Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-12-20
History Of Former 6razos FLOODS

/ N''i'. i.'''
is here given: noar-
Tho-" traditional oVerlIoAS Pr t,o+
ed to- recur every ten years Ia -,
would seem TO Indicate tHe PO9' -
of their regularity having pee" -
fect"a subsequently by acl9 VI 49,.
hlauon. SUCH Tor instance do w,
clearing of large timber JIdC1S anu
N''"'..'- % "''.'''' " '''''' -
Observers OF these changes 'i no
supposed early periodical Iec"i
/ OF Oh" floods are inclined 10 De''e'o
tha scientific causes may De l"ulu
for them that may in the iu'ure H'dNo
10 possible TO predict jhem WIN COM
parat'Ne accuracy, and II not aclua4S
prevent ovcrtlows. put the inhabitants
ia readiness 10 get out OF the way.
The only plausible solution, II
seems of the overflow problem at
prescu. is an extension OF the dlKlhs
system begun I'm the upper portions
OF tine stream some years ago ana
/ of more recent years attempted in
more systematic ana scientific way IN
some of the lower counties.
The earliest traditional BraZos
river flood is said TO have occurred
In 1889. OF this the only detail that
seems to have been remembered is
that 1t cntaiied an immense amouns
of suffering and hardship to early set
tiers inhabiting the upper portions of
the stream.
II v.oe follou-ad IN 1912 b,, o socord
and IN 1870 Nv, = tbird TittIa soar,s
to be known except the fact that il
was said to have covered an immense
area, damaging stock and other prop
erty and occasioning loss OF life and
hardships by the tying up OF high
WAYS. All that is known OF that flood.
in spite of the fact that il occurred
within the memory of men now living.
are few verbal accounts told by old
settlers.
Two enccaodi,o nariods tho, saor,
to have passed either without a flood
or so slight rises as not to have been
recalled and the next was that OF
1885. This date seems TO indicate
[ iffHf the fGRuidfifR mad 1gRn broken
or that the period was few months
more than ten years. This flood is
/ said to have entirely surpassed the
previous flood in extent and property
losses in the upper part of the basin.
The lower Brazos valley was still SO
sparsely settled, comparatively, that
| that fact may have accounted for the
small damage done in the regions
closer 10 the gulf
l. All floods OF which there is any rec
ord at all. except the one inst past.
was exceeded by that OF June and
July 1899. This flood. like that Of
| 1908, was in reality a double rise. the
crests following each other i'm close
succession. 1t was preceded bv a
period of unusual drouth. a condition
that would ordinarily be supposed to
leave the ground in condition TO alb
The flood stage at uamnstaad on
tbie occasion u,oe IN faot ~. tbra,
| feet lower than that lust past. II was
also higher at Kopperl, Waco and
other points where records we're kept.
There were then no government river
gauges. but the water lines left bv the
rise were subsequently compared to
gauges established by the government
in 1903 and later.
T. &c ostir,otod tbot tbo clad .o,.or
ed an area ont Of tho hanl,s of tho
e+-oo,, &c 49, H. 600 -.
miles causod tho doo,b Of Al ,or-o,,e,
Lroun 20 ho,,o hoor dro,,,,,,d "a
shifted in losses of cattle corn ond
cotton amountinq IN e. 41o5 rho
exact acreage covared has baar 90
timated of 2s2 25O ACCORDING To COW
ernment records
Tho cotton 1ossos wera ost;r,otad .,
ooe a5O baIas carried off nv The
etroam Tho corn loco u,os ostt,,o+od
at A 2fe A0A b,ebaIe rho co,,nttoe
moro Greatly affected ware NcIonran
Falls, Robertson, Brazos, Burleson
cr,r,oo Uosbiro,on woI,o- -,
Fort pend and prozorio
W.
N'' 80, nc 0."'ioH
30 '"T ~" nus S.ase9 loi
~ 200 i-o'u Lol .ay anu
80 -"' '"'' P''''U''e 'ie
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