all the valuable machinery
either having been thrown into the river
or badly damaged by ihe falling tlmbcrs
Of the power house
The situation in the city IS most seri-
Gus. The Wrecking Of the plant means
thaj 10 Viii take several weeks to secure
even a temporary water and light svs-
lem u % can be made possible even thrn.
10 the meantime the city viii be- in q
BAD sanitary condition All the hotels
private residences. stores, and the Ike
are without water. and there g. no fire
protection Churches Were unable 10 hold
services tonight for want of light. ana
al public meetings were abandoned. The
daily newspapers are handicapped in thz.r
publications. being deprived Of their ele,-
lric power. The river is falling tonight.
situation other Points.
Reports from the ueighborirg country
are 10 tie effect that everything Is under
water. In Williamson County. north Of
here railroad bridges and trackage have
been laid N@ste, and all trains have stop
ped running. Hundreds Of head Of cattle
have been drowned. and miles Of fencing
lorn dpNl and washed away. In Bastro9
County and In the southern portion Of this
county similar conditions prevail, every
iA!nG EeinE under water. and much loss
81 property is reported.
The country tributary 10 the Colorado
River All the way down its course Is be
iEs inundated and while Il is believed the
worst - over, the loss as estimated to-
night VIII exceed some three million dol
lars, counting Austin as the largest loser.
The list of d-oNHc according 10 reports
up 10 tonight, is limited 10 those report
ed In these dispatches last night. an of
whom lost their lives here when the dam
broke
4 mass-meet.ng Of citizens has been
called for tomorrow in order that some
steps may be taken to relieve the situa-
ton
There were no trains operated on the
international and Great Northern. as much
of its track ana quite numDer OF bridges
were washed away during last night. The
MlSSourl- Kansas and Texas Railroad is
also heavy sufferer from 4 like caue.
Reports rom several sections of Gem
ual and southern Texas are 10 the effect
that = large acreage is under water ana
Einch damage has been suffered iH prop
eTIy and live stock.
Further Down Ihe VaIIey.
Houston. Tex, April s.-As rule the
Texas rivers are now falling, and there
Is hot much danger Of a general flood. The
crops have been damaged over a wide
area, but there is sui time for farmers
10 replant if they can get the seed. Corn
has been planted over once, and VIII have
10 be planted the third time. The far
mers. as a rule, have not planted much
cotton, because the neavy rains have kepl
them out Of the fields. The railroads have
lost many small bridges. and ii viii be a
eek before traffic resumes lis normal
condition.
Smithville reports tremendous rains
have fallen throughout that section. the
main flood in the Colorado from the break
in the great Austin dam reaching there
this evening. The river is on a thirty
eight foot rise at Z D. m. and rising one
foot an hour. IL is estimated that over
50oO acres of growing crops in the bot
tom lands within five miles Of town have
been inundated by from ten 10 fifteen feet.
The loss will reach over $4,000 The stock
has been drowned No deaths have been
reported in that section 80 far from
drowning.
Cameron reports the food In Little Riv-
er now equals that of last July The wa
Ter works and power house have been
oVerfoWed. People were warned, and NJ
loss OF life is reported
BruShy. San Gabriel, and Little rivers
are all Ovorfiowed, causing the entire de-
Str-tion OF all crops. The rivers are
sJill rising.
Reports from points on other rivers are
OF damage 10 crops but no loss Of life
Bastrop reports many families of the
town are encamped ont under the pavilion
Al Fireman's Park while others are ready
az a moments warning TO fee 10 the hills
The water is at a standstnl at a height
Of over forty-three feet Bastrop is liter
ally hemmed in by water now and is cut
on from the surrounding communities
Damage 10 crops, lanus, and stock can
not Zoe estimated, but no lives are report
ed lost
san Antonio. Tex. April S-A party Of
twenty-five tourists en- route 10 California
and twenty-five Tyroese immigrants. el
route 20 the Hawaiian Islands to work on
the sugar plantations. who were caught
by the storm on the SolJheln Pacific Rail-
road west OF Devils River last Thursday,
returned Ia san Antonio to-day. and were
sent around by way OF Fort Worth and
the Texas Pacific After the storm the
tourists found themselves in a wild COun-
Try with six washOuts between thom and
san Antonio, and nine WaShauts and miss
,ne bridges between them and Fl p ..
lne damage TO the Southern i ciice
between here and ~ P1So is estimated
Il several hundred thousand dollars
iaIcQn. Texas April N.-Thc norm hound
p3sScugpr graiu Viii, lClt here over the
International md Great Northern Rail
way this morning vas wrecked by the
spreading Of thr rails near TWoh about
noon. The ynrire train, except The engine.
went into IA" Gitch. Mail Agent :. T.
Bright was seriously injured. AMI several
others less seriously hurt Further details
have not been received here.
The Eio Graroc has come % a stand AZ
tWrnty-siN feet without damage 60 the
bride here but the wuterWorlls machiu-
cry Is submerged, ara The crops along
the river have been deslr.y-d
san Antonio. Tex. Apgl S-A special 90
the Express from EiC Grludt city an-
9ouncCs the total dest uctlun uf the corn
rrop iu the Lower GTJUde bottom larls
JMcials OF the International and Great
Northern Railroad report that all trains
s.ll bt running on good time by morning.
The Agansas Pass Railroad has resumed
ltS passenger service
Smilhyine reports he Colorado River az
forty feet and risiUE. AL bottom lands
ate completely submerged. and great dam
age has been 4Hu- tu The Young crops.
and many miles ot fence have been wasa-
q IUIF. Tho river j. hi-h,- than il has
been since 1870 The people IN the bot
The two wagon BRIDGES across GasIfv' s
"reek are submerged bv nackwater. ana
sil communication from tEe west side az
che town i~ cat on fT re river continue
rising through the NIGHT the Tatin aGll-
ton 20 tho TOWN. Uf'i ha under water g+
many cottaRrs gi!i De DESTROYED
Dubliu Editor renr te Prison.