Norwich bulletin., 1913-12-04
I5,OOO Homeless
 by Texas Flood
AREA OF 200 MILES BY 100 MILES
 INUNDATED
SCORES IN TREE-TOPS
Seven Lives Known to Have Been Lost
 Property Damage in Waco Alone in Excess Of SIS, ,ooo-Rivers Rising.

Dallas, Texas, Dec. 3.-With three out of their banks as result of tor radO-and innumerable small streams rlVers-the Trinity, Brazos and Colo rential rains which began Monday night and still continue, the flood sit uat1on in central Texas has assumed serious proportions.
 Within a territory 200 miles in length and 100 miles in width almost all of the lowlands are under water; approx- lmately l5, GOO persons have been driv- en from their homes; scores have been rescued from tree tops and float Ing WreckaSe; several railroads have been forced to suspend operations, and much damage has been done to prop erty.
 Seven Lives Lost.
 Seven persons are known to have lost their lives. Yesterday five mem bers of the family of w c. Polk, a farmer, were drowned at Belton, and B. E, Lacy and a, man named Manley met Manley lost his life while attempting to rescue marooned victims at the viii lage of Grand Prairie.
 10000 Homeless at Waco.
 Waco, on the Brazos river and in the center of the flooded area, reported the most serious situation today. Sec tions of that city known as South and East Waco are under water. and it is estimated that more than 10000 resi- dents were made homeless In Waco property damage is estimated in ex- cess of $75,0 ,000 The military coInpan- ies stationed there have been ordered on duty by Governor Colquitt, and ball cartridges have been issued to the guardsmen for use in the event of loot ing. So far there has been no diSOr- der.
 Train service out of Waco was de- moraltzed by washouts. Officials of the Texas Midland operating between En- his and Paris, reported the entire sys- tenn tied up. Near Elgin the soft road bed caused the engine and baggage car of Houston and Texas Central pas senger train to overturn. No one was seriously hurt.
 People Marooned in Trees.
 In the Leon river bottoms, near Fem ple nunbeE Gf men, women aud children, stiI were marooned late to- day, after spending 24 hours in the trees, and tonight it was uncertain when improvised boats could be navi- gated through the swift flowing water Near Dallas this afternoon boatmen rescued q dozen persons from trees in the Trinity river bottoms, and earlier in the day boats took refugees from trees near Waxahachie and at other points,
 Marlin, the training site of several major league baseball teams, is prac- tically surrounded by water, and the town Of Hetty. on the Texas Midland railroad, is inundated to a depth of from one to three feet, most of the in habitants having moved to Terrell with such of their effects as they could hur- riedly gather.
 Three Men Afioat on Log.
 In Waco and other large towns in the flooded districts charitable organ izations are caring for those made homeless, while in the smaller vil- lages more fortunate neighbOrs are pro- viding shelter for those driven from their homes As a result, except in isolated cases there has been but little suffering from hunger and exposure.
 The Colorado river at Austin, after falling during last night, rose again to- day, coming up at the rate of six feet an hour for a time tonight. Three uni identified men, riding on q log, hoated down the river at dusk, one getting into a tree far out from shore and the other two on top of the partially sub merged grandstand of the baseball park. Boats were sent out to rescue the men, but were unable to find them in the darkness