The Sentinel=record., 1913-12-09
HUNDREDS or SUFFERING ViCs TINS MARooNED ON ELENA
 TONS AND GIN HOUSES.
RELIEF IS POURING IN
Majority Of the Deaths Are Among Negroes of the LowIands-Three He- roic Reseuers Meet Death in the Icy Flood Waters.

Houston, Texas, Dec S--The yer1- fled death list in Texas floods went 10 l50 tonight, when an Associated Press correspondent came in from a trip over fhe thirty-miIe llevee sec ton about Bryan where for two days there have been rumors of hundreds of drownings, and reported fifty known deaths in that territory. A few of these had been previously report- ed Lieut. l.. A. Brown, IT. S. A., in command of the relief in that district. after thoroughly Investigating, said he saw no reason to believe any more drownings would be found.
 The great danger tonight was freez- ing and starvation For the second successive night ice was forecast over the Thirty Mile District, where 1900 persons, mostly negroes, are marooned in cotton gins and half-fooded resi- dences, with little food or fire.
 Conflicting reports came in from the lower Bra2os river, where the fiood was still at its height Hempstead was reported to have had a large loss of life, but Rosenburg and Brookshire, where there were drownings oyer night and where conditions were about the same as at Hempstead, reported that the day had passed with no more fatalities. The San F'eliDs section, where last night fears were oppressed for several hundred persons marooned on slight elevation. received ship ment of motor boats from Houston. which rapidly removed the refugees to safety.
 Pressing need for blankets and food was both reported and verified all over the stricken district, from Gen. tral Texas almost to the gulf coast. A train load of provisions was ordered from Austin to Gaust on the Brazos for 300 marooued. Close to Simon ton near the Brazos month fifty per sons were shut up in potato ware houses, but without potatoes or any thing else to eat.
 The Brazoss crest went through dam enar Richmond today, flooding state convict farm. The prisoners had been removed. The Colorado river danger seemed over
 Texas cities today an began pour- ing money and supplies into the food ed district. Houston raising $S,0o0 in cash.
 About four-fifths of the deaths re- ported were negroes. A feature of the deaths among whites was the loss of seven rescuers lives, five of them in the vicinity of Bryan, all lost in himsy boats while trying to carry food and clothing to refugee camps, made up mostly of negroes.
 One of the most heroic sacrifices was that of three well-known Bryan business men, all of whom died in tree north Of here from exposure after their two motor boats had capsized. These three, Howard R. Cayitt, Clifton Elzie and Isa ]. Robbins. started Sat urday noon, with Tom Evans, another Bryan man. to carry provisions to point about twenty miles north of here. Their boats overturned on a snag. Roberts, Cayitt and Evans got into a tree together, with Elzie in tree fifty yards away. The overturn- ed boat was in reach of the trio in the tree, but they became so exhaust ed trying to right it that Robbins could not climb out of the water and Cavitt and Evans could not pull him up. So they tied him with a ropa with his head above water. Elzie then swan to the interior tree, where Ca. witt and Evans tried to warm him with their bodies, without success. All ihree lashed themselves to the limbs Saturday night Robhins, who was still in the water, died, Elzie died at noon Sunday. Cavitt died in convuls!ons early this morning. This afternoon ne groes in passing skin heard Evans faint cries and resened him. He was brought here seriously III.
 dam near Richmond today ooding .