The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-07-03
DESTRUCTION IN
HUNT COUNTY, TEX.
WORST RAlNSToRM IN YEARS
DEVAsTATEs CROPS AND PROP
ERTY.

Greenville, Tex, July 2.-The most
disastrous storm in eleven years visit
ed this section OF the state early this
morning. 1t has resulted in heavy
property loss in Greenville and the
surrounding country, in placing this
city in danger of a water famine by
flooding the pumps in the municipal
plant and in demoralizng railroad.
telegraph and telephone lines. The
city is in darkness, the light plant
having been put out of commission.
No lives were lost, but many Sec
tions were flooded and it was neces-
sary to use boats to rescue a number
of marooned families.
Water Situation is Serious.
At the electric light and power sta
tion in the northern part OF the city
the water flooded the pump house.
| The settling basins for the eastern
reservoir were also coveretl The
/ flood rushed over the Sabine dam
with a roar like that of a young
Niagara. There will be no electric
lights nor power beforeD Saturday.
There is probability, also, of a water
| famine, as the standpipe was not full
and the pumps cannot be used to fill
it. Connections have been cut off in
order to save the water for use in
| case of fire. City Commissioner Ar
/ mold hopes to be able to pump water
into the standpipe some time tomor-
row.
| Several families were unable to es-
cape from their homes at points north
| and south of Greenville.
In three hours the government
| gauge registered a precipitation Of
! over four inches The rain is said
to have been heavier northwest of
| Greenvile than it was in the city. At
Celeste unofficial measurements show
ed over six inches All over Hunt
| county creeks are out of their chan
! nels and all bottom land Is under
water. On many bottom lands which
are overflowed only in extremely wet
years, as rule, the water is backed
up four or five feet deep. No loss
of life is reported from these districts
but telephone lines are down and
there are no other means of com
municatiOn.
Several Narrow Escapes.
Several narrow escapes from death |
have been reported. The family of |
Mr.. Whitley was rescued in boats, |
Mr.. Whitley, three women and four
children being brought to places of
safety. They were on the old Neal
Fits place, which is between Horse
Creek and the Sabine river, and the
lbackwaters from both streams had
entered their house.
Late this afternoon Wright Elliott
crossed the Sabine above the Green
vile power and water station and res
cued Tom Burrows who had taken n
position in the loft of his barn in an
endeavor to escape the water which
had come up into his house. Another
rescue party which was making for
his farm overturned the boat and it
was with great difficulty that the
members managed to right it and con-
tinue their voyage. In this party were
Commissioner Harry Brown. Robert !,
Spearman and Sam Redus.
Earlier in the day almost 100 ne '
groes were moved from perilous po-
sitions in the the lowlands east Of |
town Nearly all of their property
was lost.
An estimate of the property loss in
the county can not be made with
accuracy because all crops are under
water and the extent of the damage
to them can not be ascertained until H
the flood waters recede. Every stream
in the county is up however and the
area covered by the flood is enor-
nous.
The greatest loss to Greenville,
aside from the property loss, which
is very heavy, is occasioned by the
power and water station being put out
of commission. In the engine room
the flood was eight inches deep and
in the boiler rooms it was eight feet
The water came with a rush and the
fires were put out and the engines
stopped with little or no warning.
Street car service was also stopped
and almost every manufacturing
plant in the city was compelled to
close down on account of lack Of
lower.
VICTIMS OF PLOT.