The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-07
TEXAS FLOODED.
BrazOs River Rises Ten Feet
Today at Waco.
Rain Still Falling Over a Large
Territory.
ALL TRAINS DELAYED.
The Katy and the Santa Fe
Roads Suffer.
ClOudburst at Austin mandates
Surrounding Country.

St. Louis, April IA special to the
Post-Dispatch from Dallas, Tex, says:
The Brazos river at Waco has risen ten
feet today and is still coming up, as is
also the Trinity at Dallas. Rain is still
falling over the state. All telephone and
telegraph lines are in trouble because Of
the high water and railroad trains ev-
erywhere are delayed or tied up.
A bulletin received from Bastrop at
noon says:
Colorado very high. Water running
over railroad at Fayetteville and wash
ing away much property. The Brazos
river at Sealey is rising rapidly, and
the water is now running into the wait
ing looms of the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas depot at Bastrop."
At German, the Leon river is as high
as during the flood of July 4, 1899 The
Brazos and other small streams are go
ing up rapidly. Texas Central railroad
men expect they will be cut off between
De Leon and Hico along the Steel
creeks.
Bolton reports the Little Brazos and
its branches very high and are still ris-
ing. Much damage is feared. Temple
reports high water at Killen on the
Gulf, Colorado & Santa F'e road. I'm
able to get any details from the dam
age in the Water valley section.
CLOUDBURST AT AUSTIN.
Austin, Tex, April IA cloudburst
occurred today and the entire country
| is inundated. The Colorado river here
| rose eleven feet in three hours and is
still rising at the rate of three feet an
| hour.
The storm was the most terrific on
| record, sweeping everything before it. A
| bridge on the International and Great
| Northern railroad, II miles north of
here, was washed out, wrecldng the St.
| Louis southbound cannon ball train. The
| engine, mail car, one passenger coach
and one sleeper were ditched. A num-
| Der of people are reported burned, but
| the list Of casualties has not been OBJ
] 415r Il f17, -ffR n
| this section of the state will amount to
| hundreds of thousands OF dollars.
Another flood is feared, as the cloud
! burst is in the path of the immense flood
! of last spring, which wrecked so many
| millions of dollars worth. of property.
! The Austin & Northwestern railroad
| operating to the northwest from here
| along the Colorado river ridge IS ser
| ious loser as a result of four bridges
| being washed out and much track
! washed away; no trains are being OPP
| Grated today.
All sections tributary to the Colorado
river report great damage to property
Unconfrmed rumors say that fam
lily of six negroes living on Shoal river
| west cf here We're drowned.
People living in the bottoms had to
| leave their homes, the water having
flooded them to the depth of three feet.
Reports from Concho river above
here are that the worst storm ever
known in that section is now raging
there attended by loss of life and prop
erty. All the water falling there will
| have to pass Austin and it is feared
that this city's million and a half water
| and light plant and dam will suffer. for
the water is now within two feet OF the
danger mark.
At 1890 o. M all telegraphic and tele-
phone wires between Dallas and Austin
are gone. Can not get a word direct
A bulletin from La Grande, IS miles be-
low Austin says:
It was reported by telephone at noon
that the dam in the Colorado river al
, Austin broke at 11:20 a. m. and the flood
J of water released washed away tbs
power house. Much excitement prevails
No loss of life reported.
If this report is correct the damage
will reach hundreds of thousands of dol
l lars as the Austin dam was one of the
t largest and costliest of its kind in the
country The property loss in the valley
: below viii be very heavy.
COMMUNICATION CUT OFF.
I Dallas, Tex, April AT 12:45 p. m.
all telegraph and telephone communi-
cation with Austin and San Antonio
5 was lost.
t A telephone message received from
= La Grange at noon states that the big
q dam of the Colorado river at Austir
broke at 11:25 m. large flood OF
n water was released, washing away tht
Y power house.
4 The south bound express train on th'
n International & Great. Northern rail-
n road was wrecked this morning neal
Mcneil. It is not known whether th'
wreck is of a serious nature as wire
communication is interrupted
AUSTIN DAM IS GONE.
Dallas. April THE following bulle-
tin was received from La Grande a
1:30 p. m;
g --latest information indicates tina
the breaking of the Colorado river dan
at Austin was something terrible. Peo
pie along the water line of the river art
fleeing for high ground. SmithviIle re
ports half the people of the town nearl.
crazy with fright
!. Although a great mass of water wOult
n have been released by the bursting .
: the dam it is not believed that the foo
- could possibly attain a stage sufficient,
= high to reach the main portion of tn
0 city. Austin proper is built on a rang
e of hills at the highest navigable poin
n of the Colorado river, where that strear
= breaks through the range. The principa
! part of the city stands on the left ban
s of the river and in the center stands tn
: famous marble capitol of the state o
e Texas 1t is thought here that the frs
g rush of the released waters carried. ava
{ the buildings which supply water powe
to the mills along the river bank an
then subsided. It is possible however
/ low the city and down close to the rive
le level were destroyed. In the valley be
II low the water may have destroyed con
Il siderable rich farm property. For Sev
/ era1 days past the river has been at
81 high stage owing to the continuous raj
y about the headWaters of the ColOrad
and this fact which was well know
about Austin, it is thought probabl
caused the people residing within reac
a of a possible flood to be prepared for d
r emergency.
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