The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-30
HARD RAIN AT BRENNAN
OVER EIGHT INCHES FELL BETWEEN
2 AND 10 O'CLOCK A. NJ.
Bottom Lands Are Being Submerged and
Losses viii Reach Into the Thou
sands--Still Rising.

Brenham, Texas, July 2e.--Not since the
food OF July, 1899, which inundated the
BRACES valley from one end TO the other
and swept away an entire crop. together
with vast amount Of I've stock, houses.
etc, has there been such a rainfall as Wis
tied this section today 1t commenced ralu-
Ing at a. M. the heavens seemed TO open
and 1t came in torrents accompanied by
loud crashes Of thunder aud vivid flashes
Of lightning.
Local streams were choked with the food
Of waters and overlooked aud backed up
into houses that were supposed TO be away
above the high water marks on ordinary oc-
caslons.
Four aud half inches had fallen by Z
O'Clock aud there had been no cessation
in the dowupour, as SD by ~ O'Clock was
the total. The few that brayed the ele
ments and faced the binding storm TO come
to town carly found desolate looking
place, for at : O'Clock there was scarcely
business house open,
just what the extent Of the damage ls
can scarcely be estimated, but that it will
run into thousands there is scarcely
doubt That the crops Of the Brazos val.
lev, the prospect Tor which was never
more hatteriug, will be an entire loss, there
rs scarcely any question. People We're
alarmed before this rain came and had
commenced trying ~ save their corn and
remove their stock from the bottom.
telephone message from Allen farm
states tGat the river Is out VI Its banks
and last covering the bottom. Inc rain
there was a water spout. Early news from
tbappeli HIN WAS TO the effect that the
entiIc bottom would be unquestlonably in
undated and the crop lost. News from an
depedence is 20 the effect that the legua,
a tributary OF the Brazos, on which are
many tine farms, is overlooking and COW
ering It's wide valley, washing away nne
crops.
communication from Mr. john Penning-
ton, from his Bra2os bottom farm, stated
That with the exception of his place, all
the farms in that vicinity We're submerged,
the smith plantation being knee deep In
water. Inc Johnson place, about three
feet under water. The river rose "a Inches
during the night and was still rising. The
river VII haYe 70 rise two feet more be-
fore 10 VIII cover Peunington's pnce. Later
il was reported that the place was gradual
~ being covered
The water covered the high bridge across
the ditch this side Of Fireman's park This
Is the hrst time in the history Of the bridge
that II was ever covered with water Peo-
pie residing west Of the Santa Be rail-
road had to wade knee deep across the
right OF way to get TO the business part
Of town.
Asa Rlppetoe, colored, returned from Her.
mans Switch az noon and stated that the
river was level with the banks on the
east side and running over on the west
side; that Carlisle's and Routt's fields were
under water as far as 40 feet from the
banks lie said the river was stiil rising
aud would surely get out all over the bot
tom
All the small bridges around town were
either washed away or badly damaged. One
mouse ~ the wilkins addition. owned by
Mayor wilkins, was washed away. great
quantity Of pling under the upper arch Of
the Santa Fe's "hli" at Fireman's park
was washed down the stream
AT ! O'Clock Buchnnau's lower field began
to gradually become inundated. The Santa
Re track on West avenue was buried
foot IN sand by the heavy rain. The south
hound SANTA Fe was delayed about eight
hours The upland farms were badly
washed and damaged.
don Heller stoue received telephone
message from uhe ovcrseer at his Brazos
bottom farm at . O'Clock this morning
which stated that the farm was inundated
on fhe Washington county side In the low
places The water had renched the levees
on the Waller county side Mr. Stone
has his farm protected with four foot
levees but Mr.. Buchanan anticipates that
the levecs would be washed away and the
entire place he inundated, MS the river was
rising foot an hour
Postmaster w u, Dwyer. who has
Brazos bottom farm near Millican. received
a phone message from there Tuesday morn.
ing stating thar the river was running ont
In low places and that the bottom was be-
ing deserted by the tenants and the situa-
tion was most serious
A brakeman on the westbound Central
freight Tuesday morning said that the
Brazos lacked about four feet NJ being out
of Its banks at Hermau's Switch. and that
It seemed To he rising fast Judging from
the amount on drift that was coming down,